SUNNAH

• Definition
• Position and justification of Sunnah
as a source of law
• The relationship of the Qur’an and
Sunnah
• Classifications and Types of Sunnah
 Definition
• Literal meaning: habitual or customary
practice, whether this practice is good or bad.
• Technical meaning:
- According to scholar of Fiqh (faqih):
“Sunnah means recommended acts of
worship.”
- According to scholar of Usul al-Fiqh (legal
theorist/usulli): It is defined as “what was
transmitted from the Messenger of Allah of
his words, acts and tacit.”
Position and justification of Sunnah as
a Source of Law
• Sunnah is the second primary source of Islamic
law and its position is next after the Qur’an.
• In case when the jurist does not find a text in the
Qur’an for a case he has to settle, he has to
recourse to the Sunnah in derivation of the rule.
• The Sunnah of sound and complete chain of
narrator which meant for legislation and legal
rules is as an authoritative source of Islamic law.
• Proof of the Sunnah as the source of law is
established by Qur’an and Ijma’.
 Proofs by The Qur’an
1. The Qur’an points out that whatever originated
from Messenger of Allah does not come out from
his own desire but it is a type of revelation.
“Nor does he say (aught) of (his own) desire. It is
no less than inspiration sent down to him” (al-
Najm (The Star): 3-4)

2. There are many verses of the Qur’an command

the believer to follow the Sunnah i.e. to obey the
Messenger of Allah
“O ye who believe! Obey Allah and obey the
Messenger…” (al-Nisa’(4): 59)
 Proofs continue…
• Obedience to Messenger is obedience to Allah.
“He who obey the Messenger, obeys Allah” (al-
Nisa’(4): 80)
• To follow whatever is brought by Messenger and
to refrain whatever is prohibited by him.
“And whatever the Messenger gives you, take
(observe) it, and whatever he forbids you, abstain
from it.” (al-Hashr(59):7)

• To refer any dispute to Qur’an and Sunnah

“ O ye who believe! Obey Allah and Obey the
Messenger and those charged with authority
among you. If ye differ in anything among
yourselves, refer it to Allah and His Messenger…”
(al-Nisa’(4):59)
 Proof by Ijma’
• Muslims from the time of Messenger of Allah
till today are in agreement that the Sunnah is
a source of Islamic law.
The Muslims are bound to follow legal
injunctions that are derived from Sunnah and
they do not differentiate between the legal
injunction which laid down by the Qur’an and
the Sunnah.
 The relationship between the Qur’an
and Sunnah
• The Sunnah has close relationship with the
Qur’an.
• It is a secondary and complementary to the
Qur’an.
• It is an elaboration and explanation of the Qur’an.
• Recourse to the Sunnah is required in case if the
words of the Qur’an convey ambiguous meaning
and have possibility of more than one meaning.
• Thus the Sunnah plays significant role with
respect to the Qur’an in explanation of legal rules
 The Role of Sunnah With Respect To
The Qur’an
1) The Sunnah reemphasizes and reiterates the
injunction of the Qur’an. That is a particular
injunction is based on two authorities and
derived from two sources. This indicates that
such particular injunction is established by the
Qur’an and supported by the Sunnah.
Example: Injunction relating to the prohibition of
taking a property of other person without his
consent.
“It is unlawful to possess a property of a Muslim
without his express consent” (It is reported by
al-Darqutni)
This Sunnah emphasizes the Quranic injunction:
“O ye who believe! Eat not up your property
among yourselves unjustly except it be a trade
amongst you by mutual consent…” (al-
Nisa’(4):29)
 The Role of Sunnah continue…
2-The Sunnah explains and clarifies the verses
of the Qur’an. This is in three ways.
a) Explains and elaborates the concise verses of
the Qur’an.
• Example: The Sunnah explains the manner of
performing prayer, fasting, types of Riba etc
 The Role of Sunnah continue…
b) Specify the generality of rule of the Qur’an.
E.g. The Sunnah: “He who kills the deceased will
not inherit” specifies the generality of the rule
contained in the Qur’anic verse “Allah command
you concerning your children: for the male is the
equal of the portion of two female.” (al-Nisa’ (4):
11)

c) Restrict the absolute rule of the Qur’an.

E.g. The Sunnahs restrict the absolute rule of the
verse “As to the thief male or female cut off his or
her hands: A punishment by way of example from
Allah for their crime…” (al-Ma’idah(5):38) by
prescribing the value of property, the property
must be under custody and that it is the right
hand that is to be cut.
 The Role of Sunnah continue…
• 3) The Sunnah abrogates the rule established
by the Qur’an.
E.g. According to majority of Muslim jurists, the
Sunnah: “No will should be made to legal
heir” abrogates the verse prescribed to make
a will to parent and near relatives i.e. “ It is
prescribed for you, when death approaches
one of you, if he leaves behind some goods to
make a will for parent and near relatives.” (al-
Baqarah (2): 180).
 The Role of Sunnah continue…
4) The Sunnah lays down legal injunction that is
silent by the Qur’an.
E.g.
• the prohibition of wearing a gold ring by man
• prohibition of combining a woman together
with her paternal auntie and maternal auntie
in marriage
• permissible of the carrion (death animal) of
the sea etc.
Classifications and types of the Sunnah
• Classification of Sunnah as according to its
nature
1) Verbal Sunnah or the Sunnah by word (al-
Sunnah al-Qawliyyah):
It is the sayings of Allah’s Messenger (peace be
upon him) meant for legislation and legal rules.
The Sunnah in this sense is synonym of Hadith.
A large number of the Sunnah is of this type.

2) Practical or actual Sunnah (al-Sunnah al-

Fi’liyyah):
It is the actions of Messenger of Allah (peace be
upon him) having legal content such as his
prayer, fasting and pilgrimage to Mecca.
 Classifications continue…
3) Tacit Sunnah (al-Sunnah al-Taqririyyah) or the
Sunnah by the tacit approval or disapproval of
the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him):
• It is the commission of certain acts, by word or
deed, by some Companions and the Messenger
of Allah (peace be upon him) keeps silent. His
silence and not objecting to the word or deed of
Companion is called tacit Sunnah. Meaning that
the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)
allows them to continue to do the act and
confirmed the validity of their words and deeds.
• E.g. The Prophet does not object the playing of
spear by two boy in the mosque.
• The eating of lizard (iguana) by the companions.
 Classifications continue…
• Classification of Sunnah as according to its
manner of transmission
1) Sunnah with continuous chain (al-
Muttasilah): A Sunnah whose chain of
transmitters is continuous and not broken.
2) Sunnah with broken chain (ghayr muttasilah):
A Sunnah whose chain of narrators is not
continuous but broken.
 Sunnah with continuous chain
• According the majority of Muslim jurists, there
are two types of the Sunnah with respect to the
continuous chain: Sunnah Mutawatirah and
Sunnah Ahad.
• The Hanafi jurists added a third category in
between these two. It is called Sunnah
Mashhurah.
• It is to be noted that the classification of the
Sunnah into mutawatirah, mashhurah and ahad
is based on the transmitters of the three periods
i.e. the period of the Companions, the period of
the Successors and the period of the Followers of
the Successors.
• This is because the Sunnah was compiled after
the period of the Followers of the Successors and
all the Sunnahs become well-known.
 Sunnah continue…
• Sunnah Mutawatirah:
“is one narrated by such a large number of
people whose secret agreement on lie is usually
impossible, and that is from the beginning of
the chain to its end.”
Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)
Transmitters
(Generation of Companions) Large number
Transmitters
(Generation of Successors ) Large number
Transmitters
(Generation of Followers of Large number
The Successors )
 Sunnah with continuous chain
continue…
The position of Sunnah Mutawatirah is
definitive with respect to its transmission or
establishment. This means that we are sure
and certain about its attribution to the
Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).
In this respect, it is similar to the Qur’an.
 Sunnah continue…
• Sunnah Mashhurah (well known Sunnah): is one
whose number of narrators does not reach the
level of tawatur in the first generation but
reaches this extent after that.
Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)
Transmitters
(Generation of The Companions) One or more
persons
Transmitters
(Generation of The Successors) Large number
Transmitters
(Generation of The Followers of Large number
The Successors)
 Continue…
• The position of the Sunnah Mashhurah is
lesser in strength than the Sunnah
Mutawatirah but is stronger than Sunnah
Ahad.
• On the other hand, according to majority of
Muslim jurists, this type of Sunnah is
considered as Sunnah Ahad and thus it is
probable in its establishment
 Continue…
• Sunnah Ahad (solitary sunnah): is one narrated by
one, two or more narrators from the beginning of
the chain to its end.
Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)
Transmitters
(Generation of The Companions) one or more
persons
Transmitters
(Generation of The Successors) one or
more persons
Transmitters
(Generation of The Followers of one or more
The Successors) persons
 Continue…
• The position of the Sunnah Ahad is probable
with respect to its transmission and
establishment.