All praise is due to Allah (swt). We ask for His guidance and seek refuge from the evil within ourselves.
Will Allah (swt) Punish Us if we leave the Sunnah of the Prophet (sallahu alaihi was salam)?
Answer
Praise be to Allah.
The term Sunnah carries two meanings:
Firstly, it refers to the path of guidance, as mentioned in many hadiths, such as the Prophet's (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) words: "Whoever turns away from my Sunnah has nothing to do with me."
Secondly, it is what scholars of usool and fiqh refer to as mustahabb (encouraged actions), which are deeds that bring reward but not punishment for neglect. Examples include Sunnah prayers like al-Sunan al-Rawaatib, Salaat al-Duhaa, and others.
Neglecting obligatory Sunnah actions results in punishment, while neglecting mustahabb Sunnah actions does not incur punishment, but it deprives one of significant rewards and the opportunity to compensate for any deficiencies in obligatory actions on the Day of Resurrection. Sunnah actions also help in maintaining the practice of obligatory actions.
Additionally, scholars use the term Sunnah to distinguish followers of the Sunnah from those who follow reprehensible innovations or misguided sects. Following the way of Ahl al-Sunnah is obligatory, and departing from it leads to doom. Imam Malik likened the Sunnah to the ship of Noah: those who adhere to it will be saved, while those who deviate will be doomed.
And Allah knows best.