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In plain terms
Sunnah
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Use the short u sound as in “put,” and hold the middle n across the syllables.
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Sunnah is the example of the Prophet Muhammad — his sayings, actions, and approvals, recorded in hadith. It is a source of Islamic law second only to the Qur'an. The word is also used more narrowly for a recommended act, distinct from an obligatory one.
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Related terms
Hadith
A hadith is a report of something the Prophet Muhammad said, did, or approved of. It passes down through a chain of narrators, called an isnad. Scholars grade each hadith's…
Mustahab
Mustahab names an act classed as recommended in Islamic law — encouraged and rewarded, without the weight attached to leaving a wajib act. It is sometimes called sunnah or mandub…
Wajib
Wajib names an act classed as obligatory in Islamic law. Leaving it without a valid excuse carries accountability. It sits at one end of a five-part scale: wajib, mustahab…