Obeying Allah and Obeying His Messenger — A Reflection on Surah an-Nisa 4:59

Islam is built on submission to truth, not on emotion, personal preference, or loyalty to a scholar, imam, or school of thought. When authentic evidence comes from the Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), the obligation of every Muslim is to submit — regardless of whether it aligns with what they were previously taught or what they are accustomed to.

Allah says:

O you who have believed, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you. And if you disagree over anything, refer it to Allah and the Messenger, if you should believe in Allah and the Last Day. That is the best [way] and best in result. (an-Nisa 4:59)

What This Verse Establishes

This ayah lays down a principle that governs every disagreement in the religion: when Muslims differ on a matter, the standard they return to is the Quran and the Sunnah — not the opinion of a scholar, not the custom of a culture, and not the ruling of a particular madhhab in isolation from the evidence.

Imam Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) explains that the scholars of the Salaf understood "refer it to Allah and the Messenger" to mean referring to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger. This is a command, not a suggestion. And Allah's closing statement — "if you should believe in Allah and the Last Day" — is a serious indication that those who refuse to refer their disputes to the Quran and Sunnah have a problem with their faith itself.

A Practical Example

Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) reported:

Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) used to raise both his hands up to the level of his shoulders when opening the prayer; and on saying the Takbir for bowing. And on raising his head from bowing he used to do the same and then say "Sami'a l-lahu liman hamidah, Rabbana wa laka l-hamd." And he did not do that (i.e. raising his hands) in prostrations. (Sahih al-Bukhari 735)

This is an authentic, well-established act of the Sunnah. Yet many Muslims do not perform it, often because it was not part of what they learned from their families or local tradition. In some cases, it may not have reached certain early scholars. But the four imams themselves — may Allah have mercy on them all — stated clearly that their madhab is the Quran and the Sunnah, and that if an authentic hadith contradicts their position, the hadith takes precedence. They would adjust their views when evidence reached them, with humility.

This is not a small matter of ritual preference. It is a question of whether we follow the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) or follow habit. If we cannot submit to authentic evidence in smaller matters, what will our condition be in the greater ones?

Obedience Has a Limit

The same principle that commands obedience also clarifies its boundaries. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

No obedience for evil deeds, obedience is required only in what is good. (Sahih al-Bukhari 7257)

And he said:

Whoever obeys me, obeys Allah, and whoever disobeys me, disobeys Allah, and whoever obeys the ruler I appoint, obeys me, and whoever disobeys him, disobeys me. (Sahih al-Bukhari 7137)

Obedience to scholars, leaders, and those in authority is therefore conditional — it is binding as long as they do not command disobedience to Allah. When they do, there is no hearing or obeying. The criterion is always the Quran and the Sunnah.

The Takeaway

We are on this earth for a short time. The Muslim is one who submits his will to Allah in peace — and that submission requires following evidence, not desires. When the Quran and the authentic Sunnah are clear on a matter, the role of the believer is not to debate or negotiate. It is to hear and obey.

The early imams put this plainly: whoever turns away from the hadith to something else is only heading toward misguidance. Our excerpt The Truth Is With the People of Hadith gathers the words of the imams on this from al-Khatib al-Baghdadi.

This same principle — returning to the evidence of the Sunnah on matters like prayer times — is covered in our excerpt on The Prayer Times.

If you are looking to deepen your study of fiqh grounded in the Quran and Sunnah, we recommend The Concise Presentation of the Fiqh of the Sunnah and the Noble Book by Dr. Abdul-Azeem Badawi | $31.00, available at The Islamic Book Cafe.

Baarakallahu feekum — The Islamic Book Cafe | Portland, Oregon