by Asma bint Shameem
š The Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam said: āThere is no Muslim slave who prays twelve rakāahs to Allaah each day, voluntarily, apart from the obligatory prayers, but Allah will build for him a house in Paradise.ā (Muslim) The hadeeth is referring to the twelve Sunnah associated with the five daily prayers. šThe Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam also said: "Allaah will build a house in Heaven for whoever is diligent in observing 12 Sunnah Rak'aat (They are): 4 Rak'aat before and 2 after the Dhuhr Prayer, 2 after the Maghrib, 2 after the āIshaa Prayer and 2 before the Fajr prayer.ā ( at-Tirmidhi - saheeh by al-Albaani) These are called "Sunnan al-Rawaatibā or Sunnah al-Muāakkadah and are highly stressed Sunnah. Reading these āSunnan ar-Rawaatibā is a beautiful act of ibaadah for which you will be rewarded and it is highly encouraged to read these Sunnan but if you leave it, you will NOT be sinful. Based on the above hadeeth, the number of rakāaat for each Salaah are: š·1. Fajr -Two rakāaat Sunnah Muāakkadah (highly stressed Sunnah) BEFORE Fardh - Two rakāaat Fardh š·2. Dhuhr - Four rakāaat Sunnah Muāakkadah (highly stressed Sunnah) BEFORE Fardh - Four rakāaat Fardh - Two rakāaat Sunnah Muāakkadah (highly stressed Sunnah) AFTER Fardh - Two rakāaat Nafl (optional but not as stressed as Sunnah Muāakkadah) šThe Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam said: āWhoever, observes the practice of offering four rakāahs before Duhr prayer and four rakāahs after it. Allaah will shield him against the fire of hell.ā (Abu Dawood and At-Tirmithi- saheeh by al-Albaani) š·3. Asr - Four rakāaat Sunnah NON-Mu'akkadah BEFORE Fardh. The NON-Mu'akkadah Rak'ahs are of less reward and significance in importance of adhering to them compared to the "sunnan al-rawaatib" šThe Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam said: "May Allaah have mercy on one who prays 4 rakaāaat before the āAsr Prayer." (at-Tirmidhi- hasan by al-Albaani) - Four rakāaat Fardh š·4. Maghrib - Two rakāaat Sunnah (NON-Muāakkadah) BEFORE Fardh. šThe Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam said: āPray before maghrib, pray before maghrib, pray before maghrib for whoever willsā(al-Bukhaari, Muslim) - Three rakāaat Fardh -Two rakāaat Sunnah Muāakkadah AFTER Fardh. š·5. Ishaa - Two rakāaat Sunnah (NON-Muāakkadah) BEFORE Fardh. šThe Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam said: āBetween each two calls (the adhaan and iqaamah) there should be a prayer, between each two calls there should be a prayer, between each two calls there should be a prayerā ā and the third time he said, āfor whoever wishes.ā (al-Bukhaari and Muslim) - Four rakāaat Fardh - Two rakāaat Sunnah Muāakkadah AFTER Fardh -Witr There are many different ways of praying witr and is Sunnah al-Muāakkadah. And Allaah knows best
Comments