What Does Following the Sunnah of the Prophet Mean?

In this context, the Sunnah is what is authentically established from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, of belief, speech, action, approval, and guidance. Following it means believing his reports, obeying his commands, avoiding what he forbade, worshiping Allah in the way He legislated, and taking him as an example in his character, dealings, and manners.

The jurists may use the word Sunnah to mean a recommended action for which the doer is rewarded and the one who leaves it is not sinful. But when it is said, the obligation of following the Sunnah of the Messenger, what is meant is following his entire guidance and religion; this includes what is obligatory and what is recommended, just as some of his actions were ordinary human customs or matters specific to him, peace and blessings be upon him. Knowing the ruling of each issue goes back to its evidence and the explanation of the people of knowledge. A Muslim should not make every recommended act obligatory, nor make light of an obligation by saying it is "from the Sunnah."

Why Do We Follow the Prophet?

Because Allah sent him as a conveyor, clarifier, and guide, and He commanded obedience to him and returning to his judgment. Allah says:

{O you who believe, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you. And if you disagree over anything, refer it to Allah and the Messenger, if you should believe in Allah and the Last Day. That is the best and best in result} [An-Nisa: 59].

And He says:

{And whatever the Messenger has given you, take; and what he has forbidden you, refrain from. And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is severe in penalty} [Al-Hashr: 7].

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

"All of my Ummah will enter Paradise except those who refuse." They said: O Messenger of Allah, who would refuse? He said: "Whoever obeys me will enter Paradise, and whoever disobeys me has refused."

Narrated by al-Bukhari.

To understand the connection between love and following, read: Loving the Prophet Muhammad: Meaning and Signs.

Following the Sunnah Begins With Tawheed, Obligations, and Leaving Prohibitions

The greatest form of following the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, is that a Muslim actualizes Tawheed of Allah, makes worship sincerely for Him, preserves the prayers, gives zakah, fasts Ramadan, performs Hajj if able, honors his parents, fulfills people’s rights, and avoids shirk, riba, zina, oppression, backbiting, and all other prohibited matters.

It is not sound understanding for a person to be eager for a recommended outward practice while neglecting an obligatory prayer, consuming people’s wealth, or mistreating his family. Recommended Sunnahs have great virtue, but they are not placed before obligations, nor should they become a cover for neglecting rights or falling into sins.

In the hadith qudsi, Allah says:

"Whoever shows hostility to a wali of Mine, I have declared war against him. My servant does not draw near to Me with anything more beloved to Me than what I have obligated upon him. My servant continues to draw near to Me with voluntary deeds until I love him. When I love him, I become his hearing with which he hears, his sight with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes, and his foot with which he walks. If he asks Me, I will surely give him; and if he seeks refuge in Me, I will surely grant him refuge. I do not hesitate over anything I am going to do as I hesitate over taking the soul of the believer; he dislikes death, and I dislike harming him."

Narrated by al-Bukhari.

The hadith shows that the most beloved thing by which a servant draws near to Allah is performing the obligations, then the voluntary deeds come after they are established. It is not correct for a Muslim to fill his voluntary deeds while neglecting his obligations.

The correct path is:

1. Correcting Tawheed and belief.
2. Learning the obligations and performing them as Allah legislated.
3. Leaving prohibitions and returning rights to their owners.
4. Preserving the regular Sunnah prayers, adhkar, and established manners.
5. Gradually increasing in voluntary deeds with consistency and without breaking off.

Learn the Authentic Sunnah Before Acting Upon It

Not everything spread in the name of the Sunnah is authentically established from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. Weak or fabricated hadiths may spread, or acts of worship that are lawful in origin may be specified with a time or number that is not established, or issues in which scholars differed may be presented to people as if they are matters of consensus.

For this reason, the Muslim should:

1. Return to the Quran, authentic hadiths, and the explanations of trustworthy scholars.
2. Verify the authenticity of a hadith before spreading it or building worship upon it.
3. Know whether the ruling is obligatory, recommended, permissible, or specific to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him.
4. Distinguish between intended worship and customs the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, did due to his environment and time.
5. Ask the people of knowledge about what is unclear, and not independently interpret precise texts without knowledge.

For practical steps in verification, see: How to Verify a Hadith or Islamic Information.

How Do We Follow the Sunnah in Our Day From Waking Until Sleeping?

First: Upon Waking

The Muslim begins his day by praising Allah and remembering Him. Among the established adhkar is:

"Praise be to Allah Who gave us life after He caused us to die, and to Him is the resurrection."

Narrated by al-Bukhari.

Then he prepares for prayer and preserves the morning adhkar in their time. One may refer to Upon Waking Up: Authentic Duas from the Sunnah and Morning Adhkar.

Second: In Wudu and Prayer

He makes wudu as the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, made wudu, without wastefulness or waswas, and he prays as he taught his Ummah. He, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

"Pray as you have seen me praying."

Narrated by al-Bukhari.

So he pays attention to the conditions, pillars, and obligations of prayer, strives for khushu, preserves congregation where it is obligatory, then says the established adhkar after prayer. One may review How to Make Wudu Correctly and How to Pray Salah Correctly.

Third: In Food and Drink

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, taught Umar ibn Abi Salamah, may Allah be pleased with them both, saying:

"O boy, mention the name of Allah, eat with your right hand, and eat from what is near you."

Agreed upon.

From the Sunnah is that the Muslim says Allah’s name when eating, eats and drinks with his right hand, and eats from what is near him when the food is of one type. If there are different kinds of food in the dish, there is no harm in taking from another type without harming those sitting with him or showing bad manners. From his guidance, peace and blessings be upon him, is also that he did not criticize food, avoided extravagance, and praised Allah when finished.

Fourth: At Home and With Family

From the Sunnah is good companionship, gentleness, mercy, fulfilling the rights of the husband or wife and children, and helping with what the household needs. Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her, was asked what the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, used to do in his house, and she said:

"He used to be in the service of his family, and when the prayer came, he would go out to the prayer."

Narrated by al-Bukhari.

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

"The best of you are the best to their families, and I am the best of you to my family."

Narrated by at-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah, and authenticated by al-Albani.

Good character inside the home is one of the clearest signs of following, and good treatment is not limited to strangers.

Fifth: In Speech and Dealing With People

From his guidance, peace and blessings be upon him, is truthfulness, guarding the tongue, fulfilling promises, mercy, withholding harm, and honoring the neighbor and guest. He, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

"Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should not harm his neighbor; whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should honor his guest; and whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should speak good or remain silent."

Agreed upon.

So the Muslim leaves lying, backbiting, mockery, insults, and spreading rumors. He deals with people justly, is gentle in advice, and fulfills trusts to Muslims and non-Muslims.

Sixth: In Work, Trade, and Rights

Following the Sunnah appears in doing one’s duty well, being truthful in descriptions, fulfilling contracts, not consuming wealth unlawfully, and staying away from cheating, bribery, riba, and betrayal. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

"Whoever cheats us is not from us."

Narrated by Muslim.

The Muslim does not separate his worship in the mosque from his trustworthiness at work, for the religion includes both prayer and dealings.

Seventh: In Dhikr and Dua

The Muslim preserves the adhkar that are tied to their established times and numbers: morning and evening adhkar, adhkar after prayer, and adhkar for entering, leaving, food, travel, and sleep. He also increases in unrestricted dhikr, istighfar, and sending salah upon the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, without committing to a number or time that is not established.

Following in dhikr is by preserving the established wording as much as one is able, adhering to the number and time when the Shariah restricted them, having presence of heart, and not inventing formulas that become regular rituals without evidence.

Eighth: Before Sleeping

The Muslim ends his day with repentance and self-accounting, makes wudu before sleep, sleeps on his right side, and says the established sleep adhkar. From the Sunnah is that he dusts off his bed with the inside of his lower garment or the edge of his inner garment three times before lying down, because he does not know what came onto it after him, and that he recites Ayat al-Kursi and the Muawwidhat in the reported manner.

In this way, the Sunnah surrounds the Muslim’s day: remembrance when waking, worship in prayer, trustworthiness at work, mercy at home, truthfulness in speech, and remembrance before sleep.

A Practical Program to Begin Following the Sunnah

The Muslim should not burden himself on the first day with dozens of actions and then leave them. Rather, he begins with a clear and steady program:

1. After waking: Say the waking dhikr, pray Fajr on time, and read the morning adhkar.
2. At every prayer: Make wudu without wastefulness, pray with khushu, and say the established adhkar after it.
3. During the day: Guard your tongue, begin your food with the name of Allah, deal truthfully and gently, and fulfill rights.
4. At home: Help your family, speak to them well, and teach them an authentic Sunnah with gentleness and by example.
5. In the evening: Preserve the evening adhkar, review what came from you, and repent from shortcomings.
6. Before sleep: Make wudu, read the sleep adhkar, and resolve to fix one mistake tomorrow.
7. Every week: Learn one authentic hadith or established Sunnah with its meaning and ruling, then bring it into your life.

How Does a Muslim Remain Steadfast Upon the Sunnah?

Make Your Intention Sincere for Allah

Do not practice the Sunnah seeking people’s praise or to feel superior to them. Rather, do it in imitation of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and seeking Allah’s love and reward.

Give Priority to Consistency Over Starting Many Things

Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her, narrated that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

"The most beloved deeds to Allah Most High are those that are most consistent, even if they are few."

Agreed upon.

Choose steady actions you can preserve, then increase little by little. As for obligations and leaving prohibitions, they are not delayed under the excuse of gradualness. Rather, one hastens to repentance and compliance, while gradualness is in organizing and increasing voluntary deeds.

Keep Company With Those Who Help You Obey Allah

Righteous companionship reminds you when you forget, encourages you without exaggeration, and helps you learn and apply the authentic Sunnah.

Make the Sunnah Character, Not Mere Movement

The purpose is that following the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, increases the Muslim in humility, mercy, truthfulness, and fear of Allah, not that he merely collects information or outward forms whose effect does not appear in his heart and dealings.

Following the Sunnah During Disagreement

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, advised holding firmly to his Sunnah and the Sunnah of his rightly guided caliphs when disagreement occurs. Al-Irbad ibn Sariyah, may Allah be pleased with him, said:

"The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, prayed with us one day, then turned to us and gave us a powerful admonition from which eyes shed tears and hearts trembled. Someone said: O Messenger of Allah, it is as if this is a farewell admonition, so what do you enjoin upon us? He said: I enjoin upon you fear of Allah, hearing and obeying, even if an Abyssinian slave is appointed over you. Whoever among you lives after me will see much disagreement, so hold fast to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the rightly guided caliphs after me. Hold firmly to it and bite onto it with your molar teeth. Beware of newly introduced matters, for every newly introduced matter is an innovation, and every innovation is misguidance."

Narrated by Abu Dawud and at-Tirmidhi. At-Tirmidhi said it is a hasan sahih hadith, and al-Albani authenticated it.

The Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, were the first to receive the Sunnah from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. They witnessed the revelation of the Quran and knew the reasons for the address and the intent of the Shariah. For this reason, their understanding and practice are a foundation in understanding the texts, especially in what they agreed upon or what was well known among them without opposition. Following them is not a path independent from the Sunnah of the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him; rather, it is the most knowledgeable path in understanding and applying it.

When the people of knowledge differ in a valid issue of ijtihad, the Muslim returns to a trustworthy scholar, does not follow his desire, and does not make a recommended issue a cause for declaring others innovators or creating disputes. It is authentically established that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, practiced variety in some acts of worship and adhkar. Whoever acts upon an authentically established form has acted upon the Sunnah, and he should not be condemned merely because he did not choose the form others are used to.

Common Mistakes in Understanding Following the Sunnah

1. Reducing the Sunnah to clothing or some outward forms while neglecting Tawheed, obligations, and character.
2. Giving voluntary deeds priority over obligations, or becoming busy with recommended acts while persisting in a prohibition.
3. Acting upon hadiths that are not authentic without asking or verifying.
4. Making a recommended act obligatory, or harshly criticizing someone who leaves it.
5. Inventing a time, number, or form for an act of worship that was not established with that restriction.
6. Confusing devotional guidance with human customs that were not intended as general legislation.
7. Harshness and roughness in the name of supporting the Sunnah, even though gentleness, wisdom, and good character are from his Sunnah, peace and blessings be upon him.
8. Chasing the easiest opinion merely because it agrees with desire, or chasing the strictest opinion thinking that strictness itself is following.
9. Applying the Sunnah in front of people while leaving it at home and in private dealings.
10. Trying to apply many actions all at once and then stopping.