The Sunnah According to Hadith Scholars, Scholars of Usul al-Fiqh, and Jurists, and the Differences Between Them
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Q: The pure Sunnah and the extent of its obligation on the individual Muslim; because I am of Egyptian nationality, and based on what I have heard from the opinions of many religious scholars in Egypt , that the Sunnah in general consists of the sayings and actions of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), and if I do them, I will receive reward from Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He), and if I abandon them, I will not be deprived of their reward, nor will I commit a sin or a crime. This led me to write to you regarding the great contradiction I find between what I learned in Egypt and what I hear here in Makkah al-Mukarramah , and what I read in religious books and articles by many scholars in the Kingdom. Second: Please guide me to the names of some books that research this topic so that I can obtain them. Please inform us, may Allah reward you.
A: First: The term Sunnah is used to mean: what is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in terms of
his sayings, actions, approvals, and his innate and acquired characteristics. This is the definition among hadith scholars. As for scholars of usul al-fiqh, they clarify the difference between it and the other proofs: the Qur'an, ijma' (scholarly consensus), qiyas (analogical reasoning), and athar (reports) from the sayings of the Companions and the Tabi'un (may Allah be pleased with them). The term Sunnah is used among jurists to mean: what the Shari'ah indicates should be acted upon without compulsion, so one is rewarded for doing it and does not sin for leaving it, such as the Dhuha prayer, praying two or four rak'ahs before the Zuhr prayer, fasting on the day of 'Ashura, and fasting three days of every month, and the like. In this sense, it is a degree between the fard (obligatory) and the mubah (permissible). It is also used to mean the linguistic sense, which is: the way or path. This meaning is general, and there is no contradiction between its meanings; rather, the difference between them is a difference of variety, based on their different positions in the sciences and the terminology of scholars in those sciences. Second: Refer to the definitions of the Qur'an, Sunnah, hadith, and athar in books of hadith sciences and books of usul al-fiqh, and to the chapters on voluntary prayer and voluntary fasting, and the like, in books of fiqh. And success is from Allah. May Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
A: First: The term Sunnah is used to mean: what is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in terms of
his sayings, actions, approvals, and his innate and acquired characteristics. This is the definition among hadith scholars. As for scholars of usul al-fiqh, they clarify the difference between it and the other proofs: the Qur'an, ijma' (scholarly consensus), qiyas (analogical reasoning), and athar (reports) from the sayings of the Companions and the Tabi'un (may Allah be pleased with them). The term Sunnah is used among jurists to mean: what the Shari'ah indicates should be acted upon without compulsion, so one is rewarded for doing it and does not sin for leaving it, such as the Dhuha prayer, praying two or four rak'ahs before the Zuhr prayer, fasting on the day of 'Ashura, and fasting three days of every month, and the like. In this sense, it is a degree between the fard (obligatory) and the mubah (permissible). It is also used to mean the linguistic sense, which is: the way or path. This meaning is general, and there is no contradiction between its meanings; rather, the difference between them is a difference of variety, based on their different positions in the sciences and the terminology of scholars in those sciences. Second: Refer to the definitions of the Qur'an, Sunnah, hadith, and athar in books of hadith sciences and books of usul al-fiqh, and to the chapters on voluntary prayer and voluntary fasting, and the like, in books of fiqh. And success is from Allah. May Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.