As Muslims, when we recite the Shahada (declaration of faith), we affirm that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is the servant and messenger of Allah. Thus, in addition to acknowledging his selection as a prophet, we also acknowledge his humanity, his role as a servant of Allah. The Quran specifically emphasizes this point, instructing the Prophet to address people with the words, "I am only a man like you, to whom has been revealed that your god is one God" (Al-Kahf, 18:110).
Prophets, like other people, are born, die, eat and drink, get sick, grieve, rejoice, marry, and have children. In addition to these human characteristics, it is important to note that each prophet was raised during a particular historical period and in a specific geographical location and culture. Therefore, while some of their behaviors stem from their prophetic role, others are simply a result of being members of the society in which they lived.
In addition to his prophethood, which entailed conveying, explaining, and teaching the divine revelation to humanity, the personal life of Prophet Muhammad was also influenced by the history and geography of his time and place. Notwithstanding his prophetic mission, he had his own sensitivities and preferences. Especially after the migration to Medina (Hijra), he often acted as a statesman, a judge or a mufti, providing counsel to the community. He issued rulings, made decisions, and commanded battles. Therefore, some of his actions were related to his role as a statesman, while others were related to his role as a judge or mufti. Some of his rulings were specific to the individual and the time, while others were general, permanent, and binding on all Muslims, thus imposing obligations. For this reason, Islamic jurists have categorized the Prophet's actions according to their degree of binding force. In this way, they have distinguished in which areas and matters Muslims should follow the words and actions attributed to the Prophet from those in which doing so is not a religious obligation.
One classification regarding the binding value of the Prophet's actions is a fourfold categorization. In this classification, his words and actions are separated into: 1) Words and actions required by his prophethood, 2) Decisions he made as a judge, 3) Fatwa (religious rulings) on personal religious matters, and 4) Actions as a statesman. However, some scholars, have classified the Prophet's words and actions into three categories within the same context: 1) Actions performed as a human being, 2) Rulings unique to him, and 3) Actions of a religious or legal nature. Naturally, there are also scholars who have made more comprehensive and detailed classifications. Nevertheless, all these studies clearly show that the religious responsibilities arising from the Prophet's words and actions are not equal. The following examples will illustrate this:
The Prophet's human actions include his preferences or dislikes with regard to certain foods, smells, and colors. These preferences constitute his human side and do not impose an obligation on the community to follow them. For instance, when he learned that the food offered to him and his companions was roasted desert lizard, he withdrew his hand and did not eat it. Seeing this, Khalid ibn al-Walid asked if lizard meat was forbidden. The Messenger of Allah replied, "No, I do not like it because it is not found in our region." Upon this answer, Khalid ate the lizard in the presence of the Prophet. (Muslim, “Said”, 43) The Prophet's dislike and refusal to eat lizard meat did not mean that Khalid ibn al-Walid had to refrain from eating it as well.
The Prophet's actions related to his human knowledge and experience rather than his prophetic role, were not binding on the community. He was not responsible for guiding his community in matters requiring technical knowledge, experience, and equipment, such as medicine, agriculture, and war tactics, as these are not related to religious knowledge. For instance, when he fell ill, he would consult the physicians of the time and directed his companions to do the same. (Muslim, “Salam”, 73; Abu Dawud, Tibb, 12; Hakim, al-Mustadraq, IV, 218) He also sought the guidance of his companions in matters of determining battle camps and defense strategies, as in the Battles of Badr (Hakim, al-Mustadraq, VI, 247; Bayhaqi, al-Sunan al-Kubra, IX, 144) and the Battle of the Trench (Ibn Sa'd, al-Tabaqat, II, 51). He told the companions from Medina who were pollinating the date palms that they knew worldly matters better, and he did not insist on his own opinion in this regard. (Muslim, Fadhail, 141)
Regarding the decisions and actions of Prophet Muhammad as a statesman, his actions in this regard were, of course, binding on all subjects, particularly the people of Medina at that time. However, his successors, did not hesitate to make changes and adjustments in some administrative practices for the sake of expediency, and they were not criticized for this. For instance, the Messenger of Allah did not make a specific ruling regarding the lost camels roaming freely in Medina, nor did he interfere with their wanderings in the city. However, during the time of Caliph Uthman, there were so many lost camels on the roads that the Caliph decided that these camels should be collected and sold, and that the owner should be compensated when he appeared. (Muwatta, “Aqdiyah”, 51) Similarly, Prophet Muhammad said, "Whoever sows and harvests uncultivated land, that land becomes his." Commenting on the hadith (Bukhari, “Khars”, 15), Imam Abu Hanifa emphasized that acquiring land in this way is only possible with state permission, thus limiting the binding nature of this hadith.
The Prophet also had certain actions that were unique to him but did not impose an obligation on the community. For instance, the tahajjud prayer was obligatory for him, but recommended for the community. Fasting continuously for two days without breaking the fast was permissible for the Prophet but forbidden for the community.
In fact, we should also point out that a large portion of the Prophet's actions were binding on everyone due to his prophethood. However, there is another aspect to this matter. This is to say that not all actions stemming from his prophethood are at the same level in terms of jurisprudential rulings. The Prophet's actions may be obligatory, necessary, permissible, or recommended for the community depending on the context. The following examples will illustrate this:
Our Prophet performed the obligatory evening prayer in three rak'ahs. It is obligatory for us to also perform it in three rak'ahs. Our Prophet recited Surah Al-Fatiha in each rak'ah of the prayer, and it is obligatory for us to also recite Al-Fatiha in each rak'ah. Our Prophet kissed the Black Stone (Hajr al-Aswad) during Tawaf, therefore kissing the Black Stone is recommended. Our Prophet sometimes lay down in the mosque, even stretching his legs. Lying down and stretching one's legs in the mosque is permissible. Looking at all these examples, it is clear that the actions of the Messenger of Allah impose different degrees of obligation on the Ummah. Determining which action carries which ruling falls within the realm of jurisprudence. We should keep these points in mind both when reading hadith and when acting according to the sunnah.
Note: This article constitutes a component of a broad-perspective study conducted by the Meridyen Association, for the benefit of Muslims, particularly in the context of hadith, sunnah and related subjects. The issues addressed were discussed in detail by a group of experts in their respective fields, and each article was written independently by the relevant author. The following researchers were consulted for this study: Prof. Dr. Ahmet Yücel, Prof. Dr. Ayşe Esra Şahyar, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Fatma Kızıl, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Rahile Kızılkaya Yılmaz, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dilek Tekin, and Dr. Betül Yılmazörnek.
Translated by Merve Tosun.
