Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad S.A.

1. Identify the importance of Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad S.A.W. Explain it with the help of examples.

BE it worship or social security, be it financial transactions or environmental degradation, the Sunnah of

On founding the Islamic commonwealth in Madina, in 622 AD, the Prophet not only acted as a spiritual
leader but also as a political leader of the community. Also, as supreme judicial authority in the state,
cases were brought before him for adjudication. These were decided in the light of the Quran. Yet,
where the Quran was silent on an issue, or where further interpretation was required, the Prophet gave a
decision which was based on ratiocination.

The exercise of this authority by the Holy Prophet has been recognised in the Quran: “…And whatever
the Messenger gives you, accept it, and whatever he forbids you, abstain (therefrom)…” (59: 7) Whereas
the authority of the Sunnah is derived from the Quran, the former serves to strengthen and clarify the
structure of Islamic law. The two sources are interwoven in such a way that they cannot be separated
from each other.

The following are a few examples which shall serve to illustrate that the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet
covers various areas or aspects of life. Islam has put a lot of stress on the acquisition of knowledge: The
Holy Prophet said: “Allah opens the path of Paradise to one who takes a step on the path of the
acquisition of knowledge.” Also, the Islamic faith enjoins that knowledge once attained should be put to
fruitful use and should be acquired to benefit others.

The Holy Prophet once said: “He who learns for the sake of haughtiness dies ignorant. He who learns
only to talk, rather than to act, dies a hypocrite. He who learns for the sake of debating dies irreligious.
He who learns only to accumulate wealth, dies an atheist. He who learns for the sake of action, dies a
mystic.”

Anas reported that the Messenger of Allah once said, “Search for knowledge is compulsory for every
Muslim man and woman.” Islam not only makes the acquisition of knowledge compulsory, it also
makes it so for both men and women so that both are equal in this respect.

Islam propagates the virtues of justice and fairness. The following statement made by the Holy Prophet
while he was deciding the case of a noblewoman who had committed theft clearly illustrates the
importance of justice in Islam: “Verily those who were before you were destroyed because when a
nobleman from among you committed theft, they passed no sentence upon him. By Allah, had Fatima,
the daughter of Muhammad, committed theft, I would have cut off her hand.”

The Holy Prophet once said, “Judges are of three types, one of whom will go to Paradise and the other
lot to Hell. The one who will go to Paradise is a man who knows what is right and gives judgment
accordingly; but a man who knows what is right and acts tyrannically in his judgment will go to Hell;
and a man who gives judgment for people when he is ignorant will go to Hell.”

The concept of social security has been firmly embedded in the social fabric of the Islamic faith.
The Holy Prophet said: “If a Muslim clothes another Muslim in his nudity, God will clothe him with the
green freshness of Paradise; and if a Muslim feeds a Muslim who is hungry, God will give him to eat of
the fruits of Paradise; and if a Muslim gives a drink to a thirsty Muslim, God will let him drink from the
fountain of Paradise.”

Islam promotes religious tolerance and very clearly lays down that the rights of non-Muslims should be
protected.

The Holy Prophet said: “Beware on the Day of Judgment; I shall myself be the complainant against the
one who wrongs a non-Muslim citizen of a Muslim state, or lays on him a responsibility greater than he
can bear or deprives him of anything that belongs to him.”

Islam prohibits the taking of riba (interest). According to Anas Ibn Malik, the Holy Prophet said: “When
one of you grants a loan and the borrower offers him a dish, he should not accept it; and if the borrower
offers a ride on an animal, he should not ride, unless the two of them have been previously accustomed
to exchanging such favours mutually.”

Abu Sa’id al-Khudri relates on his authority that the Holy Prophet once said that gold must be
exchanged for gold, like for like, from hand to hand. Any increase, fadl, in one commodity over the
other is riba. Silver must be exchanged for silver, like for like, from hand to hand, and any increase is
riba.

Islam forbids murder, be it of one or many. The Prophet of Islam during Hajjat-al-Wida addressed the
people and said: “Do not [become infidels] revert to disbelief after me by striking the necks [cutting the
throats] of one another [killing each other].”

2. Explain the impact of the application of Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad S.A.W in our daily life with the
help of examples.

There are great benefits of following Prophet’s Sunnah in this life as well as in the life hereafter
too. By following Prophet’s Sunnah we can lead a happy and healthy life which we are going to discuss
below:

o Sleeping and Waking up Early: Sleeping early results in rising early and it has the great impact on our
daily routine and also in our body functioning. A sleeping pattern that is the time of sleeping plays a great
role in our ability to function properly and effectively during daily activities. Starting the day off by praying
the morning Salah sets you in the right frame of mind to be the best you can be throughout the day. It was
the Sunnah of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) to rise early and offer prayers, which helps in
reshaping a person at the start of the day into his proper frame. Hazrat Aisha (R.A) narrated Prophet (SAW)
sleeping habit that: “He used to sleep early at night, and get up in its last part to pray, and then return to
his bed.” (Al Bukhari).  Wake up early and sleep early to be the strong, successful you that you want to be
and Insha Allah you will get all these things.
o Use of Miswak: Miswak comes from the “Salvadora persica” tree and has many anti-bacterial qualities,
making it a great way to maintain hygiene of the mouth. Prophet (SAW) used to do Miswak and we all
should also do it because it is very important to maintain oral hygiene. This Sunnah introduces preventative
measures against a problem that can have you rolled up in bed for days. Miswak is easily purchasable and
relatively cheap, making it an easy Sunnah to uphold. It keeps the mouth clean and fresh naturally and
effortlessly all the time. Hadith related to Miswak usage is as follows: “If it were not that it would be
difficult on my nation, then I would have ordered them to use the siwak for each pray.” [Al Tirmidhi]
o Having always a pleasant smile: Smiling is a simple way to looks like happy and also try to do other’s
happy. With the help of smile, you can lift up someone’s mood that is sad and worried. By doing so you can
make someone be more grateful and relief from sadness. Our beloved Prophet (PBUH) frequently doing it
and all of us should follow his Sunnah of having always a pleasant smile. Ibn Jaz reports: “I have not seen
anyone who smiled more than the Messenger of Allah (SAW).” (Tirmidhi). Try to smile more often and
spread joy and peace around you as our beloved Prophet (SAW) instructed to do so.
o Doing Hijama (Cupping): Cupping therapy is the modern form of regulating blood flow via putting
suctions on human skin to mobilize the flow of blood for healing the wide range of medical ailments. This
form of treatment has been used throughout history in a number of countries. The benefits of cupping are
vast, including the removal of toxins from the blood. Hadith narrates: “I there is any healing in your
medicines, then it is in cupping, a gulp of honey or branding with fire (cauterization) that suits the ailment,
but I don’t like to be (cauterized) branded with fire.” (Al Bukhari). Cupping on daily basis helps in removal of
hazardous toxins that human body accumulates on daily basis along effectiveness for fertility, migraine, and
joint pains. So for getting cure from diseases, we should try to follow this act of Sunnah of Prophet
Muhammad (SAW).
o Sit while eating or drinking: Those who stand while eating or drinking always looks like they are in the
stream. Sitting down to eat slows a person in their eating habits, reducing the amount they are likely to eat
and the unhealthy speed by which they do so. Importantly, eating together as a family, which requires you
to sit, is a crucial way to build relationships. It was narrated by Anas (R.A) that: “The Prophet Muhammad
(SAW) prohibited that a man should drink while standing.” (Qatadah said) So it was said: “And eating?” He
(Anas) said: “That is worse.” (Tirmidhi). We should try to follow this Sunnah while eating or drinking in this
way our health will also be perfect and we will build the strong relationship with our family too.
o Always speaks good or keep silent: The beauty of this particular Sunnah is that it will help you save time
and reduce the amount of energy used to contemplate over irrelevant matters being discussed. This energy
and time could be well spent on something beneficial, such as reading Quran or doing vital tasks or only
speaking things that benefit oneself and others in this world and the Hereafter. The Prophet (SAW) said
about this: “He who believes in Allah and the Hereafter if he witnesses any matter he should talk in good
terms about it or keep quiet.” (Muslim)