Opponents claim that the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ consists of matters that are not applicable for every era, because these are the rulings that the Prophet ﷺ issued according to the circumstances of that time, which were only specific to that era.
① First Point
The Sunnah is revelation as has been established in the answer to the previous doubt, so this could also be said about the Holy Quran because many rulings in the Holy Quran were revealed due to the causes of time and place, so should those rulings also be restricted to the time of their revelation?
② Second Point
In the Holy Quran, Allah, the Exalted, has given a general command to obey the Messenger ﷺ without specifying any particular time or place. Allah Almighty says:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ وَأُولِي الْأَمْرِ مِنكُم…..
Reference: (Surah An-Nisa:59)
Translation: O you who have believed! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger ﷺ and those in authority among you.
وَمَا آتَاكُمُ الرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوهُ وَمَا نَهَاكُمْ عَنْهُ فَانتَهُوا …..
Reference: (Surah Al-Hashr:7)
Translation: And whatever the Messenger gives you, take it, and whatever he forbids you, abstain from it.
So what else can obedience to you ﷺ mean for those who come later except to follow your Sunnah.
③ Third Point
Allah Almighty says:
وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ
Reference: (Surah An-Nur:56)
Translation: Establish prayer, give zakat, and obey the Messenger of Allah so that mercy may be bestowed upon you.
This noble verse mentions three commands, one of which is obedience to the Messenger ﷺ. So were the other two commands also specific only to the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them all? Because saying that following the Sunnah was specific to that time would necessarily imply that the other two commands were also specific to that time, which no one accepts.
④ Fourth Point
Accepting the aforementioned claim would render all the verses of the Holy Quran, in which obedience to the Prophet ﷺ is commanded, meaningless and purposeless, because when the Quran is called "guidance for mankind" and this last book was revealed to the last Prophet, its status is such that it is a source of guidance for every era and every kind of people.
⑤ Fifth Point
The aforementioned claim also challenges the finality of Prophethood of the Prophet ﷺ because if the Shariah conveyed by you was specific to your time, then how would guidance be arranged for those who come later? In this way, the later people would be deprived of the guidance of your Prophethood and Messengership, which contradicts the completion of the proof through the sending of the Messenger of Allah.
The Lord Almighty says:
رُّسُلًا مُّبَشِّرِينَ وَمُنذِرِينَ لِئَلَّا يَكُونَ لِلنَّاسِ عَلَى اللَّهِ حُجَّةٌ بَعْدَ الرُّسُلِ
Reference: (An-Nisa 4:165)
Translation: (We sent) such Messengers who gave glad tidings and warnings, so that mankind would have no argument against Allah after the Messengers.
