The Sunna: Its Obligatory and Exemplary Aspects

The authority and excellence of the Sunnah, the normative mode of conduct of the Prophet (pbh), is mandated in the Qur'an itself, even though the term itself does not occur there with the same meaning. Certain aspects of the Sunnah are obligatory for the Muslim to follow; these include those several instances where the Sunnah clarifies the mode of implementation of a Qur'anic injunction, as is the case with prayer. A number of jurists hold, in fact, the Sunnah is a source of legal authority...