The Qur'an (Koran)and the Sunnah Two foundations of Islam are the Qur'an and the Sunnah. According to Muslim teachings, God describes his laws and moral teachings, or the “straight path,” through the Qur'an. Regarded as the direct word of God, the book holds a central position for Muslims everywhere, and even inspires Muslim art, poetry, and literature. The Qur'an contains passages that Muslims believe Muhammad received from the angel Gabriel. Muhammad and his followers recited and memorized these verses. Because Muhammad apparently could not read or write, scribes wrote down these passages. The Arabic of the Qur'an is notable for its beauty. In about 651 C. E., Caliph Uthman established an official edition of the Qur'an. He asked those with different versions of the Qur'an to destroy them so that there would be no confusion between those and the official edition. The Qur'an used today has remained largely unchanged since then. Muhammad described the Qur'an as God's “standing miracle.” Muslims honor the spoken and written Qur'an. Most Muslims today do not let copies of the sacred book touch the ground, and they handle the Qur'an in special ways. Most Muslims memorize at least certain parts of the Qur'an in Arabic, and some even memorize the entire book. The memorized parts may be recited in daily prayer or during special occasions. Its verses accompany Muslims throughout their lives, from birth to death. The Sunnah (“practice”) is the example that Muhammad set for Muslims during his lifetime. What Muhammad did or said in a certain situation has set a precedent, or guideline, for all Muslims. For instance, Muhammad told his followers to make sure that their guests never left the table hungry, underscoring the importance of hospitality. He also reminded children to honor their parents when he said, “God forbids all of you to disobey your mothers.” For Muslims, the Sunnah is second only to the Qur'an in religious authority. About 300 years after Muhammad's death, thousands of reports about the prophet had spread throughout Muslim lands. Called hadith (“reports” or “tradition”), these accounts provided written evidence of Muhammad's Sunnah through his own words and deeds. Scholars looked into each story and organized the ones that they could verify into collections. These collections remain important sources for Muslim beliefs, laws, and history. The most basic acts of worship for Muslims are called the Five Pillars of Islam. The Qur'an provides general commands to perform these five duties, whereas the Sunnah explains how to perform them, based on Muhammad's example. Let's look next at each of the Five Pillars.

Check for Understanding Questions - Use the R. A.C. E. (Restate, Answer, Cite, Explain) strategy to answer the questions in complete sentences.
1. What is the difference between the Qur’an and the Sunnah? *

2. What is the difference between the Qur’an and the Sunnah?
Your answer

3. How are the Qur’an and the Sunnah related to the Five Pillars of Islam?