Author:
Imam Diya al-Maqdisi (may Allah have mercy on him)
Translation and Benefits by:
Hafiz Nadeem Zaheer
The Virtue of Two Rak'ahs Before Fajr
Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "The two rak'ahs before Fajr are better than the world and all that it contains."
Benefits:
From this hadith, we can clearly understand the importance and virtue of the two rak'ahs before Fajr. In another narration in Sahih Muslim, it is stated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:"
They are more beloved to me than the entire world."
[Sahih Muslim: 765/97]
Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) also narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) took more care in performing the two rak'ahs before Fajr than any other voluntary prayer.
[Bukhari: 1169, Muslim: 724]
The Virtue of Four Rak'ahs Before Asr
Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said:
"The Prophet (peace be upon him) never omitted four rak'ahs before Dhuhr and two rak'ahs before Fajr."
[Bukhari: 1182]
From these narrations, it is evident how much the Prophet (peace be upon him) valued these two rak'ahs. Therefore, we should also strive to perform these two rak'ahs before the Fajr congregation regularly. If missed due to some excuse, they should be performed immediately afterward.
Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Whoever persistently performs twelve rak'ahs in a day and night will enter Paradise: four rak'ahs before Dhuhr, two after it, two rak'ahs after Maghrib, two rak'ahs after Isha, and two rak'ahs before Fajr."
[Sunan an-Nasa'i: 1795, Ibn Majah: 214, Tirmidhi: 414, and he said: Hasan Ghareeb]
Benefits:
This virtue is for the person who consistently performs these twelve rak'ahs, not for those who follow their whims, performing them when they feel like it and omitting them when they find them burdensome. [May Allah protect us from this.]
Sayyida Umm Habiba (may Allah be pleased with her), the wife of the Prophet (peace be upon him), said: "I heard the Prophet (peace be upon him) say: 'Whoever prays four rak'ahs before Dhuhr and four after it, Allah will forbid the Fire from touching him.'"
[Abu Dawood: 1269, an-Nasa'i: 1817, Tirmidhi: 427, and he said: Hasan Sahih Ghareeb]
Benefits:
This hadith emphasizes the virtue of the sunnah prayers before and after Dhuhr and serves as a reminder to those who neglect these sunnah prayers, often saying, "It is only a sunnah, not obligatory," to escape from performing them.
Sayyidina Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: "My close friend (the Prophet, peace be upon him) advised me to do three things: to fast three days each month, to pray two rak'ahs of Duha, and to pray Witr before sleeping."
[Bukhari: 178, Muslim: 721]
Benefits:
The three days of fasting each month refer to the days of the full moon (13th, 14th, and 15th of the lunar month), as indicated by other narrations. The Duha prayer is highly virtuous, as highlighted in the following hadith, and it is performed when the sun has fully risen.
Note that the terms Ishraq, Duha, and Awwabin refer to the same prayer, as evidenced by Sahih Muslim (748). The Witr prayer can be performed any time after Isha, but it is best performed in the last part of the night, as Imam Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:"It is recommended to pray Witr before sleeping only for those who are not confident of waking up in the last part of the night. If one is confident, then the last part of the night is better."[Riyad as-Salihin: 1139, Book of Virtues, Chapter on the Virtue of Duha Prayer]
Sayyidina Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "In the morning, every joint of yours must perform a charity. Every tasbih (saying Subhan Allah) is a charity, every tahmid (saying Alhamdulillah) is a charity, every tahlil (saying La ilaha illallah) is a charity, and every takbir (saying Allahu Akbar) is a charity. Enjoining good is a charity, and forbidding evil is a charity. Two rak'ahs of Duha suffice for all of this."
[Muslim: 720]
Benefits:
This hadith underscores the importance and virtue of the Duha prayer.
Sayyidina Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "My beloved (the Prophet, peace be upon him) advised me to do three things that I will never leave as long as I live: to fast three days each month, to pray Duha, and to pray Witr before sleeping."
[Muslim: 722]
Benefits:
This hadith also emphasizes the importance of the Duha prayer and highlights the great love and desire of the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) to follow the Prophet (peace be upon him).
Sayyida Umm Habiba (may Allah be pleased with her), the wife of the Prophet (peace be upon him), narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "A Muslim servant who performs twelve rak'ahs of voluntary prayer other than the obligatory ones every day will have a house built for him in Paradise by Allah."
[Muslim: 727]
Sayyidina Nu'man bin Hammar narrated that he heard the Prophet (peace be upon him) say: "Allah, the Exalted, said: 'O son of Adam, do not be negligent in performing four rak'ahs at the beginning of your day, and I shall be sufficient for you for the rest of it.'"
[Abu Dawood: 1289]
Benefits:
Hafiz al-Maqdisi (may Allah have mercy on him) mentioned this hadith in a separate chapter under the virtue of the Duha prayer. It indicates that the person who performs the Duha prayer is under the protection of Allah.
[Abu Dawood: 1271, Tirmidhi: 430, and he said: Hasan Ghareeb]
Benefits:
A person who prays four rak'ahs before Asr earns the supplication of the Prophet (peace be upon him). The Prophet (peace be upon him) himself used to perform these four rak'ahs before the obligatory Asr prayer.
[Sunan at-Tirmidhi: 429, and he said: Hasan]
This collection of hadiths demonstrates the significance of specific Sunnah prayers and encourages regular performance, illustrating the rewards and virtues associated with them.
Imam Diya al-Maqdisi (may Allah have mercy on him)
Translation and Benefits by:
Hafiz Nadeem Zaheer
The Virtue of Two Rak'ahs Before Fajr
Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "The two rak'ahs before Fajr are better than the world and all that it contains."
Benefits:
From this hadith, we can clearly understand the importance and virtue of the two rak'ahs before Fajr. In another narration in Sahih Muslim, it is stated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:"
They are more beloved to me than the entire world."
[Sahih Muslim: 765/97]
Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) also narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) took more care in performing the two rak'ahs before Fajr than any other voluntary prayer.
[Bukhari: 1169, Muslim: 724]
The Virtue of Four Rak'ahs Before Asr
Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said:
"The Prophet (peace be upon him) never omitted four rak'ahs before Dhuhr and two rak'ahs before Fajr."
[Bukhari: 1182]
From these narrations, it is evident how much the Prophet (peace be upon him) valued these two rak'ahs. Therefore, we should also strive to perform these two rak'ahs before the Fajr congregation regularly. If missed due to some excuse, they should be performed immediately afterward.
The Virtue of Other Sunnah Prayers
Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Whoever persistently performs twelve rak'ahs in a day and night will enter Paradise: four rak'ahs before Dhuhr, two after it, two rak'ahs after Maghrib, two rak'ahs after Isha, and two rak'ahs before Fajr."
[Sunan an-Nasa'i: 1795, Ibn Majah: 214, Tirmidhi: 414, and he said: Hasan Ghareeb]
Benefits:
This virtue is for the person who consistently performs these twelve rak'ahs, not for those who follow their whims, performing them when they feel like it and omitting them when they find them burdensome. [May Allah protect us from this.]
Sayyida Umm Habiba (may Allah be pleased with her), the wife of the Prophet (peace be upon him), said: "I heard the Prophet (peace be upon him) say: 'Whoever prays four rak'ahs before Dhuhr and four after it, Allah will forbid the Fire from touching him.'"
[Abu Dawood: 1269, an-Nasa'i: 1817, Tirmidhi: 427, and he said: Hasan Sahih Ghareeb]
Benefits:
This hadith emphasizes the virtue of the sunnah prayers before and after Dhuhr and serves as a reminder to those who neglect these sunnah prayers, often saying, "It is only a sunnah, not obligatory," to escape from performing them.
The Virtue of Duha Prayer
Sayyidina Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: "My close friend (the Prophet, peace be upon him) advised me to do three things: to fast three days each month, to pray two rak'ahs of Duha, and to pray Witr before sleeping."
[Bukhari: 178, Muslim: 721]
Benefits:
The three days of fasting each month refer to the days of the full moon (13th, 14th, and 15th of the lunar month), as indicated by other narrations. The Duha prayer is highly virtuous, as highlighted in the following hadith, and it is performed when the sun has fully risen.
Note that the terms Ishraq, Duha, and Awwabin refer to the same prayer, as evidenced by Sahih Muslim (748). The Witr prayer can be performed any time after Isha, but it is best performed in the last part of the night, as Imam Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:"It is recommended to pray Witr before sleeping only for those who are not confident of waking up in the last part of the night. If one is confident, then the last part of the night is better."[Riyad as-Salihin: 1139, Book of Virtues, Chapter on the Virtue of Duha Prayer]
Sayyidina Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "In the morning, every joint of yours must perform a charity. Every tasbih (saying Subhan Allah) is a charity, every tahmid (saying Alhamdulillah) is a charity, every tahlil (saying La ilaha illallah) is a charity, and every takbir (saying Allahu Akbar) is a charity. Enjoining good is a charity, and forbidding evil is a charity. Two rak'ahs of Duha suffice for all of this."
[Muslim: 720]
Benefits:
This hadith underscores the importance and virtue of the Duha prayer.
Sayyidina Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "My beloved (the Prophet, peace be upon him) advised me to do three things that I will never leave as long as I live: to fast three days each month, to pray Duha, and to pray Witr before sleeping."
[Muslim: 722]
Benefits:
This hadith also emphasizes the importance of the Duha prayer and highlights the great love and desire of the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) to follow the Prophet (peace be upon him).
The Virtue of Twelve Rak'ahs
Sayyida Umm Habiba (may Allah be pleased with her), the wife of the Prophet (peace be upon him), narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "A Muslim servant who performs twelve rak'ahs of voluntary prayer other than the obligatory ones every day will have a house built for him in Paradise by Allah."
[Muslim: 727]
Sayyidina Nu'man bin Hammar narrated that he heard the Prophet (peace be upon him) say: "Allah, the Exalted, said: 'O son of Adam, do not be negligent in performing four rak'ahs at the beginning of your day, and I shall be sufficient for you for the rest of it.'"
[Abu Dawood: 1289]
Benefits:
Hafiz al-Maqdisi (may Allah have mercy on him) mentioned this hadith in a separate chapter under the virtue of the Duha prayer. It indicates that the person who performs the Duha prayer is under the protection of Allah.
The Virtue of Four Rak'ahs Before Asr
Sayyidina Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "May Allah have mercy on a person who prays four rak'ahs before Asr."[Abu Dawood: 1271, Tirmidhi: 430, and he said: Hasan Ghareeb]
Benefits:
A person who prays four rak'ahs before Asr earns the supplication of the Prophet (peace be upon him). The Prophet (peace be upon him) himself used to perform these four rak'ahs before the obligatory Asr prayer.
[Sunan at-Tirmidhi: 429, and he said: Hasan]
This collection of hadiths demonstrates the significance of specific Sunnah prayers and encourages regular performance, illustrating the rewards and virtues associated with them.
