Sunnah facts for kids

The Sunnah (pronounced Soon-nah) is a very important idea in Islam. It refers to the traditions and practices of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. For Muslims, the Sunnah is like a guide or a model to follow in their daily lives.

Think of it as the way Prophet Muhammad lived, what he said, what he did, and even what he quietly approved of. Muslims believe that Muhammad was the best example for them. The Quran (the holy book of Islam) also tells followers to obey and learn from him.

The Sunnah helps Muslims understand how to do many things. This includes big religious duties like how to pray salat. But it also covers everyday actions, like how to cut fingernails or how long a beard should be.

The Sunnah is recorded in books called hadith. These books are collections of stories and sayings from Prophet Muhammad. Along with the Quran, the Sunnah and Hadith are the main sources for Islamic law and beliefs.

However, different groups of Muslims understand the Sunnah slightly differently. Shia Muslims believe that special leaders called the Twelve Imams help interpret the Sunnah. Sufi Muslims believe that Muhammad passed on the values of Sunnah through a line of Sufi teachers.

What Sunnah Means

The word Sunnah comes from Arabic. It can mean "habit," "usual practice," "way of life," or "custom."

In Islam, the religious meaning of Sunnah is:

• All the traditions and practices of Prophet Muhammad.
• His sayings, actions, and approvals that Muslims use as models.
• The traditional customs and practices of the Islamic community.

Some scholars define it as the statements, actions, and approvals of Prophet Muhammad. Others say it includes anything narrated about him, whether before or after he became a prophet. This includes his words, actions, confirmations, life story, and even his physical traits.

Types of Sunnah

The Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad can be divided into different types based on how it was shown:

Sayings of Muhammad

This type is called Sunnah Qawliyyah. It refers to the specific words that Prophet Muhammad said. These sayings are often found in the books of hadith.

Actions of Muhammad

This type is called Sunnah Fiiliyyah. It includes all the actions that Prophet Muhammad performed. This covers both his religious actions, like how he prayed, and his everyday actions, like how he ate or dressed.

Approvals of Muhammad

This type is called Sunnah Taqririyyah. This means that Prophet Muhammad saw or heard something a companion did and either:

• Stayed silent, showing he approved of it.
• Showed his pleasure or smiled, confirming his approval.

Some parts of the Sunnah are considered binding for Muslims, meaning they should be followed. Other parts are optional. For example, in Islamic law (called fiqh), sunnah can also refer to religious duties that are not required but are highly recommended. An example is Sunnah salat, which are optional prayers.

Sunnah in Shia Islam

Shia Muslims also follow the Sunnah, but they use different collections of Hadith books than Sunni Muslims.

The main Hadith collections for Shia Muslims were written by three important scholars:

• Kitab al-Kafi by Muhammad ibn Ya'qub al-Kulayni
• Man la yahduruhu al-Faqih by Ibn Babawayh
• Tahdhib al-Ahkam and Al-Istibsar, both by Shaykh Tusi

Shia scholars do not believe that every single thing in these books is perfectly true. They carefully study and check the Hadith. In Shia Hadith, you can often find sermons and sayings attributed to Ali, who was a very important figure in early Islam. These are found in books like The Four Books or the Nahj al-Balagha.

See also

In Spanish: Sunna para niños

• Bid‘ah
• Categories of Hadith
• Sharia