Next to God, Obedience is due to the Messenger of God (pbuh)

No one should feel cynical as regards the query: How could the Holy Prophet (pbuh) be deemed to have obeyed and followed his own practice when it was really his personal precept or action? The truth of the matter is that just as the source of the Qur'an was God, so the source of all exhortations, prohibitions and regulations propagated by the Holy Prophet (pbuh) was also God. This is denoted by the term " Sunnah of the Prophet." The Holy Prophet (pbuh) himself followed the Sunnah in the same manner as it is obligatory for all the believers to follow it. This point was made abundantly clear on occasions when, in certain matters, the illustrious Companions (pbut) used to ask: "Allah's messenger, are you conveying the Will of God or is this your personal view? " The Holy Prophet (pbuh) used to observe: " No, this is not the Will of God; it is my opinion." On such occasions, the illustrious Companions (pbut) differed with the Holy Prophet (pbuh) and put forth their own way of thinking and the Holy Prophet (pbuh) allowed their suggestions to supercede his own opinion. Similarly, this point also became obvious on occasions when the Holy Prophet (pbuh) took counsel with his illustrious Companions (pbut). This consultation in itself was proof positive that Allah had revealed no mandate regarding the matter under consideration, for had the Divine Will been known in the matter, it could not have become subject for discussion. Such occasions, which have been elaborately recorded in the collections of Traditions, often arouse in the lifetime of the Holy Prophet (pbuh). The illustrious Companions(pbut) themselves have reported: " Never did we see a person who was engaged in councel more often than the Holy Prophet (pbuh)." If you reflect on this point, you will realize that holding councel in matters which God had not revealed His Will was also the Sunnah (Traditions) of the Holy Prophet (pbuh). When the Holy Prophet (pbuh) himself did not deem it proper to impose his personal opinion on the people as an inexorable law, what authority is there for another ruler to enforce his will upon the people? Thus did the Holy Prophet (pbuh) teach his Ummah to conduct their affairs by consultation and instructed the people to render unqualified obedience to the Will of God in those matters in which the Lord had not manifested His Will, the Holy Prophet (pbuh) exhorted the people to exercise their right of freedom of speech without fear.