Discussion on the Sunnahs of custom.

The questioner : Is the brother recording?
Abu Layla : Yes.

The questioner : There is an issue, O Shaykh, concerning a matter that is quite delicate. Many people consider the Sunnahs of custom to be a Sunnah, and we differ with them on this. We say that the Sunnahs of custom should not be followed in the sense that we perform them, but we do not intend worship with them. However, many of the brothers may have been influenced by the group of Anصار al-Sunnah al-Nabawiyyah al-Sharifah in Egypt, who hold that the Sunnahs of custom and the Sunnahs of worship are on the same level. What is your opinion on this point?

The Shaykh : Before answering the question, I see that what you attributed to Anصار al-Sunnah is not the group you mean. Rather, it is the legal group that calls themselves al-Sabikah, Anصار al-Sunnah, who are not these people. You must distinguish between them. It is well known of al-Sabikah that they exaggerate in this matter. Without doubt, the correct view, as we always and forever say, is that the Sunnah in the jurisprudential sense is the worship with which our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) worshipped his Lord. As for what he did by way of custom, or by way of the environment in which he lived, or by way of nature and disposition, these are matters in which we are not obligated to follow him (peace and blessings be upon him). In fact, I say that when we answer this question, the one who draws near to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) by the Sunnahs of custom contradicts the one who follows him and takes his example in the fundamental condition for the acceptance of worship. For we all know, if Allah wills, that worship is not a prescribed worship unless two conditions are met. The first condition is that it be pure for the face of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He). The second condition is that it be in accordance with the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family). This is what many scholars of tafsir stated regarding the saying of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) They said that the saying of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) means that a deed is not good unless it is in accordance with the Sunnah, and it is not accepted unless one does not associate anyone from the servants of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) with Him in it. If this is a fact agreed upon regarding the first condition, and regarding the second condition there is disagreement, unfortunately, because there are those who say that some innovations are beautified in the sense of increasing nearness to Allah, even if the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) did not come with them, then if the matter is so, the one who draws near to Allah by a Sunnah of the Sunnahs of custom contradicts the Prophet in his intention. For when we say "Sunnah of custom," we mean that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) did not intend to draw near to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) with it. For example, may the prayers and peace be upon him, he had long hair, sometimes reaching the earlobes, sometimes the tops of the shoulders. He had sandals with straps. It is not established, nor has it reached us, that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) drew near to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) with such a customary Sunnah. So if he did it due to custom or the environment in which he lived, like these sandals with two straps, then when we find a person who lengthens his hair, and we may find some in certain countries making it into braids and locks, we say to him: You have contradicted the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) in the first condition, which is intention. He did not intend to draw near to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) with this deed. And if he intended to follow him (peace be upon him) and observe this intention in this matter, it is like observing it in all the legal acts of worship. In all acts of worship, if the intention of the one worshipping differs from the intention of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), he is not drawing near to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) with it, but rather he is contradicting Him. And I give an example of this: If a man prays the regular voluntary prayers (rawatib) with the intention of the obligatory prayers, will these voluntary prayers be accepted from him? The answer is no. Why? Because he contradicted the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) in the intention for them. When he prayed the five prayers, he intended the obligation. When he prayed these ten voluntary prayers, he did not intend the obligation, but he (peace be upon him) encouraged them. So whoever does them with the same intention that the Messenger (peace be upon him) did, he is following him; otherwise, he is contradicting him. The same applies to the Sunnahs of custom. The Messenger did them by way of custom, so we do them likewise. There is absolutely no objection, but we do not leave them as an act of worship, just as we do not perform them as an act of worship. The matter is the same. One of the most important texts coming in this matter, which relates to human nature, is the story of the meat of the hedgehog, which is well known, that was placed on the table of the Messenger (peace be upon him). Khalid (may Allah be pleased with him) was eating from it with great enthusiasm, and the broth was dripping on his beard. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) was looking at him with surprise, as if he feared there might be something in the matter. So he said, "O Messenger of Allah, is it forbidden?" He said So it is not necessary that we detest this meat because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) detested it. It is not necessary that we hate it because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) hated it. Just as there is in "Sahih al-Bukhari" that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) So if there are some people, and we know this type among them, who hate honey, we do not say they have contradicted the Sunnah, because this is a matter related to nature and disposition. And so on.

The questioner : May Allah reward you.

The Shaykh : And this is the first question.