As-Sunnah a harshen larabci tana nufin: Hanyar da ake bi (ko tafarkin da ake sawa), kuma asalinta yana komawa ga amfanin Larabawa.

As-Sunnah linguistically means: The path that is trodden (or the way that is followed) and its origin comes from their (the Arabs) usage:

Wannan shi ne idan na wuce wani abu ta cikinsa (dutsen niƙa) har aka samu "Sannan", watau hanya (tareeq) ta bayyana a cikinsa (watau kamar an zana hanya).

This is in the case where I passed a thing through it (the grindstone) until a ‘Sannan’ i.e. a Tareeq (path) was effected within it (i.e. like etching a path).

Sunnah shi ne duk abin da ya fito daga Manzon Allah ﷺban da Alkur'ani, wanda ya bayyana a cikin Qawli (magana), Fi'li (aiki) ko Taqrir (amincewa, yarda, ko shiru).

The Sunnah is all that was issued or came from the Messenger (saw) other than the Qur’aan, represented in a Qawl (speech), a Fi’l (action) or Taqreer (approval, consent, silence).

Dangane da wannan ma'anar, rarrabuwar Sunnah ta asali guda uku ne: As-Sunnah Al-Qawliyah, As-Sunnah Al-Fi'liyah da As-Sunnah At-Taqreeriyah.

Based on this definition the intrinsic divisions of the Sunnah are three: As-Sunnah Al-Qawliyah, As-Sunnah Al-Fi’liyah and As-Sunnah At-Taqreeriyah.

Sunnar Qauliyya ita ce duk abin da Manzon Allah (saw) ya furta, ko ya bayyana, ko ya faɗa (Nataqa) wanda ya shafi Tashree' (shari'a). An ba wannan suna Hadeeth, yayin da wasu malamai ('Ulamaa) suka mayar da Hadeeth daidai da Sunnah wadda ta ƙunshi dukkan nau'o'i uku na Sunnah.

The Sunnah Al-Qawliyah is all that the Messenger (saw) uttered or stated or said (Nataqa) related to the Tashree’ (legislation). The name ‘Hadeeth’ has been given for this whilst some (‘Ulamaa) have made the Hadeeth synonymous with the Sunnah comprising of all three categories of the Sunnah.

Maganganun Manzon Allah (ﷺ) da suka shafi shari'a (tashree') suna da yawa, kuma su ne mafi yawan Sunnah. Daga cikinsu akwai maganarsa (ﷺ): "Mai kisan kai ba ya gadon kowa" (Abu Daawood da An-Nasaa'iy), da kuma "Idan aka yi wa Khaleefah biyu mubaayi'a, to ku kashe na karshe daga cikinsu" (Muslim), da kuma: "Wani mutum ya tambayi Nabi (ﷺ): 'Wane jihadi ne mafi kyau?' Ya ce: 'Kalmar gaskiya a gaban Sultaan mai zalunci (ko mai zalunci)'" (An-Nasaa'iy, da isnadi Saheeh).

The Aqwaal (statements) of the Messenger (saw) related to the Tashree’ (legislation) number many and represent the majority of the Sunnah. They include his Qawl (speech) (saw): “The killer does not inherit” (Abu Daawood and An-Nasaa’iy) and “If two Khaleefahs are given the Bai’ah then kill the latter of them” (Muslim) and: “A man asked the Nabi (saw): “Which Jihaad is the best?” He said: “The word of truth before the oppressive (or unjust) Sultaan (ruler)”” (An-Nasaa’iy with a Saheeh Isnaad).

Ayyukan Annabi ﷺ na aikatawa (As-Sunnah Al-Fi'liyah) su ne ayyukansa da ke na musamman ko na kebantacce ga Tashree'i (shari'a), kamar Salla tasa, da kuma abin da Jaabir (ra) ya ruwaito cewa: "Manzon Allah ﷺ ya jefi Jamra'ah (duwatsu) a ranar An-Nahr (yanka) da safe, amma bayan haka (ranar 11, 12 da 13), sai bayan rana ta yi kwanciya." (Imamai biyar ne suka ruwaito shi). Haka kuma abin da 'Aamir Bin Ar-Rabee'ah (ra) ya ruwaito, inda ya ce: "Na ga Nabi ﷺ yana amfani da Miswaak alhali yana azumi sau da yawa wanda ba zan iya kirgawa ba." (Al-Bukhaari ne ya ruwaito shi).

As-Sunnah Al-Fi’liyah are his actions that are particular or specific to the Tashree’ (legislation) like his Salaah and like what Jaabir (ra) narrated: “The Messenger of Allah (saw) threw the Jamrah (pebbles) on the day of An-Nahr (sacrifice) at Duhaa, as for after (11th, 12th and 13th), then when the sun has gone down” (Related by the five). It is also like what ‘Aamir Bin Ar-Rabee’ah (ra) related when he said: “I saw the Nabi (saw) use Miswaak whilst he was fasting so many times that I cannot count” (Al-Bukhaari).

Akwai kuma ayyukan da Manzon Allah (ﷺ) ya aikata waɗanda aka tabbatar cewa keɓaɓɓu ne gare shi, kuma waɗannan ayyuka ba na wanda ba shi ba ne. Misali shi ne Al-Wisaal (ci gaba da azumi) da ya ke yi, inda zai ci gaba da azumi ba tare da Iftaar ko Suhoor ba. Ibn ‘Umar (rah) ya ce: “Manzon Allah (ﷺ) ya hana Al-Wisaal (ci gaba da azumi)”. Suka ce masa: “Kai kana ci gaba da azumi” sai ya ce: “Ba ku zama kamar ni ba. Ana ciyar da ni, ana kuma shayar da ni” (Waɗanda suka yarda da shi, kuma wannan shi ne sigar Al-Bukhaari). Wani misalin kuma shi ne keɓance haɗa fiye da mata huɗu a aure a lokaci guda. Waɗannan al'amura keɓaɓɓu ne ga Manzon Allah (ﷺ), kuma ba halal ba ne a bi shi ko a yi koyi da shi a cikinsu.

And there are actions which the Messenger of Allah (saw) undertook which have been established to be specific to him and these actions are not for other than him. This is like the Wisaal (continuation thhrough) of his fasting where he (saw) would continue his fast without Iftaar or Suhoor. Ibn ‘Umar (rah) said: “The Messenger of Allah (saw) forbade Al-Wisaal (continuation of fasting)”. They said (to him): “You continue your fast” and he (saw) replied: “You are not like me. I am fed and given drink (i.e. nourished)” (Agreed upon and this is the version of Al-Bukhaari). Another example is the specification of combining more than four wives in marriage at one time. These matters are specific to the Messenger (saw) and it is not permissible to follow (or emulate) him in respect to them.

Wannan shi ne sukūt (shiru) na Manzon Allah (saw) game da wata magana ko aiki da ya faru ko ya gudana a gabansa, ko kuma a bayansa amma yana da sani game da faruwarsa. Wannan shiru yana nuna halaccin maganar ko aikin, domin Manzon Allah (saw) ba ya yin shiru game da abin ƙarya (baɗili) ko abin hani (munkari). Misali na haka shi ne shirunsa (saw) game da matasan Habasha da suke wasa da māsu (sanduna/māsu) a cikin Masallacinsa da ke Madina, da kuma shirunsa game da ‘Ā’isha, uwar muminai (ra), da take kallon su yayin da suke wannan wasa.

This is the Sukoot (silence) of the Messenger (saw) upon a statement or action that took place or happened in his presence or in his absence but with his knowledge of its occurrence. This silence indicates the permissibility of the statement or the action because the Messenger of Allah (saw) does not remain silent over the Baatil (falsehood/falsity/invalid matter) or a Munkar (a prohibited matter). An example of this is his silence (saw) in respect to the Abyssinian youths playing with spears inside his Masjid in Al-Madinah in addition to his silence in respect to ‘Aa’ishah, the mother of the believers (ra), watching them whilst they were engaged in that.

Sunnar Manzon Allah (saw) hujja ce (hujja mai inganci) a cikin addini, dalili ce daga cikin dalilan Ahkaam, kuma tana wakiltar dalili na biyu bayan Alqur'ani Mai Girma. Hujjancin Sunna an shiryar da shi kuma an nuna shi a cikin:

The Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saw) is a Hujjah (valid proof) in the Deen, a Daleel from the Adillah (sources of evidence) for the Ahkaam and indeed represents the second Daleel (source of evidence) after the Qur’aan Al-Kareem. The Hujjiyah (validity of proof) of the Sunnah has been guided to and indicated in:

Alkur'ani ya bayyana kuma ya fayyace cewa Sunnah daga Wahayi ne (wahayin da aka yi wahayi zuwa gare shi daga Allah), musamman Sunnah Al-Qawliyyah. Allah Ta'ala ya ce game da Manzonsa ﷺ:

The Qur’aan has explained and made clear that the Sunnah is from the Wahi (divinely inspired revelation) and especially the Sunnah Al Qawliyah. Allah Ta’Aalaa said in respect to His Messenger (saw):

Wannan yana tare da fahimtar cewa Manzon Allah ﷺ ya zo da Sunnah kamar yadda ya zo da Alkur'ani. Kuma Allah Ta'ala ya ce:

That is whilst understanding that the Messenger (saw) came with the Sunnah just as he came with the Qur’aan. And Allah Ta’Aalaa said:

Waɗannan Aayoyin saboda haka suna nuna cewa Sunnah daga Allah take, kuma suna buƙatar a bi wannan Sunnah.

These Aayaat therefore indicate that the Sunnah is from Allah and demand that this Sunnah be followed.

Sahabbai sun yi ijma'i bayan rasuwar Manzon Allah (SWT) a kan wajibcin bin hukunce-hukuncen Shari'a da Sunnar Annabi ta kawo, kuma ba su bambanta tsakanin hukuncin da ke cikin Alqur'ani ko wanda aka ambata a cikin Sunnah ba, domin dukkansu a ganinsu wajibi ne a bi su. Misalan haka sun hada da: 'Akwai ijma'i a kan jefe mazinaci mai aure' wanda aka dogara da Sunnah ta magana da Sunnah ta aiki da suka fito daga Manzon Allah ﷺ. Misalan da ke nuna ijma'insu a kan wannan al'amari sun yi yawa, har ba a iya kirga su ba.

The Sahaabah have agreed by consensus after the passing of the Messenger of Allah (saw) upon the obligation of taking the Ahkaam that the Sunnah An-Nabawiyah brought and they did not differentiate between a Hukm found or mentioned in the Qur’aan and a Hukm found within the Sunnah, as both in their view were obligatory to follow. Examples of this include: ‘There consensus upon the stoning of the Zaani Al-Muhsin (adulterer)’ which was based upon a Sunnah Qawliyah and a Sunnah Fi’liyah that came from the Messenger (saw). The examples indicating their Ijmaa’ upon this matter are so many that they are innumerable.

Dalili Al-'Aqli (hujjar hankali da fahimta) ya shiryar kuma ya nuna cewa Manzo Muhammad (ﷺ) shi ne wanda ya zo da mu'ujizar da ita ce Alkur'ani daga wurin Allah. Wannan yana wakiltar hujja tabbatacciya (Qat'i) cewa shi Manzon Allah ne (ﷺ) da aka aiko mana. Imani da Manzancinsa yana wajabta wajibcin yi masa biyayya, bin hukuncinsa da karɓar duk abin da ya zo da shi; ba tare da duk wannan ba, wannan imanin ba zai da ma'ana ba. Haka kuma saboda Alkur'ani, wanda mu'ujiza ne, yana bukatar daga gare shi ya yi mulki da yin hukunci da duk abin da Allah Ta'ala ya saukar.

The Daleel Al-‘Aqliy (rational and intellectual evidence) has guided to and indicated that the Messenger Muhammad (saw) is the one who came with the miracle which is the Qur’aan from Allah. This represents a Qat’iy (definite) evidence that he is the Messenger of Allah (saw) sent to us. The Imaan (belief) in his Messengership necessitates the obligation of obedience to him, following his judgement and accepting all that he brought and without all of that, this Imaan would hold no meaning. It is also because the Qur’aan, which is a miracle, demands from him to rule and judge by all that Allah Ta’Aalaa had revealed:

Sunnarsa tana daga cikin abin da Allah Ta'ala ya saukar, abin da Ya yi masa wahayi a ma'ana, sannan shi ﷺ ya bayyana shi cikin maganarsa, aikinsa da amincewarsa.

His Sunnah is from that which Allah Ta’Aalaa has revealed, which He Ta’Aalaa inspired to him in meaning and then he (saw) expressed it in his words, actions and consent.