What does “Sunnah” mean?

Sa’d Ibn Abdillah reported that Muhammad Ibn Abdillah said: ,,One day Ahmad ibn Hasan asked Ali Ar-Rida (a.), while a group of his companions were gathered at his place. They argued about two different sayings (Hadith) of the Prophet (s.) about the same issue, whereupon Ali Ar-Rida (a.) said: ﴾God declared forbidden things to be forbidden (Haram) and permissible things to be permissible (Halal) and obligations to be obligatory (Fard). If something is reported, that allows, what God has forbidden, or forbids, what God has allowed, or abrogates an obligation that is clearly and validly recorded in the Book of God without an abrogation, then that belongs to what has been abrogated and for that reason there is no scope for acting upon it, because the Messenger (s.) did not declare forbidden what God has declared permissible and did not declare permissible what God has declared forbidden and did not make any change in the obligations of God. All his judgments about it are out of obedience, submission and conveyance from God and the Qur’an says: ﴾﴾I only obey what is revealed to me.﴿﴿ (6:50) Therefore, the Prophet (s.) was a follower and conveyer of God in respect of, what God ordered him to convey of the message.﴿ I said: ﴾From you there is narrated a saying (hadith) about a matter from the Messenger (s.), which is not in the Book, but is in the custom (Sunnah). After that, something other than that is narrated.﴿ He said: ﴾In the same way, the Prophet (s.) forbade something which is a prohibition of what is forbidden (Haram) and so his prohibition is in accordance with the prohibition of God and the Messenger (s.) ordered something, whereby this order became fixed (Wajib), like the upright duties of God and so his order about it was in accordance with the order of God. If it is narrated, that the Prophet (s.) forbade something, which is a prohibition of what is forbidden (Haram), while something other than that is narrated, then there is no leeway, to make use of it and it is the same with, what the Messenger (s.) has ordered and we would be deeming it permissible, what the Prophet (s.) has not deemed permissible, unless, it would be done out of fear in an emergency, but that we would declare permissible, what the Messenger (s.) has forbidden or would declare forbidden, what the Messenger (s.) has made permissible, that would never be an option, because we are the followers (Tabi’un) of the Prophet (s.), who submit to him, just as the Prophet (s.) followed the command of his Lord and submitted to Him, and God said: ﴾﴾What the Messenger (s.) gives you, accept, and what he forbids you, abstain from it.﴿﴿ (59:7) The Prophet (s.) forbade something because it is forbidden (Haram), but also because it is frowned upon (I’afah) and hated (Karahah) and he ordered something that is neither a obligation (Fard) nor fixed (Wajib), but rather something that is excellent (Fadl) and significant (Marjuh) in religion, which both the sick and the healthy person can leave out. So if it is reported from the Messenger (s.), that he forbade something on the basis of frowning upon it or that he ordered something on the basis of its excellence, then one is free, to use the option of leaving it out. If something has been narrated to you from us, for which there are two compatible reports, whatever is narrated, who is narrating, about a prohibition and it is not rejectable and the two compatible narrations are correct and well known, then you must take one of the two or both together or one of the two that you like and are comfortable with. You are free to do so out of submission to the Messenger (s.a.) and because it is left to him and to us, but whoever refrains from doing so because of his stubbornness, rejection and denial of his submission to the Messenger (s.a.) is an associate (mushrik) to Almighty God. If two different reports have been narrated to you from us, then compare them both with the Book of Allah. Whatever is permissible and forbidden in a book, follow that which is in accordance with the Book of Allah and whatever is not in the Book of Allah, compare it with the customs (Sunnah) of the Prophet (s). Whatever prohibition was in the custom, which is a prohibition of what is forbidden (Haram), which was prescribed by the Messenger (s.) as an order to be obeyed, follow it in accordance with that, which the Prophet (s.) prohibited and ordered and whatever is a custom about a prohibition that is frowned upon (I’afah) or hatred (Karahah), whereupon the other report says something else, so that is his permission for that which was disliked by the Messenger (s.), he hated and forbade and that is, which you are free to choose, when you take both together or either of them, what you like and for which you are free to choose out of submission and obedience and one leaves it up to the Messenger (s. ) and what you do not find any evidence for about anything, leave its knowledge to us, for we are more entitled to it and do not express yourselves according to your own opinions and it is obligatory on you to refrain and to ascertain and to stop and you are the demanders and inquirers until enlightenment reaches you from us.﴿” [Uyun-ul-Akhbar of As-Saduq, Volume 1 page 22 – 24]

عن علي بن الحسين ومحمد بن الحسن عن سعد بن عبد الله عن محمد بن عبد الله عن أحمد بن الحسن أنه سأل الرضا عليه السلام يوما وقد اجتمع عنده قوم من أصحابه وقد كانوا يتنازعون في الحديثين المختلفين عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله في الشئ الواحد فقال عليه السلام ان الله عز وجل حرم حراما وأحل حلالا وفرض فرائض فما جاء في تحليل ما حرم الله أو تحريم ما أحل الله أو دفع فريضة في كتاب الله رسمها بين قائم بلا ناسخ نسخ ذلك فذلك مما لا يسع الاخذ به لأن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله لم يكن ليحرم ما أحل الله ولا ليحلل حرم الله ولا ليغير فرايض الله وأحكامه في ذلك كله متبعا مسلما مؤديا عن الله وقول الله عز وجل ان اتبع إلا ما يوحى إلى فكان متبعا لله مؤديا عن الله ما امره به من تبليغ الرسالة قلت فإنه يرد عنكم الحديث في الشئ عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله مما ليس في الكتاب وهو في السنة ثم يرد خلافه فقال وكذلك قد نهى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله أشياء نهى حرام فوافق فذلك نهيه نهى الله وأمر بأشياء فصار ذلك الامر واجبا لازما كعدل فرايض تعالى ووافق في ذلك امره أمر الله تعالى فما جاء في النهى عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله نهى حرام جاء خلافه لم يسع استعمال ذلك وكذلك فيما أمر به لأنا نرخص فيما لم يرخص فيه رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله ونأمر بخلاف ما أمر رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله إلا لعله خوف ضرورة فاما ان نستحل ما حرم رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله أو نحرم استحل رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله فيكون ذلك ابدا لأنا تابعون لرسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله مسلمون له كما كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله تابعا لأمر ربه عز وجل مسلما وقال عز وجل ما آتيكم الرسول فخذوه وما نهيكم فانتهوا وان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله نهى عن أشياء نهى حرام بل اعافه وكراهة وأمر بأشياء ليس فرض ولا واجب بل أمر فضل ورجحان في الدين رخص في ذلك للمعلول وغير المعلول فما كان عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله نهى اعافه أو أمر فضل فذلك يسع استعمال الرخص فيه إذا ورد عليكم عنا فيه الخبران باتفاق يرويه من يرويه في النهى ولا ينكره وكان الخبران صحيحين معروفين باتفاق الناقلة فيهما يجب الاخذ بأحدهما أو بهما جميعا أو بأيهما شئت وأحببت موسع ذلك لك من باب التسليم لرسول صلى الله عليه وآله والرد إليه والينا وكان تارك ذلك باب العناد والانكار وترك التسليم لرسول صلى الله عليه وآله مشركا بالله العظيم فما ورد عليكم من خبرين مختلفين فاعرضوهما على كتاب الله فما كان في كتاب موجودا حلالا أو حراما فاتبعوا ما وافق الكتاب ولم يكن في الكتاب فاعرضوه على سنن النبي فما كان في السنة موجودا منهيا عنه نهى حرام مأمورا به عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله أمر الزام فاتبعوا وافق نهى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وأمره وما كان السنة نهى اعافه أو كراهة ثم كان الخبر الآخر خلافه فذلك رخصه فيما عافه رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وكرهه ويحرمه فذلك الذي يسع الاخذ بهما جميعا أو بأيهما شئت وسعك الاختيار من باب التسليم والاتباع والرد رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وما لم تجدوه في شئ من الوجوه فردوا إلينا علمه فنحن أولى بذلك ولا تقولوا بآرائكم وعليكم بالكف والتثبت والوقوف وأنتم طالبون باحثون حتى يأتيكم البيان من عندنا

Ali Ibn Abi Talib (a.) reported that the Prophet Muhammad (s.) said: ,,The custom (Sunnah) consists of two customs: A custom regarding a obligation, by which the following of it is the right guidance and the refraining from it is wrong and a custom regarding something that is not obligatory and by which the following of it is excellence and the refraining from it is not a sin.” [An-Nawadir of Ar-Rawandi, page 158]

عن موسى بن جعفر عن جعفر بن محمد عن محمد بن علي عن علي بن الحسين عن الحسين بن علي عن علي بن أبي طالب عليهم السلام عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله قال: السنة سنتان سنة في فريضة الأخذ بها بعدي هدى وتركها ضلالة وسنة في غير فريضة الأخذ بها فضيلة وتركها غير خطيئة

Dawud Ibn Kathir reported that he asked Imam As-Sadiq (a.): ,,Are the customs (Sunnah) of the Messenger of God (s.) like the obligations (Fard) of God?” He said: ,,God imposed upon the servants fixed duties (Fard). So whoever leaves out one of the fixed duties (Fard), so that he does not act upon it and denies it, is an disbeliever (Kafir) and the Messenger of Allah (s.) also ordered things, which are beneficial (Hasanah). Therefore, he who refrains from doing some of the things that God ordered His servants to obey, is not an disbeliever (kafir), but he leaves out from doing something which is excellent (fadl) and will be deficient in the good (khair).” [Wasa’il-ush-Shi’ah of Al-Amili, Volume 1 page 30].

محمد بن يعقوب عن عدة من أصحابه عن أحمد بن محمد عن حسن بن محبوب عن داود بن كثير عن الإمام الصادق عليه السلام أنه سأله: سنن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم كفرائض الله عز وجل؟ فقال: إن الله عز وجل فرض فرائض موجبات على العباد، فمن ترك فريضة من الموجبات فلم يعمل بها وجحدها كان كافرا وأمر رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم بأمور كلها حسنة فليس من ترك بعض ما أمر الله عز وجل به عباده من الطاعة بكافر، ولكنه تارك للفضل منقوص من الخير