and what Sulayman did, when he became preoccupied in the afternoon with tending to beautiful horses, thus forgetting the remembrance of Allah before sunset; as Allah Almighty has said: ﴿إِذْ عُرِضَ عَلَيْهِ بِالْعَشِيِّ الصَّافِنَاتُ الْجِيَادُ ۝ فَقَالَ إِنِّي أَحْبَبْتُ حُبَّ الْخَيْرِ عَنْ ذِكْرِ رَبِّي حَتَّى تَوَارَتْ بِالْحِجَابِ﴾[1]; “When well-bred steeds were presented to him in the evening; then he said: ‘Indeed, I preferred the love of horses over the remembrance of my Lord until the sun hid behind the veil.’” Yet none of these actions—of which they immediately repented—was related to their conveying of Allah’s rulings, and therefore cannot be regarded as conflicting with their Prophethood. This is especially so considering that the obligation to obey the Prophets is not necessarily due to their infallibility from such actions; hence, a flaw in such infallibility would not prevent obedience to them. Rather, this obligation may be due to Allah’s command to obey them, in view of the benefit that this command brings overall and the excuse it provides in cases of error. Yes, the fact that obedience to them provides an excuse is by itself not sufficient for Allah’s purpose; because His purpose—in accordance with His perfection—is the human being’s attainment of perfection, which is realized through true obedience and not merely apparent obedience. Therefore, whether they themselves committed an error or not, their commands and prohibitions necessarily align with those of Allah, and the obligation to obey them arises from this very alignment; as Allah Almighty has said: ﴿وَمَا آتَاكُمُ الرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوهُ وَمَا نَهَاكُمْ عَنْهُ فَانْتَهُوا ۚ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ ۖ إِنَّ اللَّهَ شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ﴾[2]; “And whatever the Prophet gives you, take it; and whatever he forbids you, leave it; and fear Allah, for Allah is severe in punishment,” and: ﴿فَلْيَحْذَرِ الَّذِينَ يُخَالِفُونَ عَنْ أَمْرِهِ أَنْ تُصِيبَهُمْ فِتْنَةٌ أَوْ يُصِيبَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ﴾[3]; “So those who disobey his command should beware, lest a trial befall them or a painful punishment befall them.”

[The Everlasting Authority of the Sunnah of the Prophet of Allah]

From here, it is understood that the Sunnah of the Prophet is authoritative,