Sunnah

Sunnah - In the context of Islamic Laws, the Sunnah which literally means "way, custom, habit of life" refers to the exemplary conduct of the Prophet largely bases on the normative practice to the early community. The Concept of Sunnah came into practice to have the meaning of the living of the tradition in each succeeding generation.

A Sunnah is to be distinguished from a Hadith, which is a narrative, usually very short, purporting to give information about what the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, did, approved or disapproved, or of similar information about his companions. The Hadith is something theoretical in nature, whereas the Sunnah is the very same report when it acquires a normative quality and becomes a practical for the Muslim. Whereas Sunnah was largely and primarily a practical phenomenon geared as it was to behavioural norms, Hadith become the vehicle not only of legal norms but of religious beliefs and principles as well.

The answer to  question as to why the Sunnah is a sources of law lies in the Holy Qur'an, which enjoins upon the Muslim to follow the conduct of the Prophet (peace be upon him). The Qur'an asks the Prophet (peace be upon him) to decide the problems of the Muslim accordingly to Revelations. (Surrah V47-48) Again, the Prophet (peace be upon him) has been declared to be the interpreter of the Qur'anic tect (Surrah IV, 16-44) The Qur'an, for instance, mentions Salat and Zakat, but does not lay down their details. It is the Prophet (peace be upon him) who explained them to his  followers in a practical form. Morever, the Qur'an directs the Muslim to follow the examplary conduct of the Prophet (peace be upon him). Therefore, the Sunnah became a definite source of Islamic Laws.

The Sunnah is dynamic and capable of handling the present day problems arising from the complexity of life. In a living community, new moral tensions, various legal and administrative complications are bound to arise. In fact, many a serious controversies arose in the theological and moral sphere of the expanding Islamic society. But the concept of the ideal Sunnah was retained: new material was though out and assimilated, because the process of interpretation began both tacitly and explicity with the Companions themselves and various practical norms were deducted keeping in view the basic rulings of the Holy Qur'an. The interpretation of Hadith and the Sunnah must take into account their correct historical perspective and functional significance is a historical context. Because in a rapidly expanding society interpretation of the Holy Qur'an and the Sunnah must serve as a guide for interlligant moral understanding and implimentation, not for a mere rigid formalism.