Non-Mu’akkadah Sunnahs of the Five Daily Prayers
This excerpt is taken from the book “Namaz Panjgana Ki Raka‘atain Ma‘a Namaz Witr wa Tahajjud” by Abu Adnan Muhammad Munir Qamar Nawabuddin.
Apart from the ten or twelve Mu’akkadah Sunnahs of the five daily prayers, there are also some non-Mu’akkadah Sunnahs established through Ahadith. As their very name suggests, they are ghair mu’akkadah (non-emphasized). Whoever performs them will be rewarded, but if one leaves them, there is no sin.
✿ Fajr and Zuhr
- With Fajr, there are no non-Mu’akkadah Sunnahs. Hence, the total units of Fajr are four: two Sunnah Mu’akkadah and two Fard.
- With Zuhr, depending on the Ahadith followed, either 8 or 10 units are established:
- 2 Sunnah Mu’akkadah before, 4 Fard, then 2 Sunnah Mu’akkadah after = 8 units.
- Or 4 Sunnah Mu’akkadah before, 4 Fard, then 2 Sunnah after = 10 units.
In Sunan Arba‘ah, Musnad Ahmad, Mustadrak Hakim, and Sharh al-Sunnah Baghawi, a Hadith mentions four Sunnahs after Zuhr as well:
من حافظ على أربع ركعات قبل الظهر وأربع بعدها حرمه الله على النار
(Abu Dawood with Awn 2/7/13; Jami‘ al-Usul 7/18; Nayl al-Awtar 2/3/16; Mishkat 1/328 – authenticated by Albani; Sharh al-Sunnah 3/464 – authenticated by its editors with all its chains)
“Whoever consistently offers four Rak‘ahs before Zuhr and four after it, Allah will forbid the Fire upon him.”
Thus, the total becomes 12: 4 Sunnah before, 4 Fard, and 4 after. This Hadith shows that the status of the four Sunnahs after Zuhr is the same as the first four. Therefore, the distinction between “two Sunnah and two Nafl” after Zuhr is not supported by authentic evidence. Rather, it may be said: either pray four Sunnahs or suffice with two, just as there is flexibility before the Fard.
✿ ‘Asr
There are no Mu’akkadah Sunnahs before Asr, but non-Mu’akkadah Sunnahs are established. Ahadith mention both two Rak‘ahs and four Rak‘ahs.
① In Abu Dawood, Tirmidhi, Musnad Ahmad, and Sharh al-Sunnah, the Prophet ﷺ said:
رحم الله امرأ صلى قبل العصر أربعا
(Sharh al-Sunnah 3/470 – authenticated by its editors and Ibn Khuzaymah; Jami‘ al-Usul 7/19; Mishkat 1/367 – graded Hasan by Albani)
“May Allah have mercy on the one who offers four Rak‘ahs before ‘Asr.”
② In Tirmidhi, Nasai, Ibn Majah, and Musnad Ahmad, from Ali (رضي الله عنه):
كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يصلي قبل العصر أربع ركعات يفصل بينهن بالتسليم
(Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah 2/218 – Hasan by Albani; Sharh al-Sunnah 3/467 – Hasan; Mishkat with al-Mir‘at 4/149, Hadith 598–599; Musnad Ahmad 5/143–146 – authenticated by Ahmad Shakir)
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to pray four Rak‘ahs before ‘Asr, separating them with Tasleem.”
This shows he would pray them in pairs. Both ways are permissible.
③ In Abu Dawood, from Ali (رضي الله عنه):
وكان النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم يصلي قبل العصر ركعتين
(Abu Dawood with Awn 4/50 – Hasan by Albani in Mishkat 1/368 and in Irwa’ al-Ghalil 1/311)
“The Prophet ﷺ used to pray two Rak‘ahs before ‘Asr.”
Thus, both two or four Rak‘ahs before Asr are permissible, and all are non-Mu’akkadah.
✿ Special Virtues of Four Sunnahs Before ‘Asr
- In al-Tabarani al-Kabir and al-Awsat: “The Fire will not touch him.”
- In Abu Nu‘aym: “Allah will forgive him.”
- In Abu Ya‘la: “Allah will build for him a house in Paradise.”
- In al-Tabarani al-Kabir: “Allah will forbid his body from the Fire.”
(See detailed references in Awn al-Ma‘bud 3/139)
Therefore, whoever regularly performs these non-Mu’akkadah Sunnahs, especially the four before ‘Asr, earns immense reward and mercy.
✿ Conclusion
- Fajr: No non-Mu’akkadah Sunnahs.
- Zuhr: Flexibility — 2 or 4 before, 2 or 4 after.
- ‘Asr: 2 or 4 non-Mu’akkadah before.
- Maghrib & ‘Isha: Their non-Mu’akkadah Sunnahs are discussed separately.
