Question Summary:
Can Prophet Muhammad(blessing and peace be upon him) make thing halal or haram by the permission of Allah? Or does prophet Muhammad(blessing and peace be upon him) have authority to make law?

Question Detail:

Can Prophet Muhammad (blessing and peace be upon him) make thing halal or haram by the permission of Allah? Or does prophet Muhammad (blessing and peace be upon him) have authority to make law?

I heard that there is a hadith where Prophet Muhammad(blessing and peace be upon him) said that if miswak was not difficult for my ummah, I would make it fard on people to use before every salah. Doesn't this mean Prophet Muhammad(blessing and peace bo upon) can make law by the will of Allah?

Answer :

Assalāmu `alaikum Warahmatullāhi Wabrakatuh,
 
Yes the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was given authority by Almighty Allah Taala to make law. Consider the following verses:
 
الَّذِينَ يَتَّبِعُونَ الرَّسُولَ النَّبِيَّ الْأُمِّيَّ الَّذِي يَجِدُونَهُ مَكْتُوبًا عِنْدَهُمْ فِي التَّوْرَاةِ وَالْإِنْجِيلِ يَأْمُرُهُمْ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَاهُمْ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِوَيُحِلُّ لَهُمُ الطَّيِّبَاتِ وَيُحَرِّمُعَلَيْهِمُ الْخَبَائِثَ وَيَضَعُ عَنْهُمْ إِصْرَهُمْ وَالْأَغْلَالَ الَّتِي كَانَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ فَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا بِهِ وَعَزَّرُوهُ وَنَصَرُوهُ وَاتَّبَعُوا النُّورَ الَّذِي أُنْزِلَ مَعَهُ أُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ )الأعراف : 157(
 
Those who follow the Messenger, the Ummiyy (unlettered) prophet whom they find written with them in the Torah and the Injil , and who bids them what is fair and forbids what is unfair, and makes lawful for them good things, and makes unlawful for them impure things, and relieves them of their burden, and of the shackles that were upon them. So, those who believe in him and support him, and help him and follow the light sent down with him, those are the ones who are successful.
 
قَاتِلُوا الَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَلَا بِالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَلَا يُحَرِّمُونَ مَا حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ  )التوبة : 29(
 
Fight those People of the Book who do not believe in Allah, nor in the Last Day, and do not take as unlawful what Allah and His Messenger have declared as unlawful. ^[1]
 
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Mawlana Ali bin Cassim
Student Darul Iftaa
 
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.
www.daruliftaa.net