Preferring Opinion Over Sunnah: Shar‘i Status and Evidences
Sourced from: Fatāwā Muḥammadiyyah, Volume 1, Page 158
❀ Question
What is the Shar‘i ruling regarding a Muslim who prefers his own opinion over the established Sunnah (authentic ḥadīth)? Please explain in the light of Qur’an and Sunnah.
❀ Clear Principle: Preferring Opinion Over Texts is Misguidance
الحمد لله، والصلاة والسلام علىٰ رسول الله، أما بعد!
It is absolutely clear and decisive that ḥadīth is the second fundamental source of explanation and interpretation of the Qur’an. All scholars agree that when a naṣṣ (clear text) exists in any matter, reliance and practice upon it is Shar‘an obligatory.
A person who abandons established Sunnah and prefers his or anyone else’s opinion has transgressed beyond the Shar‘i boundaries.
◈ Statement of Imām al-Shāfiʿī (رحمه الله)
"إذا كان لله فى الواقعة حكم فعلىٰ كل مسلم اتباعه."
(al-Sunnah al-Jannah, p. 205)
Translation:
“When Allah has issued a ruling in a matter, then it is obligatory on every Muslim to follow it.”
❀ Qur’anic Guidance
➊ Sūrat al-Mā’idah, Ayah 44
﴿وَمَن لَم يَحكُم بِما أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ فَأُولـئِكَ هُمُ الكـفِرونَ﴾
“Whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed, they are the disbelievers.”
➋ Sūrat al-Mā’idah, Ayah 45
﴿وَمَن لَم يَحكُم بِما أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ فَأُولـئِكَ هُمُ الظّـلِمونَ﴾
“Whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed, they are the wrongdoers.”
➌ Sūrat al-Mā’idah, Ayah 47
﴿وَمَن لَم يَحكُم بِما أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ فَأُولـئِكَ هُمُ الفـسِقونَ﴾
“Whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed, they are the defiantly disobedient.”
➍ Sūrat al-Ḥujurāt, Ayah 1
﴿يـأَيُّهَا الَّذينَ ءامَنوا لا تُقَدِّموا بَينَ يَدَىِ اللَّهِ وَرَسولِهِ﴾
“O you who believe! Do not put yourselves ahead of Allah and His Messenger, and fear Allah. Indeed Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.”
❀ Explanations from Sunnah
➊ Ibn ʿAbbās (RA):
"من قال فى القرآن برأيه فليتبوا مقعده من النار."
(Al-Tirmidhī, Mishkāt, p. 35)
— “Whoever interprets the Qur’an by his own opinion, let him prepare his place in the Fire.”
➋ Jundub (RA):
"من قال فى القرآن برايه فاصاب فقد أخطاء."
(ʿAwn al-Maʿbūd, Mishkāt, p. 35)
— “Whoever explains the Qur’an by his opinion and gets it right, has still erred.”
➌ ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAmr (RA):
"افتوابالرأى فضلوا واضلوا."
(Majmaʿ al-Zawā’id)
— “They issued fatwas by opinion, and thus went astray and led others astray.”
➍ Abū Hurayrah (RA):
"من افتى بغير علم كان اثمه على من افتاه."
(Abū Dāwūd, Mishkāt, p. 35)
— “Whoever issues a fatwa without knowledge, its sin is upon the one who gave it.”
➎ Mutaffaq ʿAlayh Ḥadīth:
— “People will appoint ignorant leaders; they will be asked and will give fatwas without knowledge, and will go astray and lead others astray.”
➏ Abū Hurayrah (RA):
"فَإِذَا عَمِلُوا بِالرَّأْيِ ضَلُّوا."
(Miftāḥ al-Jannah, p. 208)
— “When people act upon their opinion, they fall into misguidance.”
❀ Sayings of the Companions and Early Scholars
➊ Maymūn ibn Mihrān: Abū Bakr (RA) would first decide by Qur’an, then by Sunnah, then consult Companions if not found.
(Al-Dārimī, al-Inṣāf, Shah Walīullah, p. 38)
➋ ʿUmar (RA):
"إن الرأى إنما كان من رسول الله ﷺ وحيا…"
(Iʿlām al-Muwaqqiʿīn, Miftāḥ al-Jannah)
— “The Prophet ﷺ’s opinion was revelation, but our opinion is mere assumption and burden.”
➌ ʿUmar (RA) also said:
"اياكم واصحاب الراى فانهم اعداء السنن…"
(al-Risālah, Miftāḥ al-Sunnah, p. 209)
— “Beware of the people of opinion; they are enemies of the Sunnah, misguided and misguiding others.”
➍ ʿAlī (RA):
"لوكان الدين بالرأى فكان اسفل الخف اولىٰ بالمسح من اعلاه."
(Miftāḥ al-Sunnah, p. 209)
— “If religion was based on opinion, then wiping the bottom of the sock would be more deserving than the top.”
➎ Incident reported by Imām al-Shāfiʿī:
ʿUmar (RA) fixed different diyah amounts for fingers, but when the Prophet’s ﷺ written ruling arrived (that each finger has ten camels as compensation), he withdrew his opinion.
➏ Imām al-Zuhrī (رحمه الله):
"دعوا السنة تمضى لاتعرضوا لها بالراى."
— “Let the Sunnah continue as it is; do not confront it with opinion.”
❀ Conclusion
❀ Innovation in religion emerges when one’s own opinion is preferred over the naṣṣ (clear texts).
❀ Preferring opinion over Sunnah leads to misguidance.
❀ Innovations spread when Sunnah is abandoned and personal opinion is followed.
Note: This condemnation is of opinions posed against Qur’an and Ḥadīth, not of ijtihād and qiyās which remain subordinate to texts.
ھذا ما عندي والله أعلم بالصواب
