What does “Sunnah” Mean?
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All praise belongs to Allah. We praise Him, seek His assistance, and seek His forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allah from the evil within ourselves and our bad deeds. Whoever Allah guides, there is no one who can misguide him, and whoever he misguides, there is no one who can guide him. I bare witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, alone without any partners, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. May Allah’s heavenly praise, peace, and blessings be upon the Prophet, his family, companions, and those who adhere to their guidance after them.
To proceed:
Much of our understanding of Islam relies on our correct understanding of the sunnah. That all starts with our understanding of the term sunnah before anything else.
Defining Sunnah
Linguistically speaking, the word sunnah (plural. sunan or sanan) means a person’s way or lifestyle. When it comes to the linguistic meaning, no difference is made between whether this way or lifestyle is a good one or not. It is still called sunnah. In the following hadith, we can observe the Prophet ﷺ using the word in its linguistic meaning: “You will follow the sanan (i.e., ways) of those before you, one handspan at a time, then one armlength at a time. Even if they entered a lizard’s nest you will follow them inside.” [Al-Bukhāri (7320), Muslim (2669)]
Islamically speaking, the word sunnah refers to the sayings, actions, and approvals of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. This is how the scholars of uṣūl al-fiqh defined it. The ḥadīth scholars added the moral character of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and his physical description to the definition. The differences among scholars regarding the definition of sunnah are a result of the different objectives each group of scholars had in mind when defining it. Since uṣūl al-fiqh scholars were mostly concerned with finding textual evidence from which they can extrapolate rulings (e.g., obligations, prohibitions, and matters of ḥalāl and ḥarām) they excluded the moral character and physical description of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ because knowing those details do not contribute to that purpose. On the other hand, one of the main objectives of the ḥadīth scholars was to document anything and everything about the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, so it was essential for them to include his moral character and physical description in the definition.
Usages of Sunnah
It is often that we hear scholars mention the word sunnah to refer to a more general meaning than implied in its definition. Being unaware of how scholars generally use this term leads to overall misunderstanding. You might have been told by someone, “Brother, you must grow your beard—it’s sunnah!” in which you defensively respond, “If it’s just a sunnah, why are you making a big deal about it?!” This is an example of a conflict that was a result of the word sunnah being used differently by different people without them knowing. Uncovering these usages allows a person more versatility in understanding how the word sunnah is used in any given context. Aside from what is already mentioned in its definition, scholars have explained that the word sunnah can also be used to mean four general meanings:
The word sunnah can refer to all the Prophet’s guidance that he brought including the Quran, his aḥādīth (sing. ḥadīth), and the general message of Islam. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said, “Whoever seeks for a way other than my sunnah is not upon my religion.”[Al-Bukhāri (5063), Muslim (1401)] Based on this usage, many scholars would title their works explaining creedal matters using the word sunnah, such as «Sharḥ As-Sunnah» by Imām Al-Muzani, «Uṣūl As-Sunnah» by Imām Aḥmad, and «As-Sunnah» by his son. The Imām Al-Barbahāri started his book also titled «Sharḥ As-Sunnah» saying, “Know that Islam is the sunnah, and the sunnah is Islam...”
The word Sunnah is also used to refer to the aḥādīth of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ specifically. When used in this way it is often grouped with “The Book” (i.e., the Qurān). The Prophet ﷺ said, “I left behind two things of which afterwards you will never go astray: Allāh’s book and my sunnah.”[Al-Ḥākim (318), Aṣ-Ṣaḥīḥah (1761)] It is also the meaning referred to when people say, “…in the light of the Qurān and Sunnah.”
The sunnah is also often used in opposition to bid`ah (i.e., heresy) such as the ḥadīth of the Prophet ﷺ, “I enjoin you to fear Allāh, and to listen to and obey (your leaders) even if he is an Abyssinian slave, for those of you who live after me will see plenty of discord. So, follow my sunnah and that of the rightly guided caliphs. Firmly grasp it and bite on to it with your molar teeth. Avoid innovations in the religion, for every innovation is a heresy, and every heresy is a misguidance.”[Abū Dāwūd (4607). Aṣ-Ṣaḥīḥah (2735)]
The fourth and the last usage of the word sunnah is for a recommended act of worship. This is more technically known as mandūb, but the scholars of fiqh also call a recommended act of worship sunnah or mustaḥabb. This is the usage most people tend to know. For example, using the miswak is sunnah (i.e., recommended).
Synonyms of Sunnah and Similar Words
Now that the definition of sunnah is known, it is ideal to note its synonyms and words with similar meanings. Scholars mention that sunnah, as previously defined, is synonymous to ḥadīth. Other possible synonyms are athar (plural. āthār) and khabar (plural. akhbār). However, sometimes athar is used to refer to both the sayings of the companions of the Prophet ﷺ and their followers (a.k.a., the tābi`ūn), and some only used this term exclusively for the sayings of the companions. Likewise, the word khabar was used by some scholars for the sayings of any person besides the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, and others explained that it is a totally inclusive term and can be used to refer to a saying of any person.
Conclusion
In this article, we briefly glimpsed at the different terminology that will assist a person’s understanding when he listens to a lecture or reads a book by one of the scholars. The differences between sunnah, ḥadīth, athar, and khabar are outlined, and the various usages are explained with examples. O Allāh, allow us to benefit from what you taught us, teach us more of what benefits us, and provide us with beneficial knowledge. May Allah’s heavenly praise, peace, and blessings be upon the Prophet, his family, companions, and those who adhere to their guidance after them. Allah knows best.