Page 89 - The Importance of the Ahl Al-Sunnah

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This verse shows that praying (salat) and giving zakat are
obligatory observances. But how exactly are Muslims sup-
posed to pray, and when? How many rak‘ahs (prayer cycles)
are called for? Who has to pray? We can find answers to these
questions only in the Sunnah, for through it our Prophet (saas)
demonstrates the correct way to pray and thus enlightens us.
The same is true for zakat and other obligations.
In another verse our Lord reveals:
So [give] glory to Allah when you start the night and
when you greet the day. (Surat ar-Rum, 17)
From this verse, it appears that, in essence, the time of glori-
fying is at the morning, evening and night. But what is meant by
“[give] glory” here, we learn this from our Prophet’s (saas)
Sunnah. Is it the salat commanded in the verse “do salat”? Or is
it reciting “Subhan Allah”? Were we not told by the Prophet
(saas) we would be unaware that this expression was related
to the morning, evening, and night prayers.
As for giving in His way, our Lord tells us: “As for those
who hoard up gold and silver and do not spend it in His
Way, give them the news of a painful punishment”
(Surat at-Tawba, 34). What does “spend” mean in this
verse? Giving away all assets, as understood by the
Companions at the time of the verse’s revelation, or just a part
of them? If so, how much?
Hundreds of other matters are only mentioned in the
Qur’an and then fully explained in the Sunnah. Our Prophet
(saas) elucidates the Muslims’ forms of religious observance,
what these are and the shape they take, and how they are to
be implemented through his own example.
In his Al-Ihkam, Ibn Hazm says:

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