What Is The Sunnah?
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Sunnah, meaning “custom,” refers to the words and actions of the Prophet Muhammad, remembered by the early
Muslim community and preserved in narrative accounts (hadith). Because Muhammad is considered to be
the best example of how to live, his Sunnah is second in authority only to the Qur’an.
In the Shi’i tradition, the Sunnah of the Imams is another important source of guidance.
Pluralism Project, Harvard University
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“Sunna” is the Arabic term for the prophet Muhammad's way of life and legal precedent.
It comes from the pre-Islamic Arab notion of Sunna as the way of life of a tribe, which is
reflected in the Qur'an's use of the word to mean “the ways of God” (Qur'an 33:37, 62)
or “ways of life” of earlier peoples (Qur'an 3:137).
Jonathan A.C. Brown, Oxford Bibliographies
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The ‘sunnah’ refers to the traditions and practices of the Prophet Muhammad, which are believed by Muslims
to be a model for them to follow. The sunnah are documented in the hadith, which are the records of Muhammad’s teachings, deeds,
and sayings as noted by his companions…Hadith usually have two sections: the ‘isnad’
(the chain of narrators transmitting the report), and the ‘matn’ (the main text of the report).
Rossing Center for Education and Dialogue
