Duhaime's Law Dictionary Sunnah Definition: An alternate proposed source of Muslim law: in addition to the Koran. Related Terms: Islamic Law, Ijtihad Relying on the 1982 book of John Esposito on Women in Muslim Family Law, Brenton writes: "the Sunnah, or the behavior of the Prophet Muhammad, is divided into three categories: 1) the statements and sayings of Muhammad (al-sunnah al-qawliyah), 2) Muhammad's actions (al-sunnah al-filiyah), and 3) Muhammad's approval of or silence toward practices he has knowledge of (al-sunnah al-taqririyah). "Combined, the Sunnah is considered an authoritative source of God's will: "0 ye who believe, obey God and obey the Apostle .. . if ye differ in anything, refer it to God and His Apostle. Consider also the pronouncement of Sura 33 and Ayat 21: "Ye have indeed in the Apostle of God a beautiful pattern of conduct for any one whose hope is in God and the Final Day." The Sunnah of the Prophet was recorded in the hadiths, a compendia of Muhammad's actions and sayings." REFERENCES: NOTE 1: Kinker, Brenton, An Evaluation of the Prospects for Successful Implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in the Islamic World, 35 MJIL 443 at 455 (2012) Categories & Topics: Duhaime's Muslim Law Dictionary Always looking up definitions? Save time with our search provider (modern browsers only) If you find an error or omission in Duhaime's Law Dictionary, or if you have suggestion for a legal term, we'd love to hear from you!