1. The Authority of the Prophet
MuslimsmaintainthattheProphetofIslamisinfallibleandsinless,and
thathisspeechisthesameasrealityandisthewishofAllah.Ifitwere
otherwise, they say, Allah could not have commanded unconditional
obedienceto him.Sohiscommand isAllah'scommand,anditisabso-
lutely mandatory to obey him.
Moreover,theProphethadtherighttomakelawsforthepeople,and
hisorderstookprecedenceovereveryoneelse'sideaoropinion,andhis
commands on social and other matters had to be carried out. Allah
says,"TheProphethasagreaterauthorityoverthebelieversthanthey
themselves have."(33:6)He also says,"When Allah and His messenger
havedecreedamatter,itisnotforanybelievingmanorwomantohave
a choice in the matter."(33:36)
Anexaminationofthelastverseanditsexplanationmakesitclearthat
the decree of theProphet in everymatter, even in personal matters,is
binding,since theversewasrevealed concerninganindividualmatter,
viz.,the marriageofZaydbinHaritha andZaynab binJahash.Zaynab
was the cousin of the Prophet whereas Zayd was a slave whom the
Prophethadfreed.Inordertobreakthepre-Islamiccustomwherebythe
noble and rich did not marry outside their own, the Prophet ordered
ZaynabtomarryZayd.Theverserevealedaboveshowsthateveninper-
sonalmatterslikemarriage, the Prophet’s command hasto be obeyed,
and so Zaynab married Zayd and was content with him.