What is the status of the Sunnah in Islam?

To begin with, the Sunnah is divided into three types: verbal, practical, and tacitly approved. The verbal Sunnah consists of the sayings of the Prophet (PBUH), such as the ḥadīth: “Actions are judged by intentions.”¹ The practical Sunnah of the Prophet (PBUH) consists of his actions and explicit instructions, such as the manner in which he performed the prayer, the rites of pilgrimage, his judicial rulings, and the like. The tacitly approved Sunnah consists of the actions and statements of the Companions that the Prophet (PBUH) approved, whether through his silence and lack of disapproval or through explicit endorsement. Adherence to the Sunnah constitutes the creed of the People of the Sunnah (the Prophet’s Way), and it is for this reason that we are called Ahl as-Sunnah wa-l-Jamāʿah (Adherents to the Prophet’s Way and the Community). It is therefore evident that the rejectors of the Sunnah do not belong to the People of the Prophet’s Way, for they do not believe in the Sunnah at all—so how could they be among the People of the Prophet’s Way? Moreover, by rejecting the Sunnah, they have dissented from the Muslim community itself. As such, they belong neither to the People of the Prophet’s Way nor to the Community of Muslims. The Sunnah, like the Qurʾān, constitutes the very essence of Islam, and as previously stated, the Qurʾān can neither be properly understood nor correctly implemented without the Sunnah. Fundamentally, the Sunnah clarifies the Qurʾān through:

Tafṣīl al-mujmal (detailing of the concise): there are many instances in which the Sunnah explicates what the Qurʾān states in a concise form. In other words, the Qurʾān may issue a general, concise command, while the Sunnah clarifies the manner in which that command is to be carried out. A clear example of this is prayer: without the Sunnah, Muslims would be unable to perform it. Allāh commands the believers concisely in the Qurʾān, {Establish prayer} (Qurʾān 2:43), yet the Qurʾān does not explain most aspects of how prayer is to be performed. The Sunnah, however, clarifies this concise command by detailing the manner of prayer, providing a step-by-step description of the Prophet (PBUH)’s prayer, including the number of rakʿahs (prayer units), the manner of sujūd (prostration), the aḏkār (remembrances) of prayer, and the number of daily prayers. Thus, the Qurʾānic command {Establish prayer} (Qurʾān 2:43) cannot be implemented except through the Sunnah, for the Prophet (PBUH) did not say, “Pray as mentioned in the Qurʾān,” but rather stated, “Pray as you have seen me pray.”² Hence, the Sunnah clarifies how prayer is to be established and is therefore a form of divine revelation, since establishing prayer is only possible by emulating the manner in which the Prophet (PBUH) prayed.

Takhṣīṣ al-ʿāmm (specification of the general): the Sunnah clarifies the Qurʾān by specifying general rulings found within it. For example, Allāh says, {Forbidden to you are carrion} (Qurʾān 5:3), a verse that is general in its wording and applies to all dead animals. However, the Sunnah specifies this general ruling by clarifying that dead fish are permissible to eat. The Prophet (PBUH) said, “Two kinds of dead animals and two kinds of blood have been made lawful for us. As for the two dead animals, they are fish and locusts; and as for the two kinds of blood, they are the liver and the spleen.”³ The Prophet (PBUH) also said regarding the sea, “Its water is purifying, and its dead [animals] are lawful [to eat].”⁴ Thus, the Sunnah specifies the general rulings of the Qurʾān: while the general ruling in the Qurʾān is that dead animals are impermissible, the specific ruling in the Sunnah establishes that dead fish are permissible, which leads us to ask the rejectors of the Sunnah whether they consider dead fish unlawful to eat.

Taqyīd al-muṭlaq (restriction of the absolute): some Qurʾānic verses contain unrestricted, absolute rulings, which the Sunnah subsequently restricts through specific conditions. For example, Allāh says regarding the ḥadd (prescribed punishment) for theft, {As for male and female thieves, cut off their hands} (Qurʾān 5:38). This verse is absolute in its wording, and without the Sunnah, Muslims would be unable to know when the amputation of a thief’s hand is applicable and when it is not. The Sunnah establishes the minimum value of stolen property that renders theft liable to the ḥadd, thereby restricting the scope of this absolute ruling. Thus, the Sunnah serves to restrict absolute rulings found in the Qurʾān.

Bringing independent legislation: there are instances in which the Sunnah establishes rulings that are not mentioned in the Qurʾān. For example, the Sunnah states that it is prohibited to marry a woman together with her paternal aunt or her maternal aunt. The Prophet (PBUH) said, “A woman may not be married together with her paternal aunt, nor together with her maternal aunt.”⁵ This prohibition is not mentioned in the Qurʾān.

All in all, the Sunnah serves as a clarifier of the Qurʾān, as it details the concise, specifies the general, and restricts the absolute within it. In a minority of cases, it even introduces legislation not mentioned in the Qurʾān. Accordingly, the need for the Sunnah is as essential as the need for the Qurʾān, and dispensing with the Sunnah is tantamount to dispensing with the Qurʾān. Therefore, the command to follow the Sunnah is one of the axioms of Islam, a point emphasized in numerous Qurʾānic verses. For instance, Allāh says: {˹Always˺ remember what is recited in your homes of Allāh’s revelations and ˹prophetic˺ wisdom} (Qurʾān 33:34). Two things are mentioned in this verse: Allāh’s revelations and wisdom. Clearly, Allāh’s revelations refer to the Qurʾān, while “wisdom” is a comprehensive term encompassing all that the Prophet (PBUH) taught through his exemplary character and his sayings. According to the consensus of Qurʾān commentators, this verse constitutes a command to follow both the Qurʾān and the Sunnah. Likewise, Allāh says: {Allāh has revealed to you the Book and wisdom} (Qurʾān 4:113). “Wisdom” refers to the Prophetic Sunnah. Ibn al-Qayyim [may Allāh have mercy on him] said: “Belief in the Sunnah is an agreed-upon principle among the people of Islam, rejected only by those who are not from them.”⁶ This is self-evident. Allāh says: {Say, “Obey Allāh and obey the Messenger. But if you turn away, then he is only responsible for his duty and you are responsible for yours. And if you obey him, you will be ˹rightly˺ guided} (Qurʾān 24:54). This verse establishes the necessity of following the Prophet (PBUH). Do we obey him (PBUH) by rejecting every command and prohibition he has issued? Allāh says: {the only response of the ˹true˺ believers, when they are called to Allāh and His Messenger so he may judge between them, is to say, “We hear and obey.” It is they who will ˹truly˺ succeed. For whoever obeys Allāh and His Messenger, and fears Allāh and is mindful of Him, then it is they who will ˹truly˺ triumph} (Qurʾān 24:51–52). The Almighty also says: {Whatever the Messenger gives you, take it. And whatever he forbids you from, leave it} (Qurʾān 59:7). Allāh has commanded us to follow everything that comes from the Prophet (PBUH) without distinction between the verbal and practical Sunnah, or any of the divisions proposed by those who reject the Sunnah. In other words, the entire Prophetic Sunnah is binding on all Muslims. When called to Allāh and His Messenger (PBUH), the appropriate response of the believers should be: “We hear and obey.”

This adherence to the Sunnah is what the Muslim nation has recognized throughout its history. ʿAbd Allāh ibn Masʿūd [may Allāh be pleased with him] referred to verse 59:7 when endorsing the Sunnah in the following incident. It is reported by al-Bukhārī that ʿAbd Allāh ibn Masʿūd [may Allāh be pleased with him] said: “Allāh curses those women who practice tattooing and those who get themselves tattooed, and those women who remove eyebrow hair, and those women who file their teeth for beauty, altering what Allāh has created.” This [statement] reached a woman from Banī ʾAssad named Umm Yaʿqūb, who came [to ʿAbd Allāh ibn Masʿūd] and said, “It has reached me that you have cursed such-and-such [women]?” He replied, “Why should I not curse those whom Allāh’s Messenger (PBUH) has cursed and who are [cursed] in Allāh’s Book?” She said, “I have read all that is between the two covers (i.e., the entire Qurʾān) and did not find what you are saying therein.” He said, “Had you read it [carefully], you would have found it. Have you not read, {Whatever the Messenger gives you, take it. And whatever he forbids you from, leave it} [Chapter al-Ḥashr 59:7]?” She replied, “Yes, I have.” He said, “Verily, Allāh’s Messenger (PBUH) forbade such things.”⁷ Thus, ʿAbd Allāh ibn Masʿūd [may Allāh be pleased with him] referred to the fact that the prohibition of these actions is established in the Sunnah and must therefore be observed. Without a doubt, every command in the Sunnah corresponds to a command in the Qurʾān. Allāh says: {O you who have believed, respond to Allāh and to the Messenger} (Qurʾān 8:24). Allah also says: {We sent not a Messenger, but to be obeyed, in accordance with the will of Allāh} (Qurʾān 4:64). The purpose of sending the Prophets is to ensure that people follow the laws of Allāh as conveyed and explained by them. Pay close attention to the following verse: {But no! By your Lord, they will never be ˹true˺ believers until they accept you ˹O Prophet˺ as the judge in their disputes, and find no resistance within themselves against your decision and submit wholeheartedly} (Qurʾān 4:65). This verse was revealed concerning a man who litigated against az-Zubayr over a water channel that both of them used for irrigation.⁸ The Prophet (PBUH) adjudicated in favor of az-Zubayr, and this adjudication constitutes a Sunnah of the Messenger of Allāh (PBUH), not a ḥukm (ruling) explicitly textualized in the Qurʾān. Had it been a ruling found in the Qurʾān itself, it would have been explicitly textualized in the Book of Allāh. Nevertheless, the Qurʾān makes it clear that a person is not considered a believer unless they willingly and fully submit to the adjudication of the Prophet (PBUH), for his adjudication is a revelation from Allāh that must be followed; in other words, believers are required to conform to what has been decided by both Allāh and His Messenger (PBUH). Allāh says: {it is not for a believing man or woman—when Allāh and His Messenger decree a matter—to have any other choice in that matter} (Qurʾān 33:36). This verse is general in meaning and applies to all matters; that is, when Allāh and His Messenger have decreed a matter, no one has the right to oppose it, nor is there any room for personal choice or opinion. Hence, opposing such a decree is addressed in particularly strong terms, as Allāh says:{Indeed, whoever disobeys Allāh and His Messenger has clearly gone ˹far˺ astray} (Qurʾān 33:36). Thus, what has been revealed in the Qurʾān and the Prophetic Sunnah leaves no room for opinion or opposition. Allāh says:{indeed, in the Messenger of Allāh you have an excellent example for whoever has hope in Allāh and the Last Day} (Qurʾān 33:21).

If you hope for Allāh’s grace and are mindful of the coming of the Day of Judgment, then you should take the Prophet (PBUH) as a model in every aspect of life. Clearly, following his example (PBUH) is achieved by adhering to his Sunnah. If you desire Allāh’s love, then follow His Messenger (PBUH). Allāh says: {Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “If you ˹sincerely˺ love Allāh, then follow me; Allāh will love you and forgive your sins} (Qurʾān 3:31). Allah also says: {whoever obeys the Messenger has truly obeyed Allāh} (Qurʾān 4:80). This verse lays down a fundamental principle of the Islamic way of life:{Should you disagree on anything, then refer it to Allāh and His Messenger} (Qurʾān 4:59). Needless to say, referring matters of disagreement among Muslims to Allāh means referring to His Book, and referring them to the Messenger (PBUH) means referring to his Sunnah.⁹ It is decisively established that the Sunnah is a form of divine revelation: {Nor does he speak of his own whims} (Qurʾān 53:3). That is, nothing the Prophet (PBUH) spoke was based on his own opinion; rather, it was solely what had been revealed by Allāh. The Prophet (PBUH) said: “I have surely been given the Qurʾān and something like it along with it (that is, the Sunnah).”¹⁰ Thus, it is obligatory to accept the Sunnah and act upon it, just as it is obligatory to accept the Book (the Qurʾān) and act upon it, as stated by al-Qurṭubī.¹¹ The Prophet (PBUH) said: “I have left among you two things; you will never go astray so long as you adhere to them: the Book of Allāh and the Sunnah of His Prophet.”¹² The Prophet (PBUH) also said: “hold fast to my Sunnah.’’¹³ When he (PBUH) intended to send Muʿāḏ ibn Jabal to Yemen, he said: “How will you judge when a case is presented to you?” He said: “I will judge according to the Book of Allah.” The Prophet (PBUH) said: “And if you do not find it in the Book of Allah?” He said: “Then by the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH).”¹⁴ As previously mentioned, the Prophet (PBUH) said: “Pray as you have seen me pray.”¹⁵ The Prophet (PBUH) also said: “Take your rituals [of pilgrimage by observing me], for I do not know—perhaps I shall not perform pilgrimage after this pilgrimage of mine.”¹⁶ The Qurʾān establishes the obligation of pilgrimage but does not specify its detailed rituals. The specifics of the pilgrimage rituals are preserved in the Sunnah. Indeed, without the Sunnah, Muslims would not be able to perform pilgrimage correctly. The Prophet (PBUH) further said: “Whoever turns away from my Sunnah is not of me.”¹⁷ Hence, there are numerous texts that decisively establish that one of the fundamental principles of Islam is that Muslims must follow the Prophetic Sunnah. Indeed, the miraculous Prophetic tradition recorded in Sunan Abī Dāwūd serves as a direct refutation by the Prophet (PBUH) of the Qurʾān-only approach (Qurʾānism). He (PBUH) foretold the emergence of a sect of “Muslims” who would reject his Sunnah and refer solely to the Qurʾān, despite both being revelation. He (PBUH) said: “Behold, I have been given the Book and something like it along with it. Behold, the time is near when a man, sated on his couch, will say: ‘Keep to this Qurʾān; whatever you find in it to be lawful, treat as lawful, and whatever you find in it to be forbidden, treat as forbidden.’”¹⁸ The phrase “a man sated on his couch” is a metaphor for luxury and ease. That is, he (PBUH) foretold that some affluent so-called Muslims, at the end of time, would reject the Sunnah. The phrase “on his couch” also implies remaining at home and not actively seeking religious knowledge. This characterizes the rejectors of the Sunnah, glory be to Allah! As the Prophet (PBUH) predicted in this tradition, the Qurʾānists deny the religious authority of the Sunnah, claiming that the Qurʾān alone suffices as the sole source of Islam. The Prophet (PBUH) affirmed in another tradition that he did not speak of his own accord, and that his speech was in fact divine revelation: “I neither give you [anything] nor withhold [anything]; I am merely a distributor, placing wherever I am commanded.”¹⁹ In short, it is not the Qurʾān alone that is a divine revelation. Rather, the Sunnah holds the same authoritative status as the Qurʾān—both are divine revelation.

To conclude, the Sunnah holds a great status in Islam, which is why the Prophet (PBUH) commanded that his Sunnah be conveyed to people. He (PBUH) said: “May Allāh brighten the face of a person who hears a ḥadīth (Prophetic tradition) from us and memorizes it until he conveys it to others, for perhaps the one to whom it is conveyed may remember it better than the one who [first] heard it.”²⁰ This constitutes evidence that the Sunnah is a source of Islamic jurisprudence. That is, it abounds with legal rulings to be deduced and applied. All the aforementioned Qurʾānic verses and Prophetic traditions demonstrate that the commands and prohibitions of the Prophet (PBUH) are, in terms of their authoritativeness and the obligation to believe in them as well as act upon them, equivalent to the commands and prohibitions of the Qurʾān. As for restricting oneself to the Qurʾān alone, this is— as ash-Shāṭibī stated—the opinion of a people who will have no share in the rewards of the Hereafter, for they rejected the rulings of the Sunnah, which led them to dissent from the community [of Muslims] and to interpret the Qurʾān in a manner other than what Allāh revealed.²¹ This is proof that those who reject the Sunnah will inevitably misinterpret the Qurʾān. Hence, the Sunnah is indispensable; it is the fortress of Islam—an impenetrable stronghold against those who seek to tamper with the religion. None rejects it without incurring affliction. Allāh says: {…so let those who disobey his orders beware, for an affliction may befall them, or a painful torment may overtake them} (Qurʾān 24:63). Allah also says: {Obey Allāh and obey the Messenger and beware!} (Qurʾān 5:92).