❖ Number of Rak‘ahs in Duha (Forenoon) Prayer ❖
✍ Written by: Imran Ayyub Lahori
Duha Prayer is offered after sunrise and is also known as Salat al-Ishraq and Salat al-Awwabin.
➊ Narrated by Abu Hurairah (رضي الله عنه):
My beloved (the Prophet ﷺ) advised me to do three things:
“To fast three days every month, to pray two Rak‘ahs of Duha, and to offer Witr before sleeping.”
[Bukhari: 1981; Muslim: 721; Abu Dawood: 1432; Tirmidhi: 760; Nasa’i: 1677]
➋ Also from Abu Hurairah (رضي الله عنه):
“Only a frequent repenter (Awwab) maintains the Duha prayer, and it is the prayer of the Awwabin.”
[Sahih: Al-Silsilah al-Sahihah: 1994; Ibn Khuzaymah: 1224; Hakim: 1/314]
➌ The Prophet ﷺ said:
“O son of Adam! Pray four Rak‘ahs at the beginning of the day, I will suffice you at its end.”
[Sahih Tirmidhi: 1146; Abu Dawood: 1289; Ahmad: 5/286; Ibn Hibban: 3533]
➍ Narrated by Abu Dharr (رضي الله عنه):
“Charity is due on every joint of your body daily. Every Tasbih, every Tahmid, every Tahlil, and every Takbir is charity; enjoining good and forbidding evil is charity.
Two Rak‘ahs of Duha Prayer suffice for all these charities.”
[Muslim: 720; Abu Dawood: 1286; Ahmad: 5/167]
Another narration adds:
“Every person has 360 joints, and two Rak‘ahs of Duha suffice for all of them.”
[Muslim: 1007]
✔ These narrations clearly prove the legitimacy and merit of Salat al-Duha.
According to Ibn al-Qayyim (رحمه الله), six scholarly opinions exist regarding this prayer:
① It is recommended (mustahabb).
② It is not legislated without cause.
③ It is not mustahabb at all.
④ It is preferred to pray it occasionally, not regularly.
⑤ It is encouraged to offer it regularly at home.
⑥ It is a bid‘ah (innovation).
[Zad al-Ma‘ad: 1/352–355]
✔ Narrated by Zayd ibn Arqam (رضي الله عنه):
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“The Prayer of Awwabin is when the young camels’ hooves burn from the heat.”
[Muslim: 747; Bayhaqi: 3/49]
✔ This indicates that the ideal time for Duha Prayer is when the sun is high and the heat increases.
Duha Prayer begins after the sun has fully risen (~15 minutes post-sunrise)
and ends just before Dhuhr (noon) time.
✔ Minimum: 2 Rak‘ahs
As per the Hadith of Abu Hurairah (رضي الله عنه).
[Bukhari: 1981; Muslim: 721]
✔ 4 Rak‘ahs:
ʿAishah (رضي الله عنها) reported the Prophet ﷺ used to pray four Rak‘ahs.
[Muslim: 719; Ibn Majah: 1381; Musnad al-Tayalisi: 1571; Musannaf ʿAbd al-Razzaq: 4853]
✔ 8 Rak‘ahs:
Umm Hani (رضي الله عنها) narrated that the Prophet ﷺ prayed eight Rak‘ahs of Duha on the day of the conquest of Makkah.
[Bukhari: 357; Muslim: 336; Abu Dawood: 1290; Nasa’i: 1/126; Ibn Majah: 1379]
✔ 12 Rak‘ahs:
The narration that “Whoever offers 12 Rak‘ahs of Duha, Allah will build for him a palace in Paradise” is weak.
[Da‘if Tirmidhi: 70; Ibn Hajar: Talkhis al-Habir: 2/20]
✍ Written by: Imran Ayyub Lahori
✿ Introduction to Duha Prayer (صلاة الضحى / چاشت کی نماز)
Duha Prayer is offered after sunrise and is also known as Salat al-Ishraq and Salat al-Awwabin.
➊ Narrated by Abu Hurairah (رضي الله عنه):
My beloved (the Prophet ﷺ) advised me to do three things:
“To fast three days every month, to pray two Rak‘ahs of Duha, and to offer Witr before sleeping.”
[Bukhari: 1981; Muslim: 721; Abu Dawood: 1432; Tirmidhi: 760; Nasa’i: 1677]
➋ Also from Abu Hurairah (رضي الله عنه):
“Only a frequent repenter (Awwab) maintains the Duha prayer, and it is the prayer of the Awwabin.”
[Sahih: Al-Silsilah al-Sahihah: 1994; Ibn Khuzaymah: 1224; Hakim: 1/314]
➌ The Prophet ﷺ said:
“O son of Adam! Pray four Rak‘ahs at the beginning of the day, I will suffice you at its end.”
[Sahih Tirmidhi: 1146; Abu Dawood: 1289; Ahmad: 5/286; Ibn Hibban: 3533]
➍ Narrated by Abu Dharr (رضي الله عنه):
“Charity is due on every joint of your body daily. Every Tasbih, every Tahmid, every Tahlil, and every Takbir is charity; enjoining good and forbidding evil is charity.
Two Rak‘ahs of Duha Prayer suffice for all these charities.”
[Muslim: 720; Abu Dawood: 1286; Ahmad: 5/167]
Another narration adds:
“Every person has 360 joints, and two Rak‘ahs of Duha suffice for all of them.”
[Muslim: 1007]
✔ These narrations clearly prove the legitimacy and merit of Salat al-Duha.
◈ Scholarly Opinions on Duha Prayer
According to Ibn al-Qayyim (رحمه الله), six scholarly opinions exist regarding this prayer:
① It is recommended (mustahabb).
② It is not legislated without cause.
③ It is not mustahabb at all.
④ It is preferred to pray it occasionally, not regularly.
⑤ It is encouraged to offer it regularly at home.
⑥ It is a bid‘ah (innovation).
[Zad al-Ma‘ad: 1/352–355]
◈ Time of Duha Prayer
✔ Narrated by Zayd ibn Arqam (رضي الله عنه):
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“The Prayer of Awwabin is when the young camels’ hooves burn from the heat.”
[Muslim: 747; Bayhaqi: 3/49]
✔ This indicates that the ideal time for Duha Prayer is when the sun is high and the heat increases.
Duha Prayer begins after the sun has fully risen (~15 minutes post-sunrise)
and ends just before Dhuhr (noon) time.
◈ Number of Rak‘ahs in Duha Prayer
✔ Minimum: 2 Rak‘ahs
As per the Hadith of Abu Hurairah (رضي الله عنه).
[Bukhari: 1981; Muslim: 721]
✔ 4 Rak‘ahs:
ʿAishah (رضي الله عنها) reported the Prophet ﷺ used to pray four Rak‘ahs.
[Muslim: 719; Ibn Majah: 1381; Musnad al-Tayalisi: 1571; Musannaf ʿAbd al-Razzaq: 4853]
✔ 8 Rak‘ahs:
Umm Hani (رضي الله عنها) narrated that the Prophet ﷺ prayed eight Rak‘ahs of Duha on the day of the conquest of Makkah.
[Bukhari: 357; Muslim: 336; Abu Dawood: 1290; Nasa’i: 1/126; Ibn Majah: 1379]
✔ 12 Rak‘ahs:
The narration that “Whoever offers 12 Rak‘ahs of Duha, Allah will build for him a palace in Paradise” is weak.
[Da‘if Tirmidhi: 70; Ibn Hajar: Talkhis al-Habir: 2/20]
