Reconceptualising Sunna in Islamic Legal Thought: Epistemology, Authority, and Hermeneutics
Introduction
The concept of sunna has long served as a cornerstone of Islamic legal and theological discourse. Traditionally paired with the Qurʾān as a primary source of normativity, sunna has been invoked to define orthodoxy, delineate legal authority, and shape communal identity. Yet, as The Sunna and Its Status in Islamic Law, edited by Adis Duderija, demonstrates, the meaning, function, and epistemological grounding of sunna have been far from uniform across Islamic intellectual history. This volume offers a critical intervention into the study of Islamic legal theory by interrogating the historical processes through which sunna became increasingly conflated with hadith, and by recovering alternative conceptualizations that challenge the dominant textualist paradigm.
This essay examines the book’s central arguments through three interrelated lenses: (1) the historical evolution of the concept of sunna and its relationship to hadith; (2) the epistemological and hermeneutical frameworks employed by various legal and theological schools; and (3) the implications of these debates for contemporary Islamic thought. In doing so, it situates the volume within broader scholarly efforts to rethink Islamic normativity beyond the confines of hadith-centrism.
I. The Genealogy of Sunna: From Ethical Practice to Textual Corpus
The volume opens with a theoretical and historical framing by Duderija, who distinguishes between two competing conceptions of sunna: a non-hadith-dependent model rooted in communal practice and ethical norms, and a hadith-dependent model that emerged through the codification of prophetic reports. Drawing on recent scholarship in Islamic intellectual history, Duderija argues that the early Muslim community did not initially equate sunna with hadith. Rather, sunna functioned as a flexible, context-sensitive category encompassing the normative practices of the Prophet, his Companions, and the early community.
The transformation of sunna into a textual corpus was catalyzed by several socio-political and theological developments. The rise of the Abbasid caliphate, with its emphasis on centralized religious authority, coincided with the proliferation of hadith collections and the institutionalization of ʿulūm al-ḥadīth. This process, which Duderija terms the “hadithification” of sunna, entailed the marginalization of alternative epistemologies such as raʾy (reasoned opinion), ʿamal (communal practice), and ijtihād (independent reasoning). The result was a reconfiguration of Islamic legal theory around a textualist model that privileged authenticated reports over lived tradition.
This genealogical account challenges the assumption that the hadith-based conception of sunna represents an unbroken continuity from the Prophet’s time. Instead, it foregrounds the contingent and contested nature of Islamic normativity, opening space for a more pluralistic understanding of legal authority.
II. Competing Epistemologies: Legal Schools and Theological Traditions
The core chapters of the volume examine how various Islamic schools of law and theology conceptualized sunna within their respective epistemological frameworks. These case studies reveal a spectrum of approaches, ranging from strict textualism to rationalist and practice-based models.
Ahl al-Hadith and the Codification of Orthodoxy
Ahmet Temel’s chapter on the Ahl al-Hadith explores the emergence of uṣūl al-sunna as a genre aimed at defining the boundaries of orthodoxy. For the Ahl al-Hadith, sunna was synonymous with authenticated hadith, and any deviation from this standard was viewed as theological innovation. Temel shows how this group sought to monopolize the term sunna by excluding speculative theology (kalām) and rationalist jurisprudence. The epistemological foundation of this approach lay in the isnād system, which prioritized the reliability of transmission chains over the content of reports.
This model of sunna became foundational for the Ḥanbalī school and later Salafi movements, reinforcing a legal hermeneutic that eschewed analogical reasoning and emphasized literal adherence to transmitted texts.
Muʿtazilite Rationalism and the Ethics of Transmission
In contrast, Usman Ghani’s chapter on the Muʿtazila highlights a rationalist approach to sunna that prioritized ethical coherence and epistemic reliability. The Muʿtazilites distinguished between mutawātir (mass-transmitted) and khabar al-wāḥid (solitary) reports, accepting only the former as a basis for legal or theological claims. Ghani demonstrates that Muʿtazilite scholars evaluated hadith not merely on the basis of transmission chains but also in light of reason and moral consistency. This approach reflects a broader commitment to the primacy of divine justice and human rationality in Islamic theology.
Ḥanafī and Mālikī Legal Hermeneutics
Ali Altaf Mian’s chapter on the Ḥanafī school reveals a nuanced epistemology in which sunna was treated as a category of legal reasoning rather than a mere textual source. Ḥanafī jurists employed a hierarchy of evidentiary sources, giving precedence to communal practice and analogical reasoning over solitary reports. Mian argues that this approach allowed for a more flexible and context-sensitive application of Islamic law, grounded in the lived realities of the Muslim community.
Although the volume does not include a dedicated chapter on the Mālikī school, Duderija’s introduction and other contributions reference Mālik’s emphasis on ʿamal ahl al-Madīna—the practice of the people of Medina—as a primary source of sunna. This model, which predates the full codification of hadith, reflects an understanding of sunna as embodied communal knowledge rather than textual documentation.
Shāfiʿī’s Synthesis and the Institutionalization of Hadith
Gavin Picken’s chapter on al-Shāfiʿī examines the pivotal role of this jurist in redefining sunna as a form of divine revelation. Shāfiʿī’s theory of bayān posited that the Qurʾān and sunna together constituted a unified revelatory corpus, with sunna serving to clarify, specify, or supplement Qurʾānic injunctions. By equating authentic hadith with sunna, Shāfiʿī laid the groundwork for the integration of hadith into the legal methodology of all four Sunni schools. Picken’s analysis underscores the theological and hermeneutical implications of this move, particularly the elevation of hadith to a quasi-scriptural status.
III. Sunna as Revelation: Theological and Hermeneutical Implications
A recurring theme throughout the volume is the question of whether sunna constitutes a form of divine revelation. Classical scholars developed the theory of waḥy matlū (recited revelation, i.e., the Qurʾān) and waḥy ghayr matlū (unrecited revelation, i.e., sunna/hadith) to reconcile the authority of sunna with the uniqueness of the Qurʾān. This distinction allowed jurists to maintain the Qurʾān’s inimitability while granting sunna an independent normative status.
However, as Duderija and others argue, this formulation introduces a theological tension: if sunna is equally revelatory, what safeguards exist against textual corruption or interpretive abuse? Moreover, the reliance on hadith as the sole vehicle for transmitting sunna raises questions about authenticity, especially given the historical processes of fabrication, political manipulation, and retrospective attribution.
The volume thus invites a reexamination of the hermeneutical relationship between the Qurʾān and sunna, particularly in light of modern concerns about scriptural integrity, ethical coherence, and legal adaptability.
IV. Contemporary Rearticulations: Ethics, Reform, and the Future of Sunna
In the final chapter, Duderija turns to modernist Muslim thinkers who challenge the classical conflation of sunna with hadith. Figures such as Fazlur Rahman, Javed Ghamidi, Muhammad Shahrur, and Ghulam Parwez advocate for a principle-based understanding of sunna rooted in Qurʾānic ethics rather than textual transmission. These thinkers emphasize the moral and social objectives of Islamic law (maqāṣid al-sharīʿa) and call for a contextual hermeneutic that prioritizes justice, compassion, and human dignity.
Duderija situates these reformist approaches within a broader critique of traditionalist epistemology, arguing that the revival of a non-hadith-dependent conception of sunna offers a viable path for Islamic legal renewal. This perspective not only challenges the authority of inherited legal canons but also reclaims the ethical and communal dimensions of prophetic practice.
Conclusion
The Sunna and Its Status in Islamic Law offers a critical and historically grounded reappraisal of one of the most foundational concepts in Islamic thought. By tracing the evolution of sunna from a lived ethical tradition to a textualized legal source, the volume exposes the epistemological and hermeneutical tensions that have shaped Islamic legal theory. Its interdisciplinary approach—combining historical analysis, legal theory, and theological reflection—provides a robust framework for rethinking Islamic normativity in both premodern and contemporary contexts.
Far from being a static or monolithic concept, sunna emerges in this volume as a dynamic and contested site of legal, theological, and political negotiation. In recovering the plurality of its meanings and functions, the book not only enriches our understanding of Islamic intellectual history but also opens new avenues for ethical and epistemological reform in the modern Muslim world.
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