Gardens of the Righteous — Page ix
INTRODUCTION. The Holy Quran is the one fundamental source of all Islamic values. These values were illustrated in the life of the Holy Prophet (on whom be peace): You have in the Messenger of Allah an excellent exemplar for him who hopes to meet. Allah and the Last Day, and who remembers Allah much (33. 22). O ye who believe, obey Allah and obey His Messenger and those who are in authority among you. Then if you differ in anything, refer it to Allah and His Messenger if you are believers in Allah and the Last Day. That is the best and most commendable in the end (4. 60). . The object of human existence being the winning of Allah's pleasure, the means for the attainment thereof is obedience to Allah, and the visible illustration of that ideal is to be found in the Holy Prophet. Announce: If you love Allah, then follow me, Allah will then love you, and forgive you your faults. . Allah is Most Forgiving, Ever Merciful. Call on them: Obey Allah and the. Messenger, then if they turn away, let them remember that Allah loves not the disbelievers (3. 32-33). Whatever the Messenger gives you, that take; and whatsoever he forbids you, from that abstain. Be mindful of your duty to Allah. . Surely Allah is Severe in retribution (59. 8). . The highest spiritual rewards are attainable only through obedience to Allah. and the Messenger: Whoso obeys Allah and the Messenger shall be among those upon whom Allah has bestowed His favours the Prophets, the Faithful ones, the Martyrs and the Righteous - and excellent companions these are. . This is Allah's grace and Allah is All-Comprehending (7. 70-71). . It thus became necessary that a group of people should be trained and disciplined in Islamic values by the Holy Prophet both by his precept and his example. In the discharge of this assignment all directions given by the Holy. Prophet were binding and were revered and carried out as having the authority of the Divine in their support, for in carrying out his prophetic functions the. Holy Prophet was an instrument of the Divine: He does not speak out of his own desire; it is revelation sent down to him (53. 4-5). . It had to be so, for obvious reasons. The Holy Quran left many matters to be regulated by the Holy Prophet. The Salat was prescribed very early in the. Meccan period but the content and the manner of the performance of the services was left to be prescribed and illustrated by the Holy Prophet. That is why through the centuries and throughout the House of Islam, the five daily services have followed the pattern set by the Holy Prophet. The same applies to the Fast of Ramadhan and indeed to all ordinances and prohibitions of Islam. . The warp and woof of the Islamic pattern of life is, therefore, furnished by the. Holy Quran and the Sunnah (precept and example) of the Holy Prophet. The source of the Sunnah, the indispensable complement and illustration of the. Quran, is the Hadith, that is to say, whatever the Holy Prophet said or did or ix