“Whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth glorifies Allah, the Sovereign, the Holy, the Almighty, the Wise. It is He who has sent among the unlettered a messenger from themselves, reciting to them His verses, purifying them, and teaching them the Book and wisdom - although they were previously in clear error - and to others of them who have not yet joined them. And He is the Almighty, the Wise. That is the bounty of Allah; He gives it to whom He wills, and Allah is the possessor of great bounty.” (62:1–4)

Introduction to the Third Edition

This is the third edition of the booklet The Path of Muhammad. The first edition was published in March 1966, followed by the second edition in April 1968. At the time, certain distractions prevented us from including a special introduction to the second edition.
Today, we are reissuing it in its third edition without adding or altering anything. This is because the primary intent of this booklet was not to provide detailed discussions, but rather to call for a return to the Path of Muhammad - a path that has been neglected over time, becoming distant from the lives of people, fading away as its travelers have diminished and its guides have become scarce.

What Is the Path?

The path is the practical method that, when followed, leads to Allah, the Exalted. However, reaching Allah does not imply a literal arrival as the word might suggest. Rather, it means that the traveler's awareness of Allah becomes greater than their heedlessness of Him.
The path is the Shari‘ah (Islamic law), with an addition. It is a heightened form of Shari‘ah. While an ordinary Muslim adheres to the Shari‘ah, a devout Muslim who practices the path follows an enhanced version of it.
This distinction can be observed through a simple comparison. For instance, when an ordinary Muslim prays Maghrib, they typically count their tasbihat, tahmidat, and takbirat (glorifications, praises, and exaltations) thirty-three times each on a prayer bead and then leave their prayer space. However, a person of the path will often withdraw to a separate place after their prayer to perform foundational awrad (litanies) that constitute the minimum requirement for any path.
It is as though the person of the path has made a personal commitment, a pledge, upon taking the covenant of the path. This commitment distinguishes them and elevates them above an ordinary adherent of the Shari‘ah. Thus, we say that the path is a heightened Shari‘ah.
The Prophet said: “My words are Shari‘ah, my actions are the path, and my state [of being] is reality.” His actions are his Sunnah, which is the Shari‘ah plus an enhancement - a heightened Shari‘ah.
This explains why the Prophet committed to certain acts of worship and conduct that his companions did not. This was not because the companions were exempt from these acts, but because they lacked the capacity to attain them. They adhered to the Shari‘ah, while the Prophet adhered to the path.
It is a significant error to assume that the Prophet’s actions were exclusive to him and that we are not required to follow them. The truth is that we are called to emulate him when we are capable. What was left non-obligatory for us is only due to our limitations. If we become certain of this truth, we will strive to rise above our limitations to emulate the Prophet in the completeness of his actions and the perfection of his state. Allah said: “Say: If you love Allah, then follow me; Allah will love you.” (3:31)
True following can only occur through the completeness of actions and the perfection of states [of being].