The Role of Sunnah in the Life of a Muslim (Part 1)
The beginning of a new year is often marked by resolutions, plans for economic improvement, career progression, or lifestyle changes. I wish to invite my readers to consider a different and far more meaningful resolution this year. I will strive to follow the Sunnah to walk consciously in the footsteps of the wisest and most exemplary human being ever to walk upon the earth ﷺ. I am confident that many of you will welcome this intention and seek to weave it into your daily routines.
The word sunnah literally means a way of conduct, an established path, a consistent practice, or a recognised method of doing something. The Majestic Quran itself uses this term, for example, in the phrase sunnah-tul-Allah, God’s way or practice: “You will never find any change in Allah’s practice, nor will you find any deviation in it” (Fatir: 43). Here, sunnat-tul-Allah refers to the divine order or laws governing creation. Technically, Sunnah refers to the Prophet’s ﷺ teachings, actions, approvals, and disapprovals, his way of living, his daily conduct, and his practical embodiment of faith.
The term hadith, by contrast, refers to the reports that transmit the Sunnah. In a well-known hadith, the Prophet ﷺ said: “Whoever introduces a good sunnah in Islam will have its reward and the reward of those who act upon it after him, without their reward being diminished; and whoever introduces a bad sunnah will bear its burden and the burden of those who act upon it” (Muslim).
The Quran repeatedly emphasises the central role of the Prophet’s Sunnah in living a life pleasing to Allah. He is described as the judge who establishes justice in society (al-Nisa:105), the lawgiver (al-A‘raf:157), the teacher and guide (al-Ma’idah:92), and the perfect model of moral excellence (al-Ahzab:21). The Quran’s frequent commands to obey the Messenger led Muslim scholars to unanimously affirm the binding authority of the Prophet’s teachings.
The Quran warns: “Let those who oppose the Messenger’s command beware, lest a trial afflict them or a painful punishment befall them” (al-Nur:63). “Whatever the Messenger gives you, take it; and whatever he forbids you, abstain from it” (al-Hashr:7). “Say: if you truly love Allah, then follow me; Allah will love you and forgive your sins” (Al ‘Imran:31). “Whoever obeys the Messenger has indeed obeyed Allah” (al-Nisa:80).
Imam Muhammad ibn Idris al-Shafi‘i (d. 204 AH), one of the great jurists of Islam, strongly articulated the authority of the Sunnah. In his seminal work al-Risalah, he presented a sophisticated argument demonstrating that the Sunnah constitutes a form of divine guidance. His interpretation of the term hikmah (wisdom) in the Quran, particularly where it appears alongside the Book, such as in al-Ahzab verse 34, is understood as referring to the Sunnah. This marked one of the earliest systematic affirmations that the Sunnah is a form of revelation. If the Sunnah is wisdom, then to follow it is to cultivate wisdom itself. Through the Sunnah, the Quran is explained, embodied, and made livable.
The Quran lays down broad principles of belief, guidance for worship, and moral direction for private and public life. Yet it rarely provides detailed procedures. For instance, the Quran mentions salah over seventy times, but it does not specify how many daily prayers there are, their timings, or the method of performing them. These essential details are furnished by the Sunnah. The same applies to zakah, fasting, and hajj. The absence of procedural detail in the Quran is itself powerful evidence of the indispensable role of the Sunnah. Regarding the Prophet’s role in clarifying revelation, Allah says: “So obey Allah and obey the Messenger. If you turn away, then know that the duty of Our Messenger is only to convey the message clearly” (al-Taghabun:12).
The Sunnah is not an optional supplement to the Quran, nor merely a historical record of prophetic habits. It is the living explanation of divine guidance, the practical wisdom that turns revelation into reality. To commit oneself to following the Sunnah is to choose clarity over confusion, wisdom over impulse, and prophetic balance over spiritual improvisation. As we begin this new year, no resolution could be more transformative than resolving to live, think, and act in the light of the Messenger’s way.
