Supererogatory (Nafl) Prayers: A Means to Attain the Company of the Prophet (ﷺ) in Paradise

Hadith on Obligatory and Voluntary Prayers​

Narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari:

A Bedouin came to the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) and asked:

"O Messenger of Allah! What has Allah made obligatory upon me?"
The Prophet (ﷺ) replied: "Five daily prayers in the day and night."
The man asked: "Is there anything else besides these?"
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "No, unless you perform voluntary prayers (Nafl)."
(References: Sahih al-Bukhari: 1891, Sahih Muslim: 11)

Key Lessons from This Hadith:​

➊ The only obligatory prayers in Islam are the five daily prayers.

• No other prayer is mandated as a daily obligation.
• The Funeral Prayer (Salat al-Janazah) is a communal obligation (Fard Kifayah) and not individually mandatory.
• Tahajjud was once obligatory but is now a voluntary act of worship.
• Other prayers such as Eid, Istisqa (rain prayer), Tarawih, Ishraq, and Awwabin are considered voluntary (Nafl) acts of worship.

➋ Performing the five daily prayers is essential for success.

• A person who fulfills these obligations correctly is successful, even if they never perform Nafl prayers.

➌ Nafl prayers should still be offered as they bring one closer to Allah.

• They serve as a means of expiating minor sins.
• They compensate for any shortcomings in obligatory prayers.
• Most importantly, they are a means to attain the company of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) in Jannah.

➍ Voluntary prayers are not forced acts of worship but a natural expression of devotion.

• Children and adults should be trained in such a way that they develop a love for Sunnah and Nafl prayers naturally.
• If someone does not perform Nafl prayers, they are not sinful but may be deprived of great rewards.
• Those who abandon the emphasized Sunnah (Sunnah Mu’akkadah) should be admonished.

➎ Accountability before Allah will be based on obligatory prayers, not Nafl prayers.

• On the Day of Judgment, if a person’s obligatory prayers are deficient, Allah will check their Nafl prayers to compensate.
• If Nafl prayers are present, they will be used to complete the missing obligations.
• However, if a person has neither fulfilled the obligations properly nor offered voluntary prayers, they will be held accountable for their shortcomings.

[This content is taken from Sheikh Taqi al-Din Abi al-Fath's book Diya al-Islam fi Sharh al-Imam bi Ahadith al-Ahkam, translated by Maulana Mahmood Ahmad Ghaznfar.]