Virtues and Importance of Sunnah Prayers in Islam

This excerpt is taken from the book Ṣaḥīḥ Ṣalāh an-Nabī ﷺ, authored by al-Shaykh ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ʿAzīz, published by Maktabah Dār al-Andalus.

Virtue of the Sunnah Prayers​

❀ The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

مَا مِنْ عَبْدٍ مُسْلِمٍ يُصَلِّي لِلَّهِ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ اثْنَتَيْ عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً تَطَوُّعًا غَيْرَ فَرِيضَةٍ إِلَّا بَنَى اللَّهُ لَهُ بَيْتًا فِي الْجَنَّةِ

“There is no Muslim servant who performs twelve voluntary (Sunnah) rakʿahs every day, apart from the obligatory prayers, except that Allah builds a house for him in Paradise.”

Reference: Muslim: 728

❀ Their detail is explained by Sayyidah Umm Ḥabībah رضي الله عنها:
① Four rakʿahs before Ẓuhr
② Two rakʿahs after it
③ Two rakʿahs after Maghrib
④ Two rakʿahs after ʿIshāʾ
⑤ Two rakʿahs before Fajr

Reference: al-Tirmidhī: 415

Virtue of Sunnah Before ʿAṣr​

❀ The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

رَحِمَ اللَّهُ امْرَأً صَلَّى قَبْلَ الْعَصْرِ أَرْبَعًا

“May Allah have mercy on the one who performs four rakʿahs before ʿAṣr.”

Reference: Abū Dāwūd: 1271; al-Tirmidhī: 430

Voluntary Prayer Before Maghrib and ʿIshāʾ​

❀ The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

صَلُّوا قَبْلَ صَلَاةِ الْمَغْرِبِ رَكْعَتَيْنِ… لِمَنْ شَاءَ

“Pray two rakʿahs before Maghrib.”
He said the third time: “For whoever wishes.”

Reference: al-Bukhārī: 1183; Abū Dāwūd: 1281

❀ The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

بَيْنَ كُلِّ أَذَانَيْنِ صَلَاةٌ… لِمَنْ شَاءَ

“Between every adhān and iqāmah there is a prayer.”
He said the third time: “For whoever wishes.”

Reference: al-Bukhārī: 627; Muslim: 1940

Issues Related to Sunnah Prayers​

❀ It is superior to perform Sunnah prayers two rakʿahs at a time. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

صَلَاةُ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ مَثْنَى مَثْنَى

“The voluntary prayers of the night and the day are offered two by two.”

Reference: Abū Dāwūd: 1295; al-Nasāʾī: 1666; Ibn Mājah: 1322

The narration mentioning four rakʿahs with one salām (Abū Dāwūd: 1270) has been declared weak by Shaykh Zubayr ʿAlī Zaʾī رحمه الله.

❀ Performing Sunnah prayers at home is superior. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

فَإِنَّ أَفْضَلَ الصَّلَاةِ صَلَاةُ الْمَرْءِ فِي بَيْتِهِ إِلَّا الْمَكْتُوبَةَ

“Indeed, the best prayer is that which a person performs in his home, except the obligatory prayer.”

Reference: al-Bukhārī: 731; Muslim: 781

❀ The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to recite Sūrah al-Kāfirūn in the first rakʿah and Sūrah al-Ikhlāṣ in the second rakʿah of the Sunnah after Maghrib.

Reference: al-Tirmidhī: 431

Virtue and Importance of the Sunnah of Fajr​

❀ The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

رَكْعَتَا الْفَجْرِ خَيْرٌ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا وَمَا فِيهَا

“The two rakʿahs of Fajr Sunnah are better than the world and all that it contains.”

Reference: Muslim: 725

❀ Sayyidah ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها said:

“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was most regular in observing the Sunnah prayers of Fajr.”

Reference: al-Bukhārī: 1169; Muslim: 724

❀ She also said:

“He never abandoned the two Sunnah rakʿahs before Fajr, whether during travel or residence.”

Reference: al-Bukhārī: 1159

Method of Performing the Sunnah of Fajr​

❀ Sayyidah ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها said:

“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to pray the two Sunnah rakʿahs before Fajr very lightly.”

Reference: al-Bukhārī: 1170; Muslim: 724

❀ He ﷺ used to recite Sūrah al-Kāfirūn in the first rakʿah and Sūrah al-Ikhlāṣ in the second.

Reference: Muslim: 726

Lying Down After the Sunnah of Fajr​

❀ Sayyidah ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها said:

“When the Prophet ﷺ finished the Sunnah of Fajr, he would lie down on his right side.”

Reference: al-Bukhārī: 1160; Muslim: 1718

Performing Sunnah During Congregation​

❀ The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

إِذَا أُقِيمَتِ الصَّلَاةُ فَلَا صَلَاةَ إِلَّا الْمَكْتُوبَةَ

“When the congregational prayer has begun, there is no prayer except the obligatory one.”

Reference: Muslim: 710, 712

❀ Even if the Fajr congregation has started, Sunnah prayers should not be offered. Mālik ibn Buḥaynah رضي الله عنه narrated that the Prophet ﷺ passed by a man praying Sunnah after iqāmah and said words implying:
“Do you intend to pray four rakʿahs of Fajr?”

Reference: Aḥmad: 22991; al-Bukhārī: 663; Muslim: 711

❀ ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAbbās رضي الله عنهما narrated a similar incident.

Reference: Musnad Aḥmad: 2130

Making Up the Sunnah of Fajr​

❀ If Fajr prayer is missed, the Sunnah should be prayed first, then the obligatory prayer. This occurred during a journey of the Prophet ﷺ.

Reference: Muslim: 681; al-Bukhārī: 595

❀ If Sunnah could not be prayed before the congregation, it may be prayed after the obligatory prayer. This is established from Qays ibn ʿAmr رضي الله عنه.

Reference: al-Tirmidhī: 422; Abū Dāwūd: 1267

❀ If time is not available, the Sunnah of Fajr may also be prayed after sunrise. The cited reports do not prohibit praying it before sunrise once missed. Therefore, when missed, the Sunnah of Fajr should be offered as soon as possible.

✔ This is the correct and balanced position established by authentic evidences.