Sunnah, kwa lugha, maana yake ni njia au mwenendo. Kama istilahi ya kisheria, neno "Sunnah" lina maana tofauti kulingana na taaluma mbalimbali za utamaduni wa Kiislamu.

Sunnah, linguistically, means a path or a way. As a juristic term “Sunnah” has different meanings to various disciplines of the Islamic culture.

Kwa Maulamaa wa Hadithi:

• To the Ulema of Hadith:

Sunnah inarejelea kila kilichopokewa kutoka kwa Mtume ﷺ, matendo yake, kauli zake, kile alichokikubali kimyakimya, pamoja na simulizi zote zinazoeleza sifa zake za kimwili na tabia yake.

Sunnah refers to all that is narrated from the Prophet (saw), his acts, his sayings, whatever he has tacitly approved, and all the reports that describe his physical attributes and character.

Kwa Ulamaa wa Fiqh (Sheria):

• To the Ulema of Fiqh (Jurisprudence):

Sunnah inarejelea kundi la Mandub au Nafilah. Kwa maana hii, Sunnah hutumika kwa kufanana na Mandub. Kwa mfano, kuswali sala za ziada au kufunga siku za ziada nje ya Ramadhani ni Mandub au Nafilah.

Sunnah refers to the category of Mandub or Nafilah. In this sense, Sunnah is used synonymously with Mandub. As an example, praying extra prayers or fasting extra days other than in Ramadan is Mandub or Nafilah.

Kwa Maulamaa wa Usul al-Fiqh:

• To the Ulema of Usul al-Fiqh:

Sunnah inarejelea chanzo kingine cha Shari‟ah pamoja na Qur‟an. Hivyo, katika matumizi ya Usul al-Fiqh, mtu anaweza kusema kwamba kufunga siku nyingine nje ya Ramadhani kunatokana na Sunnah, kwa maana kwamba Sunnah ndiyo iliyothibitisha hukumu hii.

Sunnah refers to another source of Shari‟ah along with the Qur‟an. Thus, in the usage of Usul al-Fiqh, one might say that fasting days other than in Ramadan is from Sunnah, denoting that the Sunnah has validated this ruling.

Matumizi ya neno Sunnah katika Usul al-Fiqh hayapaswi kuchanganywa na matumizi yake katika Fiqh. Katika Fiqh, neno Sunnah lina maana sawa na Nafilah au Mandub, yaani kitendo kinachopendekezwa. Katika Usul al-Fiqh, Sunnah ni chanzo cha kutolea hukumu, na huthibitisha aina zifuatazo za Hukm Shar‛i:

The usage of Sunnah in Usul al-Fiqh should not be confused with the Sunnah in Fiqh. In Fiqh, the term Sunnah is synonymous to Nafilah or Mandub, meaning a recommended act. In Usul al-Fiqh, it is a source for extracting rulings, and it establishes the following types of Hukm Shar‟i:

• Fard: (فشض) Kwa mfano, njia ya kuswali Swala imethibitishwa kutoka kwenye Sunnah na si kutoka kwenye Qur'ani. Qur'ani inatoa amri ya kuswali.

• Fard: (فشض ) For example, the method of praying the Salah is established from the Sunnah and not the Qur‟an. The Qur‟an issues the command to pray.

• Haram: (قشجَ ) Kufunga siku ya Eid ni haram, na hilo limethibitishwa kutoka kwenye Sunnah.

• Haram: (قشجَ ) Fasting on the day of Eid is Haram and is established from the Sunnah.

• Mandub / Sunnah: ( ذِٕٚخ/ع ٕس ) Kufunga siku ya Jumatatu ni Mandub na kimethibitika kutoka katika Sunnah.

• Mandub / Sunnah: ( ذِٕٚخ/ع ٕس ) Fasting on Monday is Mandub and is established from the Sunnah.

• Makruh: (ِىشٖٚ) Kula kitunguu saumu kabla ya kwenda msikitini ni makruh, na hili limethibitishwa katika Sunnah.

• Makruh: (ِىشٖٚ ) Eating garlic before going to masjid is Makruh and is established from the Sunnah.

• Mubah: (رِح ) Wakati mwingine Nabii ﷺ alinywa maji akiwa ameketi au amesimama.

• Mubah: (رِح ) At times the Prophet (saw) drank water while sitting or standing.