The Prophetic Sunnah: A Second Source of Knowledge in Islam

Abstract

The prophetic Sunnah is considered the secondary source of knowledge in Islam. The holy Qur’an which is the primary source of knowledge in Islamic worldview has confirmed the necessity and the importance of the Sunnah in its various chapters; on the ground that the Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h) who is the founder of the Sunnah is an infallible and a chosen prophet by Allah to all mankind. Therefore, the prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h) never acts according to his own desire, but he is always acting with the guidance of revelation from God. Based on this tangible fact, it is an undeniable fact that the prophetic Sunnah is an authentic secondary source of knowledge in Islam. Which is also able to provide valid knowledge not only in religious sciences, but, it is also able to provide us accurate knowledge of natural sciences and humanities. Thus, the objective of this article is to explore vis-a-vis the importance of the prophetic Sunnah, and provide the raison d’etre on the relevance of the Sunnah for our contemporary life. Yet, for the sake of academic paper the Quranic approach will be applied, that is by searching the validity and the relevance of the prophetic Sunnah to human life according to Quranic worldview. Lastly, the article will provide a brief conclusion followed by some suggestions and some recommendations.