What are the Sunnah and hadith?

7 min read

You pray five times a day, but the Quran does not describe every movement of the prayer. So how do Muslims know how to pray? From the Sunnah. In this step you will learn what the Sunnah is, how Muslims know which reports about the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, are reliable, and five short sayings of his to live by.

Two words: Sunnah and hadith

Sunnah means way or path. It is the way of the Prophet: what he said, what he did, and what he approved of when others did it in front of him. A hadith (plural ahadith) is a report that tells us something from the Sunnah: a saying of the Prophet, an action of his, or something he approved. Each hadith comes with the chain of people who passed it on, followed by the text itself. You will learn more about both in the next lesson.

You will also hear sunnah used in a second, narrower way. In discussions of Islamic law, "sunnah" often means an act that is recommended but not required, such as extra voluntary prayers. When someone says "that is sunnah", they usually mean it is a good deed that brings reward, not an obligation.

Why the Sunnah matters

Allah commands the believers to follow what the Messenger brought:

And whatever the Messenger has given you
Quran 59:7 (Saheeh International translation)

Take it, and refrain from what he has forbidden you. Scholars of tafsir (explanation of the Quran) note that this verse is a foundation for following the Sunnah in all its forms: what the Prophet said, did, and approved. Allah also says: "He who obeys the Messenger has obeyed Allah" (Quran 4:80). And the Prophet did not only deliver words. He showed how to live them:

There has certainly been for you in the Messenger of Allah an excellent pattern for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Last Day and [who] remembers Allah often.
Quran 33:21 (Saheeh International translation)

An excellent pattern means a model to follow: in worship, in character, in family life, and in how to treat people. The Quran also says that the Prophet did not speak from his own desires: "It is not but a revelation revealed" (Quran 53:4). Scholars of tafsir explain that this includes both the Quran and the Sunnah.

How the Quran and the Sunnah fit together

Allah sent the Prophet to explain the Quran:

And We revealed to you the message that you may make clear to the people what was sent down to them and that they might give thought.
Quran 16:44 (Saheeh International translation)

The Quran gives the foundations, and the Sunnah shows how to live them:

The Quran commands prayer many times. The Sunnah shows how many units each prayer has, what to recite, and how to bow and prostrate. The Prophet said: "Pray as you have seen me praying" (Sahih al-Bukhari 631).
The Quran commands zakah, the obligatory charity. The Sunnah explains how much is due and on what kinds of wealth.
The Quran commands Hajj, the pilgrimage. The Sunnah shows each of its steps.

Some people today say that the Quran alone is enough and the hadith are not needed. The Prophet warned about this. He described a man reclining on his couch who hears a hadith and says, in effect, that the Book of Allah is enough, and then the Prophet said:

Indeed, whatever the Messenger of Allah made unlawful, it is the same as what Allah made unlawful.
Sunan Abi Dawud 4604, Jami' at-Tirmidhi 2664, and Sunan Ibn Majah 12 (graded sahih)

If you meet this idea online, remember that the Quran itself tells you to follow the Messenger. Following the Sunnah is part of following the Quran.

Which of these best describes the Sunnah?

Remember

The Quran is the foundation, and the Sunnah is the Prophet's way of living it. Together they show you how to practice Islam.

Next, you will see how scholars made sure that the hadith we have really come from the Prophet.

Sources

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Up next: How hadith were preserved and checked

Step 5: The Sunnah and hadith, 8 min

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