Is there a difference between the words “hadeeth” and “Sunnah”?

The difference
in terminology among scholars is one of the issues that is usually a
difference in wording. That is because terminology results from a scholar
choosing a particular word to refer to something; hence when differences
occur, the difference is in wording but not in meaning. 

With regard to
the issue of differentiating between the words “Sunnah” and “hadeeth”, we
may say that these two words may mean the same thing in some contexts, and
may mean different things in other contexts. 

Firstly:
places where they mean the same thing 

1.

Whatever is
narrated from or about the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him) of words, actions or approval may be called “hadeeth” or it may be
called “Sunnah.” 

Shaykh
‘Abdullah al-Judayyi‘ said: 

The basic
meaning of the word “Sunnah” is fundamentally the same as the definition
given by hadeeth scholars, as mentioned above for the word “hadeeth”, when
mentioned in general terms without anything to describe what is being spoken
of. That excludes the reports that speak of the physical description of the
Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him); but this exclusion is
only when talking about the Sunnah in the context of it being one of the
sources of sharee‘ah. In that context, the reports that speak of his
description are not part of the Sunnah; rather the Sunnah is only based on
his words, deeds and approval. End quote. 

Tahreer
‘Uloom al-Hadeeth 

2.

One of the
names of the saved group, the group that will continue to adhere to the
commands of Allah, is “Ahl al-Hadeeth.” They are also called “Ahl
as-Sunnah.” 

3.

The books that
deal with the transmission of reports from the Prophet (blessings and peace
of Allah be upon him) and the Sahaabah, and the words of the righteous early
generations, are called “Kutub al-Hadeeth”; they are also called “Kutub
as-Sunnah.” 

Secondly:
places where they mean different things: 

1.

The term Sunnah is applied to the Prophet’s (may the peace and blessings of Allah be on him) guidance which is well-established in a general sense in all of his affairs, meaning his path, his methodology and his way. In this context, the scholars do not usually use the term “hadeeth.”  

Al-‘Allaamah
as-Sayyid Sulaymaan an-Nadwi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: 

“Hadeeth”
refers to every incident that is attributed to the Prophet (peace be upon
him), even if he only did it once in his life, and even if it was narrated
from him by only one person. With regard to the word “Sunnah,” in reality it
is used of his actions – I mean how the Messenger (peace be upon him) did
things – that has been transmitted to us via mutawaatir actions, in the
sense that the Prophet (peace be upon him) did it, then the Sahaabah did it
after him, then the Taabi‘een did it after them, and so on. It does not
necessarily mean that there is a narration describing that action; rather
this refers to the way in which a particular act was performed and was
passed down through the generations by means of tawaatur (i.e., passed down
by so many to so many that it is inconceivable that they could have all
agreed upon a lie).  This is what is called “Sunnah,” and this is mentioned
alongside the Book (the Qur’an) in the hadeeth in which the Prophet (peace
be upon him) said: “I am leaving among you two things and you will never go
astray so long as you adhere to them: The Book of Allah, may He be exalted,
and the Sunnah of His Messenger.” This is what it is not permissible for any
Muslim, no matter who he is, to forsake or go against, otherwise he has no
share in Islam. End quote. 

Majallat
al-Manaar,
30/673 

2.

The scholars
use the word “Sunnah” to describe adhering to Islam in the manner
prescribed, without adding to it or introducing innovations into the
religion; they do not call that “hadeeth.” For example, ‘Abd ar-Rahmaan ibn
Mahdi al-Mashhoor said: Sufyaan ath-Thawri is an imam (leading scholar) in
hadeeth, but he is not an imam in Sunnah; al-Awzaa‘i is an imam in Sunnah
but he is not an imam in hadeeth. Maalik ibn Anas is an imam in both. 

Tareekh
Dimashq
by Ibn ‘Asaakir, 35/183 

Al-Haafiz Abu
‘Amr ibn as-Salaah (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked: 

Some of them
said of Imam Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) that he combined
knowledge of the Sunnah and of hadeeth; what is the difference between the
Sunnah and hadeeth? 

He (may Allah
be pleased with him) said: 

In this
context, Sunnah is the opposite of bid‘ah (innovation). A person may be
ascholar of hadeeth yet also be an innovator. Maalik (may Allah be pleased
with him) combined both Sunnahs; he was a scholar of the Sunnah, i.e.,
hadeeth, and also believed in the Sunnah, i.e., his way was that of Ahl
al-haqq (the people of truth), with no bid ‘ah (innovation). And Allah knows
best. End quote. 

Fataawa ibn
as-Salaah,
1/139-140 

3.

The fuqaha’
use the word “Sunnah” when explaining the ruling on doing a specific action
as being mustahabb (liked or encouraged); they do not use the word “hadeeth”
in this context. 

4.

When the
scholars speak of reports and whether they are saheeh (sound) or da‘eef
(weak), they only use the word “hadeeth”; they do not use the word “Sunnah.”
So they say “This is a da‘eef (weak) hadeeth”; they do not say “This is a
da‘eef Sunnah”, because of them the Sunnah is that which is proven in the
hadeeths; therefore they sometimes say “This hadeeth is contrary to qiyaas
(analogy), the Sunnah and ijmaa‘ (scholarly consensus).” 

And Allah
knows best.