Wujub al-Amal bi Sunnat al-Rasul wa Kufr man Ankaroha
- Author died
- 1420 AH
- Editions
- Wizarat al-Shu'un al-Islamiyyah wa-al-Awqaf - al-Sa'udiyyah
Wujub al-Amal bi Sunnat al-Rasul wa Kufr man Ankaroha (The Obligation to Act upon the Sunnah of the Messenger and the Disbelief of Whosoever Denies It) is a theological and legal treatise written by the Saudi scholar Ibn Baz (d. 1420 AH / 1999 CE) . The work examines the authoritative status of the prophetic tradition (Sunnah) as a foundational source of Islamic law and establishes the theological ruling regarding those who reject it .
Subject and Arguments
The treatise begins by outlining the agreed-upon foundations of Islamic jurisprudence: the Book of Allah, the Sunnah of the Messenger, and the scholarly consensus (ijma) of the Muslim community, followed by legal analogy (qiyas) as accepted by the majority under specific conditions . Ibn Baz argues that the Quran and the Sunnah are inseparable foundations; denying one necessarily entails denying the other, which constitutes disbelief and apostasy from Islam by scholarly consensus .
Ibn Baz refutes the stance of those who claim that Muslims are obligated to follow only the Quran and reject the Sunnah. He notes that the specific details of core religious duties—such as the number of units in the daily prayers, the regulations of zakah, and the rites of pilgrimage—are not specified in the Quran but are detailed through prophetic practice and teachings . He also argues that claiming the Sunnah is unpreserved or unusable as legal proof implies that Allah commanded believers to refer their disputes to something non-existent, which he terms an act of grave disbelief and bad faith toward God .
To corroborate his arguments, Ibn Baz draws upon Quranic verses, prophetic hadiths, and reports from early scholars and the Companions. He cites Abdullah ibn Abbas's admonition against placing human opinion above prophetic instruction: "It is near that stones should fall upon you from the sky: I say, 'The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,' and you say, 'Abu Bakr and Umar said'" . He also cites the conclusion of al-Suyuti from his work Miftah al-Jannah fi al-Ihtijaj bi-al-Sunnah, stating that whoever rejects the hadith of the Prophet ﷺ—whether speech or action meeting established criteria—as an authoritative proof has committed disbelief and exited Islam .
Publication History
The treatise comprises 29 pages and was first published as an independent booklet in 1400 AH / 1980 CE by Matabi' al-Isha' al-Tijariyyah in Riyadh, after which it was reprinted numerous times . It was also published in academic journals, including Majallat al-Jami'ah al-Islamiyyah and Majallat al-Buhuth al-Islamiyyah, and was subsequently incorporated into Ibn Baz's collected writings and legal opinions, Majmu' Fatawa wa Maqalat Mutanawwi'ah .
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