“Allah guides whomsoever He wills to a Straight Way. They say: ‘We believe in Allah and the Messenger, and we obey,’ but thereafter a faction of them turns away (from obedience). These indeed are not believers. When they are called to Allah and His Messenger that he (i.e. the Messenger) may judge (the disputes) between them, a faction of them turns away.”
(Al-Qur’ān – 24:47-48)
These verses establish that the Messenger’s verdict is the same as God’s and the Messenger’s command is the same as God’s. Likewise, when someone is called to the Messenger ﷺ, this call is not merely to the Messenger. In fact, it amounts to calling him to both God and the Messenger.
The verse 24:47 in combination with the preceding one, makes it clear beyond any shadow of doubt that it is meaningless for anyone to claim that he believes unless his claim is supported by obedience to God and to His Messenger. Likewise, a person’s claim that he obeys God and His Messenger is devoid of meaning unless he follows, both in his individual and collective spheres of life, the laws expounded by God and His Messenger. If anyone is found deficient in this respect, his claim to faith betrays his sheer hypocrisy.
Here people are urged to willingly accept the judgements made in accordance with the Qur’ān and the Sunnah. This requirement is something that will always be required of Muslims, whether they lived in the time of the Messenger or in any subsequent period.