What Does Sunnah Really Mean?

It can be a daunting task as a new Muslim to navigate a whole new world of language and terminology. Muslims employ many of these words on a daily basis without fully realizing their definitions and, most importantly, their limitations. Yet many do so indiscriminately and with impunity. I hope this small post will help to shed light on what these words mean and to expand and embolden the scope of our worship of Allāh taʾālā by way of our indigenous cultures.

Imām al-Qafaṣī’s Definition of a Ḥukm

ٱلْبَحْثُ ٱلْأَوَّلُ فِي ٱلْحُكْمِ وَأَقْسَامِهِ

The First Discussion Point on the Legal Ruling (Ḥukm) and Its Categories

وَٱلْحُكْمُ خِطَابُ ٱللَّهِ تَعَالَى ٱلْقَدِيمُ، ٱلْمُتَعَلِّقُ بِأَفْعَالِ ٱلْمُكَلَّفِينَ، بِٱلِاقْتِضَاءِ أَوِ ٱلتَّخْيِيرِ.

A legal ruling (ḥukm) is the eternal speech of Allah, Most High, pertaining to the actions of those who are deemed religiously and legally accountable (mukallafūn), whether by way of requiring something (iqtiḍāʾ) or by way of choice (takhyīr).

وَٱحْتَرَزْنَا بِٱلْقَدِيمِ عَنْ نُصُوصِ أَدِلَّةِ ٱلْحُكْمِ؛ فَإِنَّهَا حَادِثَةٌ، وَلَيْسَتْ بِحُكْمٍ، وَإِلَّا لَا ٱتَّحَدَ ٱلدَّلِيلُ وَٱلْمَدْلُولُ.

By “eternal,” we [al-Qafaṣī] reserve/confine this to textual proofs (nuṣūṣ) of the legal rulings, as they are created in time and thus are not the legal rulings themselves. Otherwise, the proof (dalīl) and that which it proves (madlūl) would become one and the same.

وَيَدْخُلُ فِي ٱلِاقْتِضَاءِ ٱقْتِضَاءُ ٱلْوُجُودِ؛

Included under “requirement” (iqtiḍāʾ) is the requirement of performing an act:

• إِمَّا مَعَ ٱلْجَزْمِ، وَهُوَ ٱلْوُجُوبُ
• وَإِمَّا مَعَ عَدَمِهِ، وَهُوَ ٱلنَّدْبُ

• either with a clear and decisive command, which is termed an obligation (wujūb);
• or without a clear and decisive command, which is termed a recommendation (nadb).

وَٱقْتِضَاءُ ٱلْعَدَمِ،

And when requiring that an act not be performed:

• إِمَّا مَعَ ٱلْجَزْمِ، وَهُوَ ٱلْحُرْمَةُ،
• وَإِمَّا مَعَ عَدَمِهِ، وَهُوَ ٱلْكَرَاهَةُ؛
• وَٱلتَّسْوِيَةُ بَيْنَ ٱلطَّرَفَيْنِ إِبَاحَةٌ.

• either with a clear and decisive command, which is termed a prohibition (ḥurmah);
• or without a clear and decisive command, which is termed “disliked” (karāhah);
• in between the two equally constitutes neutrality and permissibility (ibāḥah).

فَٱلْوَاجِبُ هُوَ ٱلَّذِي يُذَمُّ تَارِكُهُ شَرْعًا، وَيُثَابُ فَاعِلُهُ، وَيُسَمَّى فَرْضًا وَحَتْمًا وَلَازِمًا.

Therefore an obligatory act (wājib) is that whose omission is legally blameworthy, while its performance is rewarded. It is also referred to as obligatory (farḍ), binding (ḥatm), and necessary (lāzim).

وَالْمَنْدُوبُ هُوَ الَّذِي يُثَابُ فَاعِلُهُ، وَلَا يُذَمُّ تَارِكُهُ،

A recommended act (mandūb) is one whose performance is rewarded, while its omission is not legally blameworthy.

فَإِنْ:

If:

• كَثُرَتْ أُجُورُهُ،
• وَفَعَلَهُ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ فِي الْجَمَاعَاتِ،
• وَوَاظَبَ عَلَيْهِ،

• the rewards associated with it are numerous,
• and the Prophet ﷺ performed it in front of large groups/congregations,
• and he was constant in observing it,

سُمِّيَ سُنَّةً.

then — and only then — is it termed “sunnah.”

وَإِنْ:

And if:

• قَلَّتْ أُجُورُهُ،
• وَلَمْ يَفْعَلْهُ فِي الْجَمَاعَاتِ،

• the rewards associated with it are fewer,
• and the Prophet ﷺ did not perform it in congregation,

سُمِّيَ نَافِلَةً.

then it is termed a supererogatory act (“nāfilah”).

وَإِنْ تَوَسَّطَ بَيْنَ الْقِسْمَيْنِ، سُمِّيَ فَضِيلَةً.

And if it occupies a middle position between these two categories, it is termed a meritorious act (“faḍīlah”).

وَالْمُبَاحُ هُوَ مَا لَا يُحْمَدُ فَاعِلُهُ، وَلَا يُذَمُّ تَارِكُهُ،

A permissible act (mubāḥ) is one whose performance is neither deserving of praise nor whose omission is legally blameworthy.

فَإِنْ نَوَى بِفِعْلِهِ وَجْهَ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى، كَمَنْ وَطِئَ زَوْجَتَهُ لِيُحْصِنَهَا، وَلِيَسْتَدِلَّ بِكَمَالِ تِلْكَ اللَّذَّةِ عَلَى كَمَالِ قُدْرَةِ اللَّهِ، أُثِيبَ،

However, if one intends by performing it to seek the Countenance of Allah, Most High—for example, a man who has marital relations with his wife in order to preserve her chastity, and to reflect upon the perfection of Allah’s power through the perfection of that pleasure—he is rewarded for doing so.

وَكَذَلِكَ إِذَا أَكَلَ قَصْدًا لِيَتَقَوَّى عَلَى الْعِبَادَةِ.

Likewise, if one eats with the intention of strengthening himself for worship, he is rewarded.

وَبِالْجُمْلَةِ، فَكُلُّ مُبَاحٍ، أَوْ تَرْكُ حَرَامٍ، أَوْ مَكْرُوهٍ، أُرِيدَ بِفِعْلِهِ أَوْ تَرْكِهِ وَجْهُ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى؛ فَإِنَّهُ يُثَابُ عَلَيْهِ.

In summary, every permissible act (mubāḥ), refraining from every prohibited act (ḥarām), or refraining from every disliked act (makrūh), if one’s intention in performing or refraining from it is to seek the Countenance of Allah, Most High, then he is rewarded for it.

وَإِلَيْهِ الْإِشَارَةُ بِقَوْلِهِ ﷺ:

This is what is alluded to in the Prophet’s ﷺ statement:

نِيَّةُ الْمُؤْمِنِ أَبْلَغُ مِنْ عَمَلِهِ.

“The intention of the believer is greater than his deed.”