prophet's dunya life...sunnah or mubah

assalaamu alaikum ustadh

i had a question about something discussed in the usul class...but i'm not sure if i remember it correctly...

from what i remember, i think you had said that whatever the prophet pbuh did and ASKED to be done was sunnah, but what he did and didnt ask to be done, was just mubah...BUT if it was done with the right intentions, it could become sunnah (thus, rewarded by Allah swt).

firstly is that correct?

and so, (for example) would eating with the hand be sunnah or is it mubah (and then turned into sunnah)...is there another name for this kind of 'sunnah'?

also, is EVERYTHING that the prophet pbuh did (in deen and dunya) sunnah for us?

jazakAllah khair.

I'm going to try to answer in blue. I want to test myself. Sh. Muhammad, please correct my answers if they are wrong.

Originally Posted by working4islam

whatever the prophet pbuh did and ASKED to be done was sunnah

If the Prophet (SAS) asked us to do something (i.e. commanded) then it is Fard UNLESS there is other proof or reason that changes the ruling away from the default.

but what he did and didn't ask to be done, was just mubah

That would be the case regarding things he did as an act of habit, like eating with the hands. If he did something as an act of worship then it's a sunnah (mustahabb) even if he didn't ask us.

BUT if it was done with the right intentions, it could become sunnah (thus, rewarded by Allah swt).

I don't know if you could call it "a sunnah" but, yes, a person may be rewarded for a mubaah action that he does with the sincere intention of gaining Allaah's pleasure.

and so, (for example) would eating with the hand be sunnah or is it mubah (and then turned into sunnah)...is there another name for this kind of 'sunnah'?

Again, I don't think that you could call it a "sunnah" (aka mustahabb in this context) BUT you may be rewarded for your love of the Prophet (SAS) and desire to immitate him in his habits if you ate with your hands.

Wallaahu a'lam