Title: Further Questions on Sunnah Question/Comments: Please clarify my following doubts on your definition of Sunnah : Since your opinion of Sunnah is not very much in line with old and contemporary scholars, I would greatly thank you if you could cite any other prominent historical scholars supporting your view of Sunnah . In the verse 9:29, God says ".... and forbid not that which Allah hath forbidden by His messenger and follow not the Religion of Truth". Doesn't this verse mean that Allah had given right to the Messenger to forbid in the Religion other than what is mentioned in the Qur'an and this forbiddance can be known only from the Hadith ? Ameen Answer: I am not aware of any scholars, who give precisely the same definition of Sunnah , as I have proposed. As for the referred verse, my definition of Sunnah does not in any way refute the Prophet's (pbuh) authority in Islam. The Qur'an and the Sunnah both enjoy their position as the primary sources of Islam on the authority only of the Prophet (pbuh). Nevertheless, there is obviously nothing in the verse, which says that the Prophet (pbuh) has prohibited anything as a part of Islamic law, which is neither mentioned in the Qur'an nor the Sunnah . In fact, had the Prophet (pbuh) intended to prohibit anything as a part of the Shari`ah , which was neither included in the Qur'an nor the Sunnah , then the Prophet (pbuh) would have informed each and every one of his companions, without exception, about such prohibition and each of these companions would subsequently have transmitted it to those coming after them. In my opinion, it is primarily the nature of the transmission of the narratives ascribed to the Prophet (pbuh), which does not allow us to consider them as an independent source of the Shari`ah . If these narratives were an independent source of the Islamic Shari`ah , the Prophet (pbuh) and his companions would have taken an active role in not only compiling these narratives but also in removing all kinds of potential inaccuracies from them, to save the Shari`ah from being wasted and adulterated. I hope this helps. Regards, Moiz Amjad October 25, 2001