Allāh says:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تُقَدِّمُوا بَيْنَ يَدَيِ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ ۖ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ ‎﴿١﴾‏

“O’ you who believe, do not put yourselves ahead of Allāh and His Messenger and fear Allāh. Verily, Allāh is all-Hearing, all-Knowing.”
(Al-Ḥujurāt, 49:1)

This verse mentions the proper etiquette to be observed with Allāh—the Exalted—and His Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم), and the appropriate veneration, respect and honour he (صلى الله عليه وسلم) is deserving of. Allāh commands His believing servants with what their belief in Allāh and His Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) stipulates, which is to obey Allāh’s commands and to abstain from His prohibitions, proceeding in lockstep with all His orders, adopting the Sunnah of His Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) in all their affairs. Not putting themselves ahead of Allāh and His Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) means that they do not speak or issue commands to one another until he (صلى الله عليه وسلم) does so. This is the true essence of the compulsory etiquette of veneration due to Allāh and His Messenger. Its observance is a tell-tale sign evidencing the servant’s happiness and success [in this world and the hereafter]. Refusal to comply will result in the squandering of eternal bliss and everlasting delight. This āyah emphatically prohibits granting precedence to the statement of anyone besides the Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم). Once his Sunnah is evident, it becomes obligatory to follow it and to give it precedence over everything else, no matter what it is. Thereafter, Allāh commands His servants to have taqwá of Him in general terms, which is, as Ṭalq b. Ḥabīb said, to work in obedience to Allāh, upon light from Allāh, hoping for Allāh’s reward, and to abandon disobedience to Allāh, upon light from Allāh,¹ fearing the punishment of Allāh. ‘Verily, Allāh is all-Hearing’ that is, of all sounds, at all times, even in hidden places and obscure locations. ‘All-Knowing’ of the apparent and hidden, what has preceded and what is yet to occur, the inevitable, the impossible and the possible. In mentioning these two noble names after the prohibition of putting oneself ahead of Allāh and His Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) and the commandment to have taqwá of Allāh, there lies an encouragement to comply with those exemplary commands and desirable etiquettes and a warning against not complying.²