Sunnah prayer


A Sunnah prayer is a type of optional or non-obligatory ritual prayer performed by Muslims in addition to the five daily obligatory prayers. These prayers are associated with the practices of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad and are considered commendable.

Forms and timing

Sunnah prayers vary in form and timing: some are performed in connection with the daily obligatory prayers, others at specific times, such as late at night, or on particular occasions, such as during drought. Certain Sunnah prayers have distinct names, such as Tahajjud, while others are identified by their position relative to an obligatory prayer, for example, “four units before Dhuhr and two after.” The number of units in Sunnah prayers may differ depending on the prayer.
While the five daily salah are fard, Sunnah prayer and other sunnah practices are considered Mustahabb, performing is believed to earn spiritual reward, whereas neglecting them does not incur punishment.

Differences

;Compared to regular compulsory prayer
Sohaib Sultan states that the steps for Sunnah prayer are exactly the same as for five daily obligatory prayers, but varying depending on the prayer are the number of rakat, which is a unit of prayer.
;Prayers done only at certain times
Tahajjud, Witr, and Tarawih are night prayers, Tarawih is only done during Ramadan.
;Prayers done for specific occasions
Salat ul istasqa is a prayer to ask God for rain. Kusuf is done during a solar eclipse; Khusuf during a lunar eclipse.
;Sunnah prayers which are done at the same time as regular compulsory prayer
According to Sohaib Sultan, the Islamic prophet Muhammad performed Sunnah prayer "before and/or after every obligatory prayer" to gain more blessings and benefits from Allah. Examples of these Sunnah mu’akkadah or "confirmed" sunnah prayer, as established in the Hanafi school of fiqh, include:
  • "2 rakats before Fajr"
  • "4 rakats before Zuhr and 2 after"
  • "2 rakats after Maghrib"
  • "2 rakats after Isha"
These sunnah prayers don't have a special name; however, some Muslims call these prayers Rawatib Prayers. Fajr, Zuhr, Asr, Maghrib, Isha are all names of compulsory prayers. A rakat—also rakʿah -- is the movement from standing, to bowing on the floor, to standing again, that is part of every salat prayer.

Confirmed and non-confirmed prayers

Another division between non-obligatory prayers is whether they are "confirmed" or "unconfirmed":
  • Sunnah mu’akkadah or "confirmed sunnah" prayers, which Muhammad "continuously performed and almost never abandoned". Examples of Sunnah mu’akkadah include "Eid prayer, or the two rakat after the maghrib prayer".
  • Ghair mu’akkadah or "non-confirmed sunnah" prayers. These the Islamic prophet Muhammad was not as fastidious in performing as he sometimes performed them "and sometimes abandoned" them. An example of ghair mu’akkadah is two rakat before the Isha prayer.
These two kinds of prayer have "different terminology and rulings".
;Some examples of unconfirmed sunnah prayers are:
  • 4 rakats after Zuhr,
  • 4 or 2 rakats before Asr
  • 6 rakats after Maghrib, ideally in sets of two
  • 2 rakats before Isha
  • 4 rakats after isha.

    Sunnah of prayer

Sunnah prayer is not to be confused with Sunnahs of prayer. Not only are there obligatory and optional types of prayer, but obligatory and optional parts of a prayer.
Examples of obligatory and "pillar" words and actions include:

i. Standing during obligatory prayers if one is able to do so;

ii. The opening takbeer, i.e. saying “Allaahu akbar”;
iii. Reciting al-Faatihah at the beginning of the rakat
Examples of sunnah words and actions include:
i. Saying after the opening takbeer, “Subhaanaka Allaahumma wa bi hamdika, wa tabaaraka ismuka, wa ta’aala jadduka wa laa ilaaha ghayruka.” This is called du’aa’ al-istiftaah
ii. Seeking refuge with Allaah
iii. Saying Bismillaah
iv. Saying Ameen

Tahajjud

prayer is performed at night time, and it is recommended that it be performed after first going to sleep for a part of the night. Scholars have different opinions about whether sleeping first is absolutely required or not. In Saudi Arabia during the fasting month of Ramadan, there are many people who leave the Tarawih prayers in the main masjid in a hurry so that they can go home, go to sleep, and then wake up to perform their Tahajjud prayers in the early morning. Others simply stay in the mosque and perform these optional prayers before going home.
The time for the Tahajjud prayers falls between the prayer times of the isha'a prayers and the fajr prayers. It is also recommended that the prayers be done in the last third of the night. Muslims believe that the reward is greater for those who do this prayer at a later time.
Each prayer for a Muslim is made up of repeated actions and at least one rakat. The Tahajjud prayer consists of a minimum of one rakat and a maximum number of 11. Some say 13 but any number more than 13 is a bidah ; for there is no hadeeth; that is saheeh showing that the Messenger of Allah Muhammad exceeding more than 13 rakats
It is recommended that tahajjud be prayed during the last third of the night, but performing it at any other time is better than not performing it at all.

Tarawih

Tarawih is a sunnah muakada night prayer during Ramadan. It is prayer that is only done during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. It can be done alone, in a group, at home, or in a mosque or other public meeting area it does not matter. Typically, Muslims gather together and perform tarawih as a group, often amongst extended family members in one large house. Others may meet in their local mosque, a meeting hall, or even in an outdoor field. Depending on the country, the tarawih prayers might be done in mosque by men only, or by a mixture of men and women. The number of rakat of Tarawih salah is Twenty. Muhammad was afraid that if he continued to perform the prayers in the mosque, then his followers might come to think that they were compulsory and not optional.
After Muhammad, Taraweeh was still prayed by 20 rakats. The issue that people make that he prayed 8 is about Tahajjud. In the main mosque in Mecca, the Imam performs twenty rakat and then you pray your isha witr prayers. The total number of people joining the tarawih prayers in the main mosque in Mecca may reach 3-4 million. They fill up all levels inside the mosque, the flat roof, outside in the courtyard, some nearby streets, and on occasions even using up space in the lobbies of some nearby hotels.
It is also customary for the Imam in any mosque to recite the entire contents of the Qur'an during the fasting month by reading approximately one section per day. This practice of reading the Qur'an completely is known as khatm.

Tahiyyatul Masjid

Tahiyyatul Masjid is a Sunnah prayer which is performed after entering the mosque, preferably before sitting down.

Istisqa

Salat ul istasqa is a prayer to ask Allah for rain. It consists of two rakat. According to Ibn Qudaamah said "Prayer for rain is a confirmed Sunnah, proven by the practice of the Messenger of Allah... and of his successors."
The imam prays, with the followers, two rakat during any time except those times in which it is not desirable to pray. In the first rakat, the imam recites Sura Al-A'la after Sura Al-Fatiha. And in the second rakat, he reads Sura Al-Ghashiyah after Al-Fatihah, and he delivers a khutbah before or after the salah. As soon as he finishes the khutbah, people face the qiblah and supplicate to Allah. It was first introduced in Medina in the month of Ramadan of 6th Hijrah.
There are a number of hadith of Muhammad talking about praying for rain. Ash-Shaf'i states that it has been related from Salim ibn 'Abdullah, on the authority of his father that Muhammad would say for ishsqa':
"O Allah, give us a saving rain, productive, plentiful, general, continuous. O Allah, give us rain and do not make us among the despondent. O Allah, slaves, land, animals, and creation all are suffering and seek protection. And we do not complain except to You. O Allah, let our crops grow, and let the udders be refilled. Give us from the blessings of the sky and grow for us from the blessings of the earth. O Allah, remove from us the hardship, starvation, and barrenness and remove the affliction from us as no one removes afflictions save Thee. O Allah, we seek Your forgiveness as You are the Forgiving, and send upon us plenteous rains." Ash-Shaf'i said: "I prefer that the imam would supplicate with that."

Sa'd reported that for ishsqa', Muhammad would supplicate: "O Allah, let us be covered with thick clouds that have abundant and beneficial rain, frequently making a light rain upon us and sprinkling upon us with lightning. O Allah, You are full of majesty, bounty and Honour." This is related by Abu 'Awanah in his Sahih.
'Amr ibn Shuaib relates from his father, on the authority of his grandfather, that for istisqa', Muhammad would say: "O Allah, provide water for Your slaves and Your cattle, display Your mercy and give life to Your dead lands." This is related by Abu Dawud.
It is preferred for the one who is making this supplication to raise his hands with the back of his hands toward the sky. Muslim records from Anas that Muhammad would point with the back of his hands during ishsqa.
It is also preferred, upon seeing the rain, to say: "O Allah, make it a beneficial rain", and he should uncover part of his body to the rain. On the other hand, if one fears that there is too much rain, one should say: "O Allah give us mercy and do not give us punishment, calamities, destruction or flooding. O Allah, make it upon the woods, farms and trees. Make it around us and not upon us."