---
title: "Sunnah — Meaning and Use | Islam Is Mercy"
description: "The Sunnah is the way of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ — his words, actions and example — and the second source of guidance in Islam."
lang: en
url: https://islamismercy.com/en/glossary/sunnah/
---

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3.  Sunnah — Meaning and Use

# Sunnah — Meaning and Use

Written by **Islam Is Mercy Editorial Team**· 1 min readAwaiting scholar review

## The short answer

Sunnah means "a well-trodden path". In Islam it refers to the way of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ — what he said, did and approved — which Muslims follow as the second source of guidance after the Qur'an.

## On this page

1.  Meaning
2.  How Muslims use it
3.  Example

**Sunnah** (Arabic: السنة) is pronounced *SUN-nah*, holding the double “n” slightly.

## Meaning

In Arabic, *sunnah* means a clear, well-trodden path or a habitual way of doing things. In Islam it refers to the way of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ: his words, his actions, and the things he saw and approved. The Qur’an tells believers to look to him as their model:

> لَّقَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ فِى رَسُولِ ٱللَّهِ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌۭ لِّمَن كَانَ يَرْجُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَٱلْيَوْمَ ٱلْءَاخِرَ وَذَكَرَ ٱللَّهَ كَثِيرًۭا ﴿٢١﴾

> There has certainly been for you in the Messenger of Allah an excellent pattern for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Last Day and \[who\] remembers Allah often.

[Qur'an, Al-Ahzaab 33:21](https://quran.com/33?startingVerse=21&translations=20)Saheeh International

The Qur’an gives the principles — for example, “pray” — and the Sunnah shows how to live them: how to pray, how to fast, how to treat a neighbour. That is why the Sunnah is the second source of guidance in Islam, after the Qur’an. It reaches us through reports called *hadith*, which scholars checked with great care.

## How Muslims use it

Muslims also use *sunnah* for actions that are recommended because the Prophet ﷺ did them, though they are not strictly obligatory — such as smiling at others or extra prayers. Following the Sunnah is a way of showing love for the Prophet ﷺ.

## Example

*“Saying ‘Bismillah’ before eating is part of the Sunnah.”*

To learn more, read [Who Was Prophet Muhammad ﷺ?](https://islamismercy.com/en/start/who-was-prophet-muhammad/)

## Key takeaways

-   The Sunnah is the example of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
-   It is the second source of Islamic guidance after the Qur'an.
-   It is known through carefully checked reports called hadith.

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## Sources

-   [Qur'an, Al-Ahzaab 33:21](https://quran.com/33?startingVerse=21&translations=20)

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## Keep reading

[Glossary

### Hadith — Meaning and Use

A hadith is a report of what the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said, did or approved, passed on through a checked chain of narrators.

Read article](https://islamismercy.com/en/glossary/hadith/)[Start Here

### Who Was Prophet Muhammad ﷺ?

A short introduction to the life and character of Muhammad ﷺ, the final messenger of God — from orphan in Mecca to the Prophet sent as a mercy to all people.

Read article](https://islamismercy.com/en/start/who-was-prophet-muhammad/)[Glossary

### Qur'an — Meaning and Use

The Qur'an is the holy book of Islam, which Muslims believe is the word of God revealed to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Its name means the recitation.

Read article](https://islamismercy.com/en/glossary/quran/)