Is every action performed by the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) considered part of the Sunnah for which one is rewarded for following it?

The questioner : The questioner asks: Is every action performed by the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) considered part of the Sunnah for which a person is rewarded for following it?

The Shaykh : The answer is no, it is not so. The actions of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) are divided into categories. The first category is what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did to clarify a general statement in the Qur'an. This action takes the ruling of that general statement; if the general statement is obligatory, the action becomes obligatory, and if it is not obligatory, the action is not obligatory. This applies to us, but as for the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), the action is obligatory if the conveyance of the message depends on it. Pay attention. The second category is what he did by virtue of his nature and instinct, such as eating, drinking, and sleeping. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) does these things by virtue of nature, as everyone desires to eat, drink, and sleep. However, this category may be prescribed in terms of its manner, such as saying it is prescribed to eat with the left hand.

The questioner : Not with the right hand.

The Shaykh : With the right hand? How with the right hand? They say that civilized nations do not eat except with the left hand. We say, yes, they are civilized, but in the manner of Satan, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: So their civilization is from the civilization of the devils and jinn. Whoever desires to follow the way of the devils and jinn and leave the way of the Master of the Messengers, let him do as he pleases. As for the guidance of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), he ate with his right hand. In fact, a young boy who was eating with him, the son of Umm Salama (may Allah be pleased with her), was small, and young boys usually do not observe the etiquettes of eating, so he was taking food from here and there from the platter. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: This is etiquette: This is the second: Look, how great is the teaching of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him); he taught them even about eating. How many Sunnahs? Three Sunnahs in one place, in a place that is not usually for teaching, but the sincere one who wants to benefit the servants of Allah teaches them at every opportunity. This is the second category. The third category is what he did by virtue of custom, and its ruling is permissibility, such as the turban, the izar, and the rida. This clothing was known in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and people were accustomed to it. What is its ruling? Permissibility. We do not say to people now, "You should wear an izar, a rida, and a turban and go out among people in this clothing," because the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) wore it. Why? Because the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) did it by virtue of custom. Is keeping the hair on the head included in this? I mean the hair on the head, not the beard. Is it from custom or from worship? Some scholars said it is from worship, and others said it is from custom. If people are accustomed to keeping the hair on the head, keep it; otherwise, do not keep it. These scholars cited as evidence the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) when he saw a boy who had shaved part of his head and left part of it. He said: If keeping it had been better, he would have said, "Keep it." This indicates that keeping the hair is not a Sunnah but a custom. Some scholars said it is a Sunnah. Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "It is a Sunnah. If we were able to bear it, we would do it, but it has a burden and expense." These are three categories. The fourth category is what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did by way of worship, meaning it appears that he intended thereby to draw near to Allah. This is common, such as raising his hands in supplication, and his hastening between the two hills in the sa'y, and the like. The ruling of this is that it is worship and a Sunnah. If it is free from circumstances indicating obligation, it is not obligatory. Therefore, one of the established principles in the principles of jurisprudence is that the isolated action of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) does not indicate obligation. The fifth category is what is in doubt between worship and custom. Scholars differ on this: do we give it the ruling of worship and say it is required, or the ruling of custom and say it is not required? So the categories are five. If the questioner would be kind enough to identify himself, I will ask him about them in the next session, if Allah wills. Where is the questioner? You are good. Pay attention to these categories so we can ask you about them, and be present before me, if Allah wills, tomorrow.