The reason for this is that these particulars are innumerable; their exposition would draw the Qur’ân away from its primary objectives and its eloquence. The general orders for such things as prayer and the Zakâh tax are given in the Qur’ân, without the manner of performance being dealt with. This is then expounded by the words and practices of the Prophet (peace be upon him) as recorded in the Sunnah. Likewise, the Qur’ân, in general terms, orders that contractual obligations be carried out, asserts the permissibility of trade, and prohibits interest. It does not stipulate which types of contracts are valid and must be fulfilled and which types are invalid. This has been taken up by the Sunnah.
Sometimes the Qur’ân deals with the particulars of its injunctions. It does so with regard to inheritance, the divorce procedure due to an accusation of adultery, certain prescribed punishments, and the prohibited degrees of marriage, among other injunctions that do not change with the passage of time.
The generality of Qur’ân’s texts provides another important distinction with respect to Civil Law, as well as to the political and social order. It allows for the texts to be understood and applied in various ways, all of which are accommodated by the wording of the texts, making the injunctions capable of responding to the requirements of the general welfare over the course of time without departing from the fundamentals and objectives of the Sharî`ah.
Due to their generality, the texts of the Qur’ân need the Prophetic Sunnah to clarify them, so their injunctions can be carried out in the manner and to the limit intended under various, particular circumstances.
For this reason, the Qur’an alludes to the Sunnah when it comes to these details, by declaring:
Whatever the Messenger gives you, then take it, and whatever he forbids you, then leave it alone.
On this basis, the Sunnah becomes the key to understanding the Qur’ân. The Muslims all agree that the Qur’ân is a source of legislation and that its injunctions must be followed. They also agree that it is the first source to be referred to and that nothing else should be referred to except if the needed injunction is not found therein. It is also accepted that the meaning of its words are in some case unambiguous in it’s meaning, having only one possible interpretation, and that in other cases multiple interpretations are possible.2. The Sunnah: This term is used to refer to the statements, actions, and tacit approvals of the Messenger (peace be upon him). With this meaning, it is synonymous with the word “hadîth”. We might also use the word Sunnah to mean the practical application of the injunctions during the prophetic era.
The Sunnah comes after the Qur’ân in its ranking as a source of Islamic Law, as it comes to clarify what the Qur’ân leaves ambiguous or difficult to understand, qualify what the Qur’ân leaves unqualified, and bring up issues that the Qur’ân does not mention. An example of the latter is the grandmother’s share of inheritance, for it is established that the Prophet (peace be upon him) ruled that the grandmother receives one sixth of the estate.
The Sunnah shows itself to be subsidiary to the Qur’ân in another way, for the Sunnah, in addition to its role of providing explanation and clarification, never departs from the Qur’ân’s general principles even when it sets forth injunctions that the Qur’ân does not mention. The texts of the Qur’ân and the general principles that they outline are, in truth, the authoritative points of reference for everything contained in the Sunnah. The Sunnah, in turn, is necessary and indispensable for the proper understanding and application of the Qur’ân, even though the Sunnah contains, in addition, some material that is not necessary for this understanding.
Since the era of prophetic relation came to an end with the death of the Messenger (peace be upon him), the Sunnah has been transmitted to us by way of narrators. Only the narrations whose authenticity can be established according to the most stringent conditions are acceptable as proof for legislation in Islamic Law. The scholars of the Sunnah expended great efforts in the classification of the prophetic hadîth into sahîh (authentic), hasan (good), da`îf (weak), and mawdû` (fabricated). Only the first two are acceptable as proof in Islamic Law.
The most prominent and reliable works in the Sunnah are Sahîh al-Bukhâri, Sahîh Muslim, Sunan Abî Dawûd, Sunan al-Nasâ’î, Sunan al-Tirmidhî, and Sunan Ibn Mâjah. Likewise, the Muwatta’ of Mâlik and the Musnad of Ahmad b. Hanbal hold a position of importance with the scholars of Hadîth and Islamic Law.
