Point 1, A Sunnah is the teachings, actions, and approvals of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him (PBUH).

A Sunnah CANNOT be Weak / Zaeef (Da’if). A famous hadeeth on the authority of the sunnah.

‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I heard the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ مُحَمَّد ﷺ say:

Point 2, a Hadeeth refers to a record, or account, oral or written narrations that document these practices.

A Hadeeth can be Sahih, Hasan, Zaeef or Mudwu. Remember these Classification or validations of a Hadeeth ie Sahih, Hasan, Zaeef or Mudwu, never existed at the time of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ مُحَمَّد ﷺ. They were applied much later.

In fact Sahih al-Bukhari, never existed at the time of the Prophet Muhammad مُحَمَّد ﷺ. Something alot  of Pseudo-salafis – Ahle Hadees will be shocked with. A lot of Salafi – Ahle Hadees are programmed/brainwashed to an extent, they give greater priority to Sahih al-Bukhari over the Holy Quran.

For them, Salafi-Ahle Hadees, if a hadeeth is in Sahih al-Bukhari, it must be ACTED UPON.

Sit with a Salafi – Ahle Hadees, they will quote Sahih al-Bukhari, all night but very rarely mention the Holy Quran Majeed.

Imam Bukhari was born Approx 194 years after Prophet Muhammad مُحَمَّد ﷺ, and Sahih al-Bukhari was written 232 years Prophet Muhammad مُحَمَّد ﷺ was born.

In addition there was many more and great Hadeeth scholor’s from tābiʿūn (“successors”, are the generation of Muslims) Tābiʿū al-Tābʿīn (successors of the successors, 2nd generation).

Point 3,

When ever you speak to a Salafi – Ahle Hadees, keep the above 3 points in mind and you will never fall into their trap…

A Salafi – Ahle Hadees will show you a Hadeeth, Usually from Sahih al-Bukhari, and say to you “why you not following this Hadeeth”.

Usually, the Hadeeth will refer to their Taraweeh, Rafa Yadain in Salah, Amean bil Jahar in Salah, Hands on Chest in Salah, Feet in Salah etc

First point is Prophet Muhammad مُحَمَّد ﷺ , never said Follow My Hadeeth. Again Prophet Muhammad ﷺ never said, ‘Follow My Hadeeth.

What the Holy Prophet Muhammad مُحَمَّد ﷺ actually said is; Follow My Sunnah…. The Hanafi Deoband way is to the Follow the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad مُحَمَّد ﷺ.

We the Ahle Sunnah wal Jamaa’ah – Ulama Deoband, follow the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad مُحَمَّد ﷺ.  Because that is what the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad مُحَمَّد ﷺ is. In addition, we do not only take hadeeths from Sahih al-Bukhari, but also from Sahih Muslim, Sunan Abu Dawood, Jami’ al-Tirmidhi, Sunan al-Nasa’i, and Sunan ibn Majah etc

Imam Bukhari was not the only famous Collector of Hadeeth, there was also Imām Muslim ibn al-Ḥajjāj, Imām Abū Dāwūd al-Sijistānī, Imām Muḥammad al-Tirmidhī, Imām Aḥmad an-Nasā’ī, and Imām Ibn Mājah etc. There was also many more, maybe as much as 500 more Collector of Hadeeth.

Now lets look at a hadeeth from Sahih al-Bukhari, to debunk the Pseudo-salafis, that are spreading fitna among the youth, and ummah.

Prophet (ﷺ) praying with shoes on….The hadeeth exists, see below, its from Sahih al-Bukhari (favourite books of Pseudo-salafi’s), its Saheeh, meaning all the Narrator’s are Righteous and Trustworthy, all the links in the chain SANAD, are continuous, and unbroken.

But how many Salafi – Ahle Hadees mosques in the UK, do you see the Salafi – Ahle Hadees praying in the mosque with shoes on. How many Salafi – Ahle Hadees mosque committee’s or Imam’s would allow people to prayer with shoes on, on new Mussallah Carpets.

So its clear from this one hadeeth alone, not all hadeeth are sunnah, and not all hadeeth must be acted upon.

Another example, from Sahih al Bukhari, about urinated there while standing.

The hadeeth exists see below, its from Sahih al Bukhari, so no issue about Authenticity. But clearly among the Ummah of Prophet Muhammad مُحَمَّد ﷺ, its neither s SUNNAH or is it ACTED UPON.

One more example Sahih al-Bukhari 516, so its part of the most authentic collection of hadeeth. Its from Al-Bukhari, but is there any Pseudo-salafis – Ahle Hadees who acts upon it, is there any Pseudo-salafis – Ahle Hadees who picks up children while in Salah, is this action as per below, sunnah. Clearly not.

So next time some salafis shows you a hadeeth from Sahih al-Bukhari take it with a pinch of salt, because not every hadeeth is sunnah from Sahih al-Bukhari, and not every hadeeth should be acted upon from Sahih al-Bukhari.

Sahih al-Bukhari 516