Lesson 2: Defining the Words 'Sunnah' & 'History Flashcards
A potential example in the Quran of Sunnah meaning Seerah
لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِهِۦ ۖ وَقَدْ خَلَتْ سُنَّةُ ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ
> They will not believe in it, while there has already occurred the precedent of the former peoples.
Many of the scholars of Tafsir said the sunnah here is the Sunnah of Allah. However, Ibn Jarir at Tabari said
أخذا منهم سنة أسلافهم من المشركين
Allah seized them like that which happened to the people who came before them from the Mushrikeen
- This can be used here with the word Sunnah meaning Seerah in what happened to the Mushrikeen from the earlier generations
- Or it could be Tariqah- the way Allah dealt with them
Tareeqah can be a meaning of Sunnah, so what is it and where does it appear in the Quran
- Tareeqah is the way you do something-methodology, customsسُنَّةَ ٱللَّهِ فِى ٱلَّذِينَ خَلَوْا۟ مِن قَبْلُ ۖ وَلَن تَجِدَ لِسُنَّةِ ٱللَّهِ تَبْدِيلًۭا
> [This is] the established way of Allāh with those who passed on before; and you will not find in the way of Allāh any change.
Here Sunnah means the way that Allah dealt with them
You could say from the Sunnat Allah (from Allahs Sunnah/the way Allah does things) when you make dua for provision, gold and silver coins don’t rain from the heavens, rather you are given an opportunity to gain/earn that money, or it comes to you from a place you never imagined.
Sunnah as an example that is set for someone to follow and as the way/example of someone from a single hadith and benefits that can be derived from it
- <aside>
**عَنِ الْمُنْذِرِ بْنِ جَرِيرٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، قَالَ كُنَّا عِنْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي صَدْرِ النَّهَارِ قَالَ فَجَاءَهُ قَوْمٌ حُفَاةٌ عُرَاةٌ مُجْتَابِي النِّمَارِ أَوِ الْعَبَاءِ مُتَقَلِّدِي السُّيُوفِ عَامَّتُهُمْ مِنْ مُضَرَ بَلْ كُلُّهُمْ مِنْ مُضَرَ فَتَمَعَّرَ وَجْهُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم لِمَا رَأَى بِهِمْ مِنَ الْفَاقَةِ فَدَخَلَ ثُمَّ خَرَجَ فَأَمَرَ بِلاَلاً فَأَذَّنَ وَأَقَامَ فَصَلَّى ثُمَّ خَطَبَ فَقَالَ " { يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُوا رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ مِنْ نَفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ} إِلَى آخِرِ الآيَةِ { إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَيْكُمْ رَقِيبًا} وَالآيَةَ الَّتِي فِي الْحَشْرِ { اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَلْتَنْظُرْ نَفْسٌ مَا قَدَّمَتْ لِغَدٍ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ} تَصَدَّقَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ دِينَارِهِ مِنْ دِرْهَمِهِ مِنْ ثَوْبِهِ مِنْ صَاعِ بُرِّهِ مِنْ صَاعِ تَمْرِهِ - حَتَّى قَالَ - وَلَوْ بِشِقِّ تَمْرَةٍ " . قَالَ فَجَاءَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الأَنْصَارِ بِصُرَّةٍ كَادَتْ كَفُّهُ تَعْجِزُ عَنْهَا بَلْ قَدْ عَجَزَتْ - قَالَ - ثُمَّ تَتَابَعَ النَّاسُ حَتَّى رَأَيْتُ كَوْمَيْنِ مِنْ طَعَامٍ وَثِيَابٍ حَتَّى رَأَيْتُ وَجْهَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَتَهَلَّلُ كَأَنَّهُ مُذْهَبَةٌ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " مَنْ سَنَّ فِي الإِسْلاَمِ سُنَّةً حَسَنَةً فَلَهُ أَجْرُهَا وَأَجْرُ مَنْ عَمِلَ بِهَا بَعْدَهُ مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ يَنْقُصَ مِنْ أُجُورِهِمْ شَىْءٌ وَمَنْ سَنَّ فِي الإِسْلاَمِ سُنَّةً سَيِّئَةً كَانَ عَلَيْهِ وِزْرُهَا وَوِزْرُ مَنْ عَمِلَ بِهَا مِنْ بَعْدِهِ مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ يَنْقُصَ مِنْ أَوْزَارِهِمْ شَىْءٌ**
</aside>> Mundhir b. Jarir reported on the authority of his father:While we were in the company of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) in the early hours of the morning, some people came there (who) were barefooted, naked, wearing striped woollen clothes, or cloaks, with their swords hung (around their necks). Most of them, nay, all of them, belonged to the tribe of Mudar. The colour of the face of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) underwent a change when he saw them in poverty. He then entered (his house) and came out and commanded Bilal (to pronounce Adhan). He pronounced Adhan and Iqima, and he (the Holy Prophet) observed prayer (along with his Companion) and then addressed (them reciting verses of the Holy Qur’an): ‘” 0 people, fear your Lord, Who created you from a single being” to the end of the verse,” Allah is ever a Watcher over you” (iv. 1). (He then recited) a verse of Sura Hashr:” Fear Allah. and let every soul consider that which it sends forth for the morrow and fear Allah” (lix. 18). (Then the audience began to vie with one another in giving charity.) Some donated a dinar, others a dirham, still others clothes, some donated a sa’ of wheat, some a sa’ of dates; till he (the Holy Prophet) said: (Bring) even if it is half a date. Then a person from among the Ansar came there with a money bag which his hands could scarcely lift; in fact, they could not (lift). Then the people followed continuously, till I saw two heaps of eatables and clothes, and I saw the face of the Messenger (ﷺ) glistening, like gold (on account of joy). The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: He who sets a good precedent in Islam, there is a reward for him for this (act of goodness) and reward of that also who acted according to it subsequently, without any deduction from their rewards; and he who sets in Islam an evil precedent, there is upon him the burden of that, and the burden of him also who acted upon it subsequently, without any deduction from their burden.- Sunnah as an example that is set for someone to follow
- Sunnah as the way/example of someone
- Seerah
- Tareeqah
- an example which is followed
Different types of meanings of Sunnah
- Surah- a person’s physical form, what appears from someone’s face (the Sunnah of someone’s face)- its physical form
an example of this is the line of poetry of dhurr rummah-Ghaylan ibn ‘Uqba (117 AH)
<aside>
**قال ذو الرمة تريكَ سُنَّة َ وجهٍ غيرَ مقرفة ٍ. مَلْسَاءَ لَيْس بِهَا خَالٌ وَلاَ نَدَبُ**
</aside>
> She shows you the Sunnah (shape/form) of the face without any redness in it, smooth, there is no sickness nor is there any wound (any illness, scratch on the face)
- Side of the cheek
- Teeth
- Arrow
Quote from Mu’jam maqayees al lughah by Ibn Faris (Abul Husayn Ahmed Ibn Faris 395 AH) on where the word Sunnah originally comes from (OPTIONAL)
- <aside>
**السِّينُ وَالنُّونُ أَصْلٌ وَاحِدٌ مُطَّرِدٌ، وَهُوَ جَرَيَانُ الشَّيْءِ وَإِطْرَادُهُ فِي سُهُولَةٍ، وَالْأَصْلُ قَوْلُهُمْ سَنَنْتُ الْمَاءَ عَلَى وَجْهِي أَسُنُّهُ سَنًّا، إِذَا أَرْسَلْتَهُ إِرْسَالًا. ثُمَّ اشْتُقَّ مِنْهُ رَجُلٌ مَسْنُونُ الْوَجْهِ، كَأَنَّ اللَّحْمَ قَدْ سُنَّ عَلَى وَجْهِهِ. وَالْحَمَأُ الْمَسْنُونُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ، كَأَنَّهُ قَدْ صُبَّ صَبًّا. وَمِمَّا اشْتُقَّ مِنْهُ السُّنَّةُ، وَهِيَ السِّيرَةُ. وَسُنَّةُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ: سِيرَتُهُ. قَالَ الْهُذَلِيُّ: فَلَا تَجْزَعَنْ مِنْ سُنَّةٍ أَنْتَ سِرْتَهَا ... فَأَوَّلُ رَاضٍ سُنَّةً مَنْ يَسِيرُهَا وَإِنَّمَا سُمِّيَتْ بِذَلِكَ لِأَنَّهَا تَجْرِي جَرْيًا. وَمِنْ ذَلِكَ قَوْلُهُمْ: امْضِ عَلَى سَنَنِكَ وَسُنَنِكَ، الرِّيحُ سَنَائِنَ، إِذَا جَاءَتْ عَلَى طَرِيقَةٍ وَاحِدَةٍ. ثُمَّ يُحْمَلُ عَلَى هَذَا: سَنَنْتُ الْحَدِيدَةَ ، فَأَمَّا قَوْلُهُمْ: سَنَّ إِبِلَهُ، فَكَأَنَّهَا قَدْ صُقِلَتْ صَقْلًا، وَيَرْجِعُ إِلَى الْأَصْلِ الَّذِي أَصَّلْنَاهُ *التاريخ في اللغة هو التعريف بالوقت، فيكون تعريف الشيء بوقت حدوثه**
</aside>> The root letters س ن ن (s-n-n) form a consistent pattern, indicating the flow and continuous movement of something smoothly. The original usage is in their saying ‘I made/poured the water flow over my face’ (سننت الماء على وجهي أسنه سنًا), meaning to let it flow freely. From this, it is derived to describe a man with a ‘smooth face’ (رجل مسنون الوجه), as if the flesh has been smoothly laid on his face. Similarly, ‘well-shaped clay’ (حمأ مسنون) signifies clay that has been poured and shaped smoothly. Another derivative is ‘sunnah’, which refers to a way or practice. The Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) means his lifestyle or practice. The poet Al-Hudhali said: ‘Do not despair of a sunnah that you have followed… The first to be pleased with a sunnah is the one who initiates it.’ It is called so because it flows smoothly. From this, they also say: ‘Continue on your path’ (امضِ على سننك وسُننك). The wind is described as ‘سنائن’ when it follows a single direction. This extends to ‘I sharpened the iron’ (سننت الحديد), where ‘سن’ means to sharpen. As for the saying ‘He smoothened his camels’ (سن إبله), it implies they have been polished smoothly, returning to the original concept we established
According to Ibn Faris (Abul Husayn Ahmed Ibn Faris 395 AH) in his work Mu’jam maqayees al lughah where does the word Sunnah come from and how does it relate to what we’re looking for summarized
- Root letters form many words, mean something flowing and continuously smoothly
> السِّينُ وَالنُّونُ أَصْلٌ وَاحِدٌ مُطَّرِدٌ، وَهُوَ جَرَيَانُ الشَّيْءِ وَإِطْرَادُهُ فِي سُهُولَةٍ،
> The root letters س ن ن (s-n-n) form a consistent pattern, indicating the flow and continuous movement of something smoothly.
- comes back to something coming continuously and it is coming out with ease-sharping, a single path, biography and actions
> وَالْأَصْلُ قَوْلُهُمْ سَنَنْتُ الْمَاءَ عَلَى وَجْهِي أَسُنُّهُ سَنًّا، إِذَا أَرْسَلْتَهُ إِرْسَالًا.
The original usage is in their saying ‘I made/poured the water flow over my face’ (سننت الماء على وجهي أسنه سنًا), meaning to let it flow freely.
- Due to the above, many things like describing someone with a smooth face, well-shaped clay, etc were derived and said.
> ثُمَّ اشْتُقَّ مِنْهُ رَجُلٌ مَسْنُونُ الْوَجْهِ، كَأَنَّ اللَّحْمَ قَدْ سُنَّ عَلَى وَجْهِهِ. وَالْحَمَأُ الْمَسْنُونُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ، كَأَنَّهُ قَدْ صُبَّ صَبًّا.
From this, it is derived to describe a man with a ‘smooth face’ (رجل مسنون الوجه), as if the flesh has been smoothly laid on his face. Similarly, ‘well-shaped clay’ (حمأ مسنون) signifies clay that has been poured and shaped smoothly
- The Seerah is a meaning of Sunnah because there is always something coming from the prophet throughout his life continuously (pours out and comes with ease)
> وَمِمَّا اشْتُقَّ مِنْهُ السُّنَّةُ، وَهِيَ السِّيرَةُ. وَسُنَّةُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ: سِيرَتُهُ. قَالَ الْهُذَلِيُّ: فَلَا تَجْزَعَنْ مِنْ سُنَّةٍ أَنْتَ سِرْتَهَا … فَأَوَّلُ رَاضٍ سُنَّةً مَنْ يَسِيرُهَا وَإِنَّمَا سُمِّيَتْ بِذَلِكَ لِأَنَّهَا تَجْرِي جَرْيًا. وَمِنْ ذَلِكَ قَوْلُهُمْ: امْضِ عَلَى سَنَنِكَ وَسُنَنِكَ، الرِّيحُ سَنَائِنَ، إِذَا جَاءَتْ عَلَى طَرِيقَةٍ وَاحِدَةٍ. ثُمَّ يُحْمَلُ عَلَى هَذَا: سَنَنْتُ الْحَدِيدَةَ
Another derivative is ‘sunnah’, which refers to a way or practice. The Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) means his lifestyle or practice. The poet Al-Hudhali said: ‘Do not despair of a sunnah that you have followed… The first to be pleased with a sunnah is the one who initiates it.’ It is called so because it flows smoothly. From this, they also say: ‘Continue on your path’ (امضِ على سننك وسُننك). The wind is described as ‘سنائن’ when it follows a single direction. This extends to ‘I sharpened the iron’ (سننت الحديد), where ‘سن’ means to sharpen
- The meanings most applicable to what we’re going to talk about are Seerah and Tareeqah. The actions/biography of the messenger ﷺ and the way he did them.
Linguistic meaning of History
Definitions are there to make things easier to understand, they aren’t worth worrying about and even cause a problem, like the definition of worship. A lot of people when trying to define worship made it so complicate that causes it to not be understanded.
History isn’t something that needs to be defined, but some definitions that have been given are:
<aside>
**التعريف بالوقت، فيكون تعريف الشيء بوقت حدوثه**
</aside>
> Defining by time, so the definition of something is by the time of its occurrence
and this is a good definition-knowing time,-knowledge relating to events happening over time, knowing something through the time it happened.
Technical definition of History by Ibn Khaldun (Abu Zayd waleeuddin AbdaRahman Ibn Muhammed ibn Khaldun al Hadhrami 808 AH) and how it applies on the History of the Sunnah
The ustadh likes the definition given by Ibn Khaldun (Abu Zayd waleeuddin AbdaRahman Ibn Muhammed ibn Khaldun al Hadhrami 808 AH)
<aside>
**إنّ التاريخ في باطنه هو النظر والتحقيق وتعليل الكائنات ومبادئها، وعلم بكيفيّات الوقائع وأسبابها**
</aside>
> “Indeed, history, in its essence, is the study and investigation, and the explanation of phenomena and their origins, and the science of the ways and reasons behind events (how they took place and their causes)
This applies perfectly to the history of the Sunnah
- We will be looking at the Sunnah
- Look at its reality of what it is
- How it came about over time
- Where it came from
- How things happened with regards to it (perservation,transmission) and the causes of that
What can we divide Sunnah into?
- The purely Historical account of it-its development and how it happened
- The status and position of it in Islam
