of their schooling, yet they have begun to declare hadiths sound or weak and to disparage narrators without any real knowledge beyond mere book-reading. This is a grave danger to them and to the ummah, and they must fear Allah and keep within their bounds.

Section Two: The Obligation to Obey the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and Follow His Example

To obey the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and to emulate him is obligatory: one must carry out what he commanded and abstain from what he forbade. This duty flows naturally from the testimony that he is the Messenger of Allah. Allah the Exalted has enjoined obedience to him in numerous verses—sometimes coupling it with obedience to Himself, as in: “O you who believe, obey Allah and obey the Messenger” (al-Nisaʼ 4:59) and similar passages; sometimes mentioning it on its own, as in: “Whoever obeys the Messenger has truly obeyed Allah” (al-Nisaʼ 4:80) and “Obey the Messenger so that you may be shown mercy” (al-Nur 24:56); and at other times warning those who defy him, as in: “Let those who oppose his command beware lest a trial befall them or a painful punishment overtake them” (al-Nur 24:63).