Sunnah
From Mw
Introduction
Sunnah, linguistically, means a path or a way. As a juristic term “Sunnah” has different meanings to various disciplines of the Islamic culture.
Sunnah refers to all that is narrated from the Prophet (SAW), his acts, his sayings, whatever he has tacitly approved, and all the reports which describe his physical attributes and character.
Sunnah refers to the category of Mandub or Nafilah. In this sense, Sunnah is used synonymously with Mandub. As an example, praying extra prayers or fasting extra days other than in Ramadhan is Mandub or Nafilah.
To the Ulema of Usul al Fiqh
Sunnah refers to another source of Shariah along with the Qur’an. Thus, in the usage of Usul al Fiqh, one might say that fasting days other than in Ramadan is from Sunnah, denoting that this ruling has been validated by the Sunnah.
The usage of Sunnah in Usul al Fiqh should not be confused with the Sunnah in Fiqh. In Fiqh, the term Sunnah is synonymous to Nafilah or Mandub, meaning a recommended act. In Usul al Fiqh, it is a source for extracting rulings, and it establishes the following types of Hukm Sharii:
- Fard: For example, the method of praying the Salah is established from the Sunnah and not the Qur’an. The Qur’an issues the command to pray.
- Haram: Fasting on the day of Eid is Haram and is established from the Sunnah.
- Mandub / Sunnah: Fasting on Monday is Mandub and is established from the Sunnah.
- Makruh: Eating garlic before going to masjid is Makruh and is established from the Sunnah.
- Mubah: At times the Prophet (SAW) drank water while sitting or standing.
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[edit] Categories of Sunnah
Sunnah can be of three categories:-
- Qawli (verbal): consists of the sayings of the Prophet (SAW) on any subject. Example: “He who cheats is not one of us”.
- Taqiri (Approval): consists of the approval of the Prophet (SAW). If something was done in front of him (SAW) and he (SAW) didn’t approve of it, then it is considered an approval. As an example, the Prophet (SAW) approved the way women prayed in the mosque, separate from the men, but in the same room.
- Faili (Actions) consists of the the Prophet (SAW)’s deeds and practices, such as the way he (SAW) used to pray or perform Hajj.
[edit] Sunnah as a source of Law
There are many hadith which state that it is necessary for us to follow the Prophet as a source of law.
'Abdul-Aziz reported from Amr b. Abi Amr - the freed slave of Al-Muttalib from al-Muttalib b. Hantab that the Apostle of God said:
"I have left nothing concerning which God has given you an order without giving you that order; nor have I neglected anything concerning which He has given you prohibition without giving you that prohibition." Imam Shafii's Kitab Ul- Um.
Sufyan bin Uyayna told us from Salim Abu an-Nadr - a freed slave of Umar b. Ubayd-Allah - who heard Ubayd-Allah b. Abi Rafi relate from his father that the Apostle had said:
"Let me find no one of you reclining on his couch, and when confronted with an order of permission or prohibition from me, say, 'I do not know (whether this is obligatory or not); we will follow only what we find in the Book of God.'" Abu Dawud vol. 4
After the death of the Prophet (saw) both Qu'ran and hadith were referred to as a source of law to settle various problems. These were discussed, then as they may be discussed today, by scholars, in relation to novel situations; e.g. Fatimah, the daughter of the Prophet (saw) claimed that she was entitled to inheritance. It was not until Abu Bakr quoted the hadith:
"We prophets do not inherit nor leave an estate for inheritance. Whatever we leave is a charity." Al-Bukhari Ch.85, That matter was resolved. The truth of the hadith was not questioned and the issue was settled on its weighting.
Another strong example from the generation after the Prophet which clarifies the issue is the following event:
A lady came to Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud and said:
"I have learnt that you preach certain things, and you say that those who tattoo and have themselves tattooed have been cursed by Allah Ta'ala, whereas I have read the Qu'ran from cover to cover and did not find therein what you are saying."
Ibn Mas'ud said: "Go and read the Qu'ran again."
After carrying out the order of lbn Mas'ud she presented herself again and said:
"Even now I have not yet discovered in the Qu'ran what you say."
Ibn Mas'ud replied:
"What? Have, you not recited, ‘Whatever the Messenger brought to you hold of it and whatever he forbids you of, abstain from it.'"
When the lady replied in the affirmative, Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud said:
"That is it (what I have said)."
In other words, whatever is in the Ahadith is covered by the Ayah of the Qu'ran mentioned by Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud.
[edit] Different Ways of Preserving the Sunnah
The Sahabah (raa) of the Prophet (saaw) committed a large number of Ahadith to writing. Ink and paper was not the sole means of their preservation. There were many other ways.
[edit] Memorization
The Sahabah (raa) of the Prophet (saaw) use to learn Ahadith by heart. The Prophet (saaw) said: "May Allah bestow vigor to a person who hears my saying and learns it by heart, then conveys it to others exactly as he hears it." (Tirmidhi) The Sahabah (raa) were eager to follow this Hadith and used to devote a considerable amount of time for committing Ahadith to their memories. A large number of them left their homes and began to live in the Mosque of the Prophet (saaw) so that they may hear the Ahadith directly from the mouth of the Prophet (saaw)). They spent all their time exclusively in securing the Ahadith in their hearts.
The Arabs had such strong memories that they would easily memorize hundreds of verses of their poetry. Nearly all of them knew by heart detailed pedigrees of not only themselves, but also their horses and camels. Even their children had enough knowledge of the pedigrees of different tribes. Hammad is a famous narrator of Arab poetry. It is reported that he knew by heart one hundred long poems for each letter from their alphabet, meaning that he knew three thousand and thirty eight long poems (Al-A'lam by Zrikli 2:131)
The Arabs were so proud of their power of memorization that they placed more confidence in it than in writing. Some poets deemed it a blemish to preserve their poetry in writing. They believed that writings on paper can be tampered with, while the memory cannot be distorted by any one. If any poets have written some of their poems, they did not like to disclose this fact, because it would be indicative of a defect in their memory (Al-Aghani V.61 P.611)
The Sahabah (raa) utilized this memory for preserving Ahadith which they deemed to be the only source of guidance along with the Qur'an. It is obvious that their enthusiasm towards the preservation of Ahadith far exceeded their zeal for preserving their poetry and literature. They used their memory in respect of Ahadith with more vigor and more precaution.
Abu Hurairah (ra), the famous companion of the Prophet (saaw) who has reported 5374 Ahadith, says, "I have divided my night into three parts. In one third of the night I perform Salah, in one third I sleep and in one third I memorize the Ahadith of the Prophet (saaw)." (Sunan Darimi)
At one time, Marwan, the governor of Madinah, tried to test his memory. He invited him to his house where he asked him to narrate some Ahadith. Marwan simultaneously ordered his scribe Abu Zu-aizi-ah to sit behind a curtain and write the Ahadith reported by Abu Hurairah (ra). The scribe recorded the Ahadith. After a year he invited Abu Hurairah (ra) again and requested him to repeat what he narrated last year, and likewise ordered Abu Zu'aizi'ah to sit behind a curtain and compare the present words of Abu Hurairah with the Ahadith he had already written previously. Abu Hurairah (ra) began to repeat the Ahadith while Abu Zu'aizi'ah compared them. He found that Abu Hurairah did not leave a single word, nor did he change any word from his earlier narration's. (Al-Bidayaah wa Nahayah and Wa Seer Alam al Niblaa' Lil Zahabi)
In addition, the scholars of Hadith developed the science of Asma 'ur-Rijal by which they have deduced reliable means to test the memory power of each narrator of Ahadith. They never accepted any Hadith as reliable unless all of its narrators were proved to have high memory standards.
Thus, "memory-power" in the Science of Hadith is not a vague term of general nature. It is a technical term having specified criteria to test the veracity of narrators. A great number of scholars of the sciences of "Asma 'ur-Rijal" and "Jarh and Ta'dil" have devoted their lives to examine the reporters of Hadith on that criteria. Their task was to judge the memory power of each narrator and to record objective opinions about them.
[edit] Discussions
The second source of preservation of Ahadith was by mutual discussions held by the Sahabah (raa). Whenever they came to know of a new Sunnah, they used to narrate it to others. Thus, all the Sahabah (raa) would tell each other what they had learnt from the Prophet (saaw). This was to comply with the specific directions given by the Prophet (saaw) in this respect. Here are some Ahadith to this effect:
"Those present should convey (my Sunnah) to those absent." (Bukhari) "Convey to others on my behalf, even though it be a single verse." (Bukhari) "May Allah grant vigor to a person who listens to my saying and learns it by heart until he conveys it to others." (Tirmidhi) "You hear (my sayings) and others will hear from you, then others will hear from them." (Abu Da'wud)
The Prophet (saaw) motivated the Sahabah (raa) to study the Ahadith in their meetings. The word used for this study is Tadarus which means "to teach each other." One person would narrate a particular Hadith to the other, and in turn, he would repeat it to the first, and so on. The purpose was to learn it correctly. Each one would listen to the other's version and correct his mistake, if any. The result of this Tadarus (discussion) was to remember the Ahadith as firmly as possible. The Prophet (saaw) has held this process of Tadarus to be more meritorious with Allah (swt) than the individual rituals of worship throughout the night.
The Prophet (saaw) said: "Tadarus of knowledge for any period of time in the night, is better than spending the entire night in worship" (Jam'ia Bayan al Ilm Ibn Adul Berr) [the word 'knowledge' in the era of Prophet (saaw) was used to connote knowledge related to the Qur'an and the Sunnah.]
Moreover, the Prophet (saaw) has also warned, that it is a major sin to hide a word of 'knowledge' whenever it is asked for:
"Whoever is questioned pertaining to such knowledge that he has and thereafter conceals it, will be bridled by a rein of fire." (Tirmidhi)
At another occasion the Prophet (saaw) explained that the concealment of 'knowledge' is in itself a major sin, even though the person having that knowledge is not asked about it. He (saaw) said: "Whoever conceals knowledge which can be benefited from, will come on the Day of Judgment bridled with a rein of fire." (Jam'ia Bayan al Ilm Ibn Abdul Berr)
The Hadith makes it clear that the disclosure of knowledge is an inherent obligation on each knowledgeable person, no matter whether he is asked about it or not.
The frequent discussions have played an important role in the preservation of the Sunnah. It was by the virtue of these discussions that the Ahadith known only by some individuals were conveyed to others, and the circle of narrators gradually expanded. Since these discussions were carried out at a time when the Prophet (saaw) was himself present among them, they had the full opportunity to confirm the veracity of what has been conveyed to them in this process, and some of them actually did so.
[edit] Practice
The third way of preservation of the Sunnah was to bring it into practice.
The knowledge of Sunnah was not merely a theoretical understanding, nor were the teachings of the Prophet (saaw) merely philosophical disposition. They were and are intimately connected to the affairs of this life. The Prophet (saaw) did not confine himself to giving lessons and sermons, he (saaw) also trained the Sahabah (raa) practically. Whatever they absorbed from the Prophet (saaw), they spared no effort to bring it into actual practice.
Thus, the entire atmosphere was one of following the Sunnah. The Sunnah was not a verbal report only, it was a living practice, a widespread behavior and a current fashion manifesting itself in all concerns of society, in all the affairs of their daily life.
Therefore, constant practice in accordance with dictates of the Sunnah was another major factor which advanced the process of preserving the Sunnah.
[edit] Writing
The fourth way of preserving the Ahadith was through the pen. Quite a large number of the Sahabah (raa) committed the Ahadith to paper after hearing them from the Prophet (saaw).
It is true that in the beginning the Prophet (saaw) had forbidden some of his Sahabah (raa) from writing anything other than the verses of the Qur'an. However, this prohibition was not because the Ahadith had no authoritative value, but because the Prophet (saaw) had in the same breath ordered them to orally narrate his Ahadith. The full text of the relevant Hadith is as follows:
"Do not write (what you here) from me, and whoever has written something (he heard) from me, he should erase it. Narrate to others (what you hear) from me; and whoever deliberately attributes a lie to me, he should prepare his seat in the Fire" (Muslim)
The underlined phrase of the Hadith clarifies that the prohibition for writing Hadith was not on account of negating its authority. The actual reason was that in the beginning of the revelation of the Qur'an, the Sahabah (raa) were not fully familiar with the Qur'anic style, nor was the Qur'an compiled in a separate book form. In those days some Sahabah (raa) began to write the Ahadith along with the Qur'anic text. It was therefore feared that it would lead to mixing the Qur'anic text with the Ahadith.
But this was the case in the earlier period of his (saaw) Prophethood. When the Sahabah (raa) became fully conversant of the style of the Qur'an and writing paper became available, this transitory measure of precaution was eliminated, because the danger of mixing the Qur'an with the Ahadith no longer existed. At this stage, the Prophet (saaw) himself directed his companions to write down the Ahadith. Some of his instructions in this respect are quoted below:
One Sahabi (ra) from the Ansar complained to the Prophet (saaw) that he hears from him (saaw) some Ahadith, but he sometimes forgets them. The Prophet (saaw) said: "Seek help from your right hand and pointed to a writing." (Tirmidhi) 2. Rafe' ibn Khadij (ra), says, "I said to the Prophet (saaw) we hear from you many things, should we write them down?" He (saaw) replied: "You may write. There is no harm." (Tadrib ar-Rarawi) 3. 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr ibn al-'Aas reported that the Prophet (saaw) said to him: "Preserve Knowledge." He asked, "and how should it be preserved?" The Prophet (saaw) replied "Writing it."
In another report he says, "I came to the Prophet (saaw) and told him, "I want to narrate your Ahadith. So, I want to take assistance of my handwriting besides my heart. Do you deem it fit for me? The Prophet (saaw) replied, "If it is my Hadith, you may seek help from your hand besides your heart." (Darimi)
It was for this reason that he used to write Ahadith frequently. He himself says, "I used to write whatever I heard from the Prophet (saaw) and wanted to learn it by heart. Some people of the Quraysh dissuaded me and said, "Do you write everything you hear from the Prophet (saaw), while he is a human being and sometimes he may be in anger as any other human beings may be?" (Abu Da'wud)
They meant that the Prophet (saaw) might say something in a state of anger which he did not seriously intend. So, one should be selective in writing this Ahadith. 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr conveyed their opinion to the Prophet (saaw). In reply, the Prophet (saaw) pointed to his lips and said,
"I swear by the One in Whose hands is the soul of Muhammad, nothing comes out from these two (lips) except truth. So, do write." (Abu Da'wud) In compliance to this order, 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr wrote a large number of Ahadith and compiled them in a book from which he named "Al Sahifah al Sadiqah."
These examples are more than sufficient to prove that the writing of Ahadith was not only permitted but also ordered by the Prophet (saaw) and that the earlier ban against writing was only for a transitory period to avoid the possible mixing between the verses of the Qur'an and the Ahadith. After this transitory period, the fear of mixing ended, the bar was lifted and the companions were persuaded to preserve Ahadith in a written form.
When we study individual efforts of the companions for compiling Ahadith, we find that thousands of Ahadith were written in the very days of the Prophet (saaw) and the four Khalifs.
