Hadeeth
Question

                Why are the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) counted as proof?
Praise be to Allah.
    Hadeeth means the 
    words, actions, approvals or attributes that have been narrated from the 
    Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).  

    A hadeeth may 
    either confirm things that are mentioned in the Quran, such as prayer, zakah 
    (poor-due), etc., or it may give details of things that are mentioned in the 
    Quran in general terms, such as the numbers of rak’ahs (units) in each 
    prayer, the thresholds for paying zakah, the details of Hajj, etc. It may 
    also explain rulings which are not mentioned in the Quran, such as the 
    prohibition on being married to a woman and her (paternal or maternal) aunt 
    at the same time.  

    Allah revealed the 
    Quran to His Messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) 
    and commanded him to explain it to the people, as He said (interpretation of 
    the meaning):  

    “And We have also 
    sent down unto you (O Muhammad) the Dhikr [reminder and the advice (i.e. the 
    Quran)], that you may explain clearly to men what is sent down to them, and 
    that they may give thought.” 

    [al-Nahl 16:44] 
    

    The hadeeth of the 
    Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is a revelation (wahy) 
    from his Lord. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):  
    

    “Your companion 
    (Muhammad) has neither gone astray nor has erred. 

    Nor does he speak 
    of (his own) desire. 

    It is only a 
    Revelation revealed.” 

    [al-Najm 53:2-4] 
    

    Allah sent His 
    Messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) to call 
    mankind to worship Allah alone, and to disbelieve in any (god) apart from 
    Him, and (He sent him) to bring the glad tidings of Paradise and warnings of 
    Hell:  

    “O Prophet 
    (Muhammad)! Verily, We have sent you as witness, and a bearer of glad 
    tidings, and a warner, 

    And as one who 
    invites to Allah [Islamic Monotheism, i.e. to worship none but Allah 
    (Alone)] by His leave, and as a lamp spreading light (through your 
    instructions from the Quran and the Sunnah/the legal ways of the Prophet).
    

    [al-Ahzab 33:45-46 
    – interpretation of the meaning]  

    The Messenger 
    (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was anxious over this ummah; he 
    did not know of anything good but he told them of it, and he did not know of 
    anything evil but he warned them against it:  

    “Verily, there has 
    come unto you a Messenger (Muhammad) from amongst yourselves. It grieves him 
    that you should receive any injury or difficulty. He (Muhammad) is anxious 
    over you; for the believers (he is) full of pity, kind, and merciful.”
    

    [al-Tawbah 9:128 – 
    interpretation of the meaning]  

    Every Prophet was 
    sent only to his own people, but Allah sent His Messenger Muhammad (peace 
    and blessings of Allah be upon him) to all of mankind:  

    “And We have sent 
    you (O Muhammad) not but as a mercy for the ‘Alameen (mankind, jinn and all 
    that exists).” 

    [al-Anbiya 21:101 
    – interpretation of the meaning]  

    Because the 
    Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) conveyed the revelation 
    that was sent down to him from His Lord, it is obligatory to obey him. 
    Indeed, obedience to him is obedience to Allah:  

    “He who obeys the 
    Messenger (Muhammad), has indeed obeyed Allah.” 

    [al-Nisa 4:80 – 
    interpretation of the meaning]  

    Obedience to Allah 
    and His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is the way to 
    salvation and victory, and to happiness in this world and in the Hereafter: 
    

    “And whosoever 
    obeys Allah and His Messenger, he has indeed achieved a great achievement 
    (i.e. he will be saved from the Hellfire and will be admitted to Paradise).”
    

    [al-Ahzab 33:71 – 
    interpretation of the meaning]  

    Hence it is 
    obligatory for all people to obey Allah and His Messenger (peace and 
    blessings of Allah be upon him), because therein lies their success and 
    salvation:  

    “And obey Allah 
    and the Messenger (Muhammad) that you may obtain mercy.” 

    [Al ‘Imran 3:132 – 
    interpretation of the meaning]  

    Whoever disobeys 
    Allah and His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) only 
    harms himself, he does not harm Allah in the slightest:  

    “And whosoever 
    disobeys Allah and His Messenger (Muhammad), and transgresses His limits, He 
    will cast him into the Fire, to abide therein; and he shall have a 
    disgraceful torment.” 

    [al-Nisa 4:14 – 
    interpretation of the meaning]  

    Once Allah and His 
    Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) have decided a matter, 
    no one has the right to choose concerning it or to object to it; rather it 
    is obligatory to obey and to believe in the truth:  

    “It is not for a 
    believer, man or woman, when Allah and His Messenger have decreed a matter 
    that they should have any option in their decision. And whoever disobeys 
    Allah and His Messenger, he has indeed strayed into a plain error. 
    

    [al-Ahzab 33:36 – 
    interpretation of the meaning]  

    A person's faith 
    is not complete until he loves Allah and His Messenger (peace and blessings 
    of Allah be upon him), and love implies obedience. Whoever wants Allah to 
    love him and forgive his sins must follow the Messenger (peace and blessings 
    of Allah be upon him):  

    “Say (O Muhammad 
    to mankind): ‘If you (really) love Allah, then follow me (i.e. accept 
    Islamic Monotheism, follow the Quran and the Sunnah), Allah will love you 
    and forgive you your sins. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.’”
    

    [Al ‘Imran 3:31 – 
    interpretation of the meaning]  

    Love of the 
    Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is not simply the 
    matter of words to be repeated, rather it is the matter of belief and 
    conduct, i.e., obedience to what he commands, belief in what he tells us, 
    avoidance of what he forbids, and avoidance of worshipping Allah in any way 
    except that which he prescribed.  

    When Allah had 
    perfected this religion and the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be 
    upon him) had conveyed the message of his Lord, Allah took him to be with 
    Him. The Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) left this 
    ummah (his followers) with clear proof in which there is no ambiguity. No 
    one deviates from it but he is doomed:  

    “This day, those 
    who disbelieved have given up all hope of your religion; so fear them not, 
    but fear Me. This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My 
    favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.” 
    

    [al-Maidah 5:3 – 
    interpretation of the meaning]  

    By the grace of 
    Allah, the Sahabah/Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) preserved the 
    ahaadeeth (prophetic teachings) of the Messenger (peace and blessings of 
    Allah be upon them), then the righteous salaf (pious predecessors) who came 
    after them compiled them in books which are known as the Sihah 
    (Saheehs/authentic collections), Sunan and Musnads. The most sound of them 
    are Saheeh al-Bukhari, Saheeh Muslim, the four Sunans, the Musnad of al-Imam 
    Ahmad and the Muwatta of al-Imam Malik, etc.  

    Allah has 
    perfected this religion. The Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon 
    him) did not know of anything good but he taught it to his ummah, and he did 
    not know of anything evil but he warned them against it. So whoever 
    introduces anything into the religion,  of bid’ah (innovation) or myths, 
    such as praying to the dead or circumambulating (tawaf) their tombs, or 
    praying to the jinn and awliya (“saints”), and other things that have not 
    been prescribed by Allah and His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be 
    upon him), all of this is to be rejected and not accepted, as the Prophet 
    (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever innovates 
    something in this matter of ours (Islam) that is not a part of it will have 
    it rejected.” (Narrated by Muslim, 1718) .