Hadith Text & Context

"Lo! Soon a Hadith from me will be conveyed to a man, while he is reclining on his couch, and he says: 'Between us and you is Allah's Book. So whatever we find in it that is lawful, we consider lawful, and whatever we find in it that is unlawful, we consider it unlawful.' Indeed whatever the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) made unlawful, it is the same as what Allah made unlawful." (Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2664)

Meaning & Prophetic Warning

This hadith from "Chapters on Knowledge" in Jami' at-Tirmidhi contains a profound warning against those who would reject the Sunnah of the Prophet (ﷺ) under the pretext of following only the Qur'an.

The man described reclining on his couch represents arrogance and complacency in religious matters. His statement reflects the erroneous belief that the Qur'an alone suffices, disregarding the Prophetic explanations and legislation.

Scholarly Commentary

Imam at-Tirmidhi and other classical scholars explain that this hadith establishes the obligatory nature of following both the Qur'an and the Sunnah. The final statement "whatever the Messenger of Allah made unlawful, it is the same as what Allah made unlawful" confirms the divine authority of Prophetic legislation.

This refutes those who claim to follow only the Qur'an while rejecting authentic hadith. The Sunnah explains, clarifies, and sometimes adds rulings not explicitly detailed in the Qur'an - all with divine authorization.

Legal Implications

Scholars derive from this hadith that rejecting any part of the authentic Sunnah constitutes disbelief (kufr) if done while denying its authority. If done out of interpretation, it is considered innovation (bid'ah).

The lawful and unlawful in Islam are not determined by personal reasoning from the Qur'an alone, but through the comprehensive guidance of both revelation and Prophetic tradition.