Sunnah, in the Islamic context, refers to the teachings and practices of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) that are not mentioned in the Quran. It is the second most important source of Islamic law, the first being the Quran. Sunnah is derived from the Arabic word “Sanna,” which means path or way. In simple terms, Sunnah is the path that Muslims follow to lead their lives in accordance with the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). In this article, we will explore the concept of Sunnah in Islam and its significance.
What is sunnah in Islam?
The concept of what is sunnah in Islam differs as it is Sunnah among Muslims according to the field of its use:
- According to the hadith scholars, the Sunnah is: “Everything that has been narrated from the Prophet, may Allah’s prayers and peace be upon him, in terms of saying, deed, report, biography, moral or ethical characteristic, whether that was before or after the mission.”.
- According to scholars of the origins of fiqh; Sunna is the second source of legislation. It is meant by the prophetic hadith in that it is the second origin for the legislation of rulings, and also in the sense: of the mandated, delegated ruling other than the imposition.
- In the science of hadith, the term Sunnah is: “what is added to the Prophet, may Allah’s prayers and peace be upon him, in terms of words, deeds, or reports.”
- According to jurists, the Sunnah is: “what is indicated by the Shari’ah without presumption or obligation” or “what the one who does it is rewarded and the one who leaves it is not punished.”
- when scholars of faith; The Sunnah is: “The guidance of the Prophet, may Allah’s prayers and peace be upon him, in the fundamentals of religion, and what he was upon in terms of knowledge, action, and guidance.
And what he legislated or approved in exchange for innovations and innovations in religion.” Sunnah may also be used to mean the whole religion.
History of Sunnah
And after we got acquainted with what is sunnah in Islam, we turn to the history of the codification of the Prophet’s Sunnah, where Allah Almighty blessed us with the covenants that we resort to in getting to know our Islamic religion. And about getting to know the history of the codification of the Prophet’s Sunnah, it is worth noting that the codification of the Prophet’s Sunnah came during the life of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.
The Prophet, may Allah’s prayers and peace be upon him, was permitted to write many of his sayings, and it is mentioned that more than 60 of his companions wrote down the sayings of the Prophet. May Allah’s prayers and peace be upon him, and so on from writing the Qur’an and the hadith, which came from the Prophet Muhammad, may Allah’s prayers and peace be upon him.
After the death of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them both, realized their responsibility in the importance of preserving the hadith. What increased the importance of the great interest of the Companions in the narration of many hadiths.
This is like Jabir bin Abdullah, Abdullah bin Abbas and Aisha bint Abi Bakr, on the authority of Anas bin Malik, on the authority of Abdullah bin Omar, and Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, who narrated most of the hadiths – may Allah be pleased with them.
Importance of the Sunnah
The importance of the Prophet’s Sunnah and its function appears in many matters, and the following is its statement:
- The strong relationship between the Sunnah of the Prophet and the Holy Qur’an: the Sunnah of the Prophet clarifies what is in the Qur’an and interprets it.
- The Sunnah of the Prophet is the second reference: it is the second reference in Islamic law in all aspects of life. Whether metaphysical, practical, educational or otherwise.
- The independence of the Prophet’s Sunnah in legislation: It may legislate provisions that are independent of the Holy Qur’an and are not originally included in it, such as the prohibition of the union of a woman with her paternal aunt or maternal aunt.
- Practical application of the texts of the Holy Qur’an: it can only be applied by understanding its texts, and all of this came practically in the Sunnah of the Prophet
Types of Sunnah
After we have finished explaining what is sunnah in Islam and its importance, we move on to the sections of the Sunnah, which is divided into three types: an anecdotal year, a practical year, and a declarative year.
- The anecdotal Sunnah: It is the hadiths that the Prophet, may Allah’s prayers and peace be upon him, said in various purposes and occasions, such as his saying: Actions are but by intentions.
- And the actual Sunnah: It is the deeds that the Messenger, may Allah’s prayers and peace be upon him, did, such as performing the prayer, performing the rituals of Hajj, fulfilling it with a witness, and swearing the plaintiff’s oath… and so on.
- And the declarative Sunnah: It is for the Prophet, may Allah’s prayers and peace be upon him, to remain silent about denying a saying or an action that was issued before him, or in his era and knowledge of it, either with his approval, advice. Or approval, or by simply not denying it, such as eating a lizard at his table, may Allah’s prayers and peace be upon him, and like his advice on a ruling. standing.
-
Examples of Sunnah
Some examples of Sunnah include:
-
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) used to perform ablution (wudu) before prayer, and Muslims are also required to do the same.
-
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) used to fast on Mondays and Thursdays, and Muslims are encouraged to do the same.
-
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) used to give charity regularly, and Muslims are also encouraged to give in charity.
-
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) used to visit the sick, and Muslims are encouraged to do the same.
-
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) used to be kind to animals, and Muslims are also encouraged to treat animals with kindness and compassion.
-
Recommended reading: How to Perform Sunnah Prayers
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Sunnah of the Prophet is of great importance, and in connection with this importance, we discussed what is sunnah in Islam in detail, with an explanation of the types of the Prophet’s Sunnah.
Sunnah FAQs
What is the difference between Fard and sunnah?
1- Fard is the ruling that came in the form of command and obligation, that is, the Sharia commanded it in a decisive manner. So that the choice was not left to the person charged with doing it or not, and the one who does it is rewarded and the one who abandons it is sinful and deserves punishment. 2- And the Sunnah, idiomatically, according to the people of hadith, is everything that is added to the Prophet, may Allah’s prayers and peace be upon him, in terms of words, deeds, or decisions. And according to the jurists, what corresponds to the obligatory, so it includes the desirable and the recommended, and the one who abandons it is not sinful.
What is Sunnah in simple words?
Sunnah can be defined as everything that came from the Prophet, may Allah’s prayers and peace be upon him, whether he said or did.