Isn't Islam supposed to be about allah? Kind of messed up that people idolize Muhammad and his 1,500 year old lifestyle when it says in the Quran not to.
Islam is most certainly about the true submission to Allah.
the emulation of the Prophet stems from several ayahs in the Qur'an that command we follow the message of the Prophet.
here's where the Qur'anists and the Sunnis differ:
Qur'anists believe that the Qur'an is a complete and all-encompassing book and guide for Muslims to follow and live by every day; it's timeless, and any verse, surah, etc. that is slightly vague leaves room for interpretation, ie., it's a "gray area". Haram (forbidden) acts are very few and clearly described in the Qur'an itself; the thought is that if it is truly important to Allah, then it would be described in crisp detail for us to understand. Prophet Muhammad's sole mission was to spread the words of the Almighty as he heard them...through his revelations, etc. NOT to add on to and definitely not to have them written down.
"Obey God and obey the messenger. If you shall turn away then the sole of the messenger is to deliver the message (the Quran)" 64:12
another translation of a different ayah, same general message:
Say: Obey Allah, and obey the Messenger: but if ye turn away, he is only responsible for the duty placed on him and ye for that placed on you. If ye obey him, ye shall be on right guidance.(24: 54).
here's where it gets cloudy. Sunnis will take the above ayah and define it as a direct order to follow the Messenger not only by his oral message, but by his example too, ie, the Sunnah (actions). some take this to be how he prayed and fasted, and others go so far as to how he walked, talked, brushed his teeth, stepped into a mosque...everything. like any verse in any holy book, interpretation and culture will play a huge role in how one implements the commands of God into their lives. many "inherit" a lifestyle from their parents, grandparents, etc. and it's so engrained that they can't differentiate between what the message was and what the Messenger did. many Hadith are valid, and many are not. it's debatable as to whether the actions of the Prophet outside of prayer, etc. are necessary to follow...some Sunnis feel that every action he did was divinely-inspired, so of course we should try and do every single one of them the way he did.
i like to fall in the middle of these two; not all Hadith are valid. if they go against the teachings of the Qur'an, they are to be disregarded. problem is, who decides? it's a cyclical argument.
