Sunnah:The legal way or ways, orders, acts of worship and statements of the Prophet (may the peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), that are ideals and models to be followed by Muslims.

For some Muslims, the term Sunnah means nothing. It carries no weight in their lives nor does it inspire them to correct their actions accordingly. Through this prevailing ignorance, it has become a word which is outdated. But the reality is such, that by us rejecting this divine institution, we have taken ourselves down the slippery road of destruction and misery. To reject the Sunnah is to reject the beautiful religion of Islam. And to reject Islam, it to humiliate and degrade o­neself, both in this world and the next. So…



What is the Sunnah?



Linguistically, Sunnah is an Arabic word which means a path or a way. However, Islamically, it is a primary source of law taken from the sayings, actions and approvals of the Prophet Muhammad (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam). As Muslims we believe that the law Prophet Muhammad (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) came with, is a divine revelation from our Creator, Allaah. However many people believe that the Qur'an is the o­nly form of divine revelation, as it is the literal word of Allaah. This view is incorrect as it contradicts the Qur'an itself. About the Prophet Muhammad (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam), Allaah says:

"Your companion (Muhammad) is neither astray nor being misled. Nor does he speak of his own desire. It is (only) the revelation with which he is inspired." (Surah An-Najm 53:2-4)

Thus as Muslims, we are required to believe that the Qur'an and Sunnah go hand in hand together as our sources of legislated law. Both are revelation from Allaah, the most High. The Qur'an is composed of the actual words of Allaah, whereas the Sunnah is expressed through the words, actions and approvals of the Prophet Muhammad (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam). Another difference is that the Qur'an is recited formally in the prayers whereas the Sunnah is not.



As a way of life, Islam is perfect and complete. However, such are the times that we live in, that some of the liberal elite from the Muslims choose to deny aspects of Islam to suit their own desires. It is even more sad, that many choose to deny the Sunnah in particular. However this is clearly wrong, as the saying of the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) indicates: "I have been given the Qur'an and something similar to it besides it. Yet a time will come when a man leaning o­n his couch will say ‘follow the Qur'an o­nly; what you find in it permissible, take as permissible, and what you find as forbidden, take as forbidden'. But verily what the Messenger of Allaah has forbidden is like what Allaah has forbidden." [1] The words of the Arabian Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) ring truthfully in our ears again. Today there are a group of people in Pakistan called the Pervezies who say exactly as the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) foretold. They firmly insist that the Qur'an is the o­nly source of law to be followed. Thus, they neither consider the Sunnah a source of law, nor a regulation of our daily affairs. This has led to many Muslim scholars declaring (and rightly so) that the Pervezies are not Muslims. So…



Why do we need the Sunnah?



Before the advent of the Prophet Muhammad (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam), every nation o­n this planet had received a Messenger. The purpose of these Messengers was to instruct their people in how to worship Allaah correctly. The Prophet Muhammad (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) was no exception to this. If we had been given the Qur'an o­n its own, then most of us who are Muslims would have gone astray through our own interpretations of this book. Rather, Allaah through his mercy, sent a noble Messenger who came to explain this Qur'an so that the people of the earth may understand their Creator better:

"We have revealed the reminder (Qur'an) to you (O Muhammad) in order that you explain to the people what has been revealed to them, that perhaps they may reflect." (Surah An-Nahl 16:44)

By explaining the Qur'an through his words and actions, the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) through his Sunnah, gives us the best example of how this book is to be understood and practiced. This is why Allaah says:

"Indeed in the Messenger of Allaah you have the most beautiful pattern of conduct." (Surah Al-Ahzab 33:21)

Our need for the Sunnah is so great, that without it our religion would be incomplete. In fact, this is the exact predicament which all the other religious scriptures find themselves in. Books such as the Bible and the Baghvad Gita, are so lacking in a divine explanation, that o­ne can never understand (from them) as how to worship Allaah properly. As Muslims we do not have this worry, because the Sunnah is our divine explanation. The Qur'an commands us to worship Allaah through prayer, fasting, charity etc., but it does not inform us of how to perform these duties practically. It is through his infinite Wisdom, that Allaah has sent us a practical example in the form of the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) and his teachings. The Prophet's (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) adherence and practice of the Qur'an was so exemplary, that upon being asked about his character, his wife Aisha said: "…his character was that of the Qur'an." [2] So…



Is it obligatory to follow the Sunnah?



Obeying Allaah is without doubt, obligatory. So when Allaah says:

"Whosoever obeys the Messenger, has indeed obeyed Allaah." (Surah An-Nisa 4:80),

it should be clear that o­ne has obeyed Allaah by obeying the Messenger. Furthermore Muhammad (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: "…whosoever disobeys me, disobeys Allaah." [3] Following the Sunnah is clearly an obligation upon every Muslim.