The Sunnah (the actions, sayings, approvals and disagreements of Prophet, Muhammad ) is the second source of Islamic legislation and must be in complete agreement with the Quran the fundamental source of Islam.
The term Sunnah comes from the root word ‘sanna’, which means to pave the way.
Sunnah can be used to describe a path that people follow to accomplish the Islamic life. In Islamic terminology, Sunnah applies to a Prophetic way which includes references to the Prophet’s sayings, actions, approvals, disagreements, physical features and character traits.
His, actions pertain to anything he did, as authentically reported by the Companions . His silence on different issues meant he didn’t oppose or mind what he saw, heard or knew of the actions or sayings of his Companions, and this means he approved of them. The Sunnah also includes everything authentically narrated concerning the Prophet's physical features and his traits.
The Quran and the Sunnah complement each other. Without the Sunnah, Islam is not complete, likewise without the Quran, Islam is not complete.
Indeed, the Sunnah is so important that, without it, no one can fully understand the Quran and Islam or be able to apply them to his life. Of course, these two sources guide us to the right path ever.
The Quran is the Words of Allah, whereas the Sunnah is its practical interpretation. Fruthermore the Sunnah also gives a full account of the life of the Prophet .
The Quran principally deals with basics. It is the Sunnah which gives the details and necessary explanations of Quranic injunctions. For instance, Allah Says in the Quran (what means): {"…Establish the prayer…"} [Quran 2: 43] But it does not specify how the prayer has to be performed.
Even after knowing the details, it may not be possible to follow the divine injunctions contained in the Quran. For not everything can be properly understood by Words alone. Therefore, the Messenger of Allah demonstrated before the believers how the prayer was to be performed and also taught them the exact timings of each prayer.
Thus, not only did the Prophet inform the believers of the divine injunctions, but he also put these teachings into practice in all matters pertaining to religion and daily life. He himself practiced these injunctions scrupulously. His practice was not a private matter; it had the status of a detailed interpretation and application of the Quran.
Importance of the Sunnah
The Quran repeatedly reminds us of the importance of the Sunnah, enjoining us to strictly follow the Prophet .
Allah, The Almighty, Says (what means): {“…And whatever the Messenger has given you – take; and what he has forbidden you – refrain from…”} [Quran 59:7]
Allah also Says (what means): {"But no, by your Lord, they will not [truly] believe until they make you [O Muhammad] judge concerning that over which they dispute among themselves and then find within themselves no discomfort from what you have judged and submit in [full, willing] submission.."} [Quran 4:65)
Again, Allah Says (what means): {"It is not for a believing man or a believing woman, when Allah and His Messenger have decided a matter, that they should [thereafter] have any choice about their affair. And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger has certainly strayed into clear error."} [Quran 33:36]
According to many verses in the Quran, the Muslim is bound to follow the Sunnah of the Prophet . No one remains a Muslim if he does not accept the Prophet’s Sunnah.
The Sunnah is nothing but a reflection of the personality of the Prophet who is to be obeyed at every cost.
The Sunnah was not, as is generally supposed, a thing of which the need may have been felt only after the Prophet’s death for it was very much needed in his lifetime. The two most important religious institutions of Islam are the Prayer and Zakat (obligatory alms giving); yet when the injunction relating to Prayer and Zakat were delivered, and they were repeatedly revealed in both Makkah and Madeenah, no details were supplied. 'Keep up prayers' is the Quranic injunction, and it was the Prophet himself who, by his own actions, gave details of the prayer by saying: “Pray as you see me praying.” [Imam Al-Bukhari]
Zakah is again an obligation frequently repeated in the Quran, yet it was the Prophet who gave the rulings and regulations for its payment and collection. These are two examples, but since Islam covers the entire sphere of human activities, hundreds of points had to be explained by the Prophet in word and deed.
The importance of the Sunnah, even as a second source of Islam, was an openly accepted issue by the Companions of the Prophet . Whenever they couldn’t find a solution to a problem in the Quran, they would refer to the Sunnah. And they were the most diligent in preserving it for those who came after them.