Nabii ﷺ alipokea wahyu kutoka kwa Allah (SWT) na kuwafikishia watu wote. Waislamu waliokuwa wakiishi karibu naye ﷺ walikuwa ni Maswahaba (RA). Nabii ﷺ alipohama kwenda Madinah, walienda pamoja naye ﷺ. Waislamu wa Makka walikuwa ni Muhajirina, na Waislamu wa Madinah walikuwa ni Ansari. Yeye ﷺ alipokea Ujumbe kutoka kwa Allah (SWT) na aliamrishwa kuufikisha. Allah (SWT) anasema katika Qur'ani:

The Prophet (saw) received the revelation from Allah (swt) and delivered it to all the people. The Muslims who used to live close to him (saw) were the Sahabah (ra). When the Prophet (saw) migrated to Madinah they went along with him. The Muslims of Makkah were the Muhajireen and the Muslims of Madinah were the Ansar. He (saw) received the Message from Allah (swt) and was ordered to convey it. Allah (swt) says in the Qur‟an:

“Ee Mtume, fikisha yale yaliyoteremshwa kwako kutoka kwa Mola wako, na usipofanya hivyo, basi hujafikisha Ujumbe Wake....” (TMQ Al-Ma'ida: 67)

“O Messenger, deliver the Message that was sent down to you from your Rabb, and if you did not do it, you did not convey His Message....” (TMQ Al-Ma‟ida: 67)

"Na tumekuteremshia Ukumbusho (Qur-ani), ili uwabainishie watu yale yaliyoteremshwa kwao" (TMQ An-Nahl: 44)

“And we sent down to you the Zikr (the Qur‟an), so that you would explain to mankind, that which was sent down to them” (TMQ An-Nahl: 44)

Kwa kuzingatia Aya hizi, kuna mambo fulani yanayopaswa kutajwa:

With these Ayahs in mind, there are certain points that need to be mentioned:

1. Hakuna mtu ambaye angetoa fatwa mbele ya Nabii ﷺ, kwa kuwa walijua kwamba yeye ndiye mwenye mamlaka.

1. No one would give a Fatwa in the presence of the Prophet, since they knew that he (saw) was the authority.

2. Wakati mwingine Mtume angewapa Sahaba (ra) agizo fulani, nao Sahaba (ra) wangeelewa agizo hilo kwa njia mbili tofauti. Zaidi ya hayo, Mtume ﷺ angewakubali makundi yote mawili katika kufuata ufahamu wao. Mfano wa jambo hili umetajwa hapo awali kuhusu tukio la Mtume ﷺ aliporejea kutoka vita vya Khandaq (handaki), akawaagiza Sahaba wasiswali Alasiri isipokuwa katika Bani Quraydhah.

2. Sometimes the Prophet would give the Sahabah (ra) an instruction, and the Sahabah (ra) would understand that instruction in two different ways. Moreover, the Prophet (saw) would approve both groups in following their understandings. An example of this has been mentioned earlier regarding the incident when the Prophet (saw) returned from the battle of Khandaq (ditch) and instructed the Sahabah not to pray Asr except in Bani Qurayzah.

Kutokana na hili tunafahamu kwamba makundi yote mawili ya Sahaba (ra) yalijadili kuhusu uelewa wao tofauti wa amri hiyo hiyo ya Mtume ﷺ, na wakairejesha kwake ﷺ. Mtume ﷺ aliidhinisha uelewa wote mawili. Ni muhimu kutambua kwamba tofauti hizo hazikutokea kwa sababu amri hiyo ilikuwa na utata; bali zilitokea kwa sababu ya uwezo wa lugha ya Kiarabu wa kubeba maana mbalimbali na uelewa mbalimbali.

From this we understand that both groups of the Sahabah (ra) discussed their different understandings of the same order of the Prophet (saw), and referred it back to him (saw). The Prophet (saw) approved both understandings. It is important to note that the differences did not occur due to an ambiguity in the order; rather it occurred due to the ability of Arabic language to convey various meanings and understandings.

3. Wakati wa uhai wa Mtume ﷺ, Maswahaba (ra) walipokuwa wakisafiri bila Mtume ﷺ, walikuwa wakifanya Ijtihadi, kisha kurejea kwa Mtume ﷺ walipokuwa wamerudi. Kwa mfano: Imepokewa kwa mapokezi ya Jabir (ra): "Mtu mmoja alipigwa jiwe lililovunja fuvu lake. Kisha akapata ndoto ya kutokwa na manii. Aliwauliza wenzake: je, mnajua ruhusa (Rukhsa) kwangu ya kufanya Tayammum (udhu wa mchanga)? Wakasema: 'Hatuoni ruhusa yoyote kwako, nawe unaweza kutumia maji.' Akaoga, kisha akafa. Aliposikia hili, Mtume ﷺ alisema:

3. During the lifetime of the Prophet (saw), if the Sahabah (ra) were travelling without the Prophet (saw), they used to conduct Ijtihad, and then refer back to the Prophet (saw) when they returned. For example: It was narrated on the authority of Jabir (ra): “a man was struck by a stone that fractured his skull. Then he had a wet dream. He asked his companions - do you know of a permit (Rukhsa) for me to perform Tayammum (dry ablution)? They said, „we do not find any permit for you and you can use water.‟ He then had a bath and died. When hearing this the Prophet (saw) said:

"Hakika ingemtosha yeye kufanya Tayammum, basi amfunge kitambaa kichwani mwake, akifute, kisha aoshe sehemu nyingine ya mwili wake." Na Mtume ﷺ alisema:

“Verily, it would have sufficed for him to make Tayammum, so tie a piece of cloth around his head and wipe over it and wash the rest of his body.” And the Prophet (saw) said:

"Kwa nini hawakuuliza walipokuwa hawajui? Hakika dawa ya kutoweza na ukosefu wa elimu ni kuuliza." (Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah na Ahmad)

“Why did they not ask when they did not know. Indeed, the cure for inability and lack of knowledge is to ask.” (Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah & Ahmad)

Mambo yaliyotangulia yanaonyesha kwamba Qur'an na Sunnah ndizo zilikuwa marejeo pekee yanayokubalika kwa Maswahaba (ra), na kwamba walikuwa wakimrejea Mtume ﷺ pale walipokuwa na shaka.

The preceding points illustrate that the Qur‟an and the Sunnah were the only acceptable reference points for the Sahabah (ra), and that they would refer back to the Prophet (saw) in cases of uncertainty.