Sunnah Prayers

Beyond the 5 daily fard prayers, there are many voluntary (sunnah / nafl) prayers. Some are highly emphasized; others are recommended; some are situational. This page is the overview.

The 12 daily rawatib, most emphasized

The Prophet ﷺ said:

“Whoever maintains 12 rak’at of voluntary prayer every day, Allah will build for him a house in Paradise.”

Sahih Muslim

Total: 12 rak’at across the day. These are the sunnah muakkadah, the strongly emphasized sunnah that the Prophet ﷺ never missed.

How to pray the rawatib

• Each pair (2 rak’at) is prayed in the shape of any normal 2-rak’ah prayer, iftirash for the tashahhud, ending with tasleem
• The 4 before Dhuhr can be prayed as 2 + 2 (with tasleem between) or as 4 with one tasleem, both from the Sunnah
• Keep them shorter than the fard
• The 2 before Fajr are especially light and brief, the Prophet ﷺ would recite Al-Kafirun in rak’ah 1 and Al-Ikhlas in rak’ah 2
• Pray them alone, there is no congregation for rawatib

Other recommended (ghair muakkadah) sunnah prayers

These are not from the most emphasized 12, but are recommended and rewarded:

4 before Asr

The Prophet ﷺ said: “May Allah have mercy on the one who prays 4 rak’at before Asr.” (Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, hasan)

Pray as 2 + 2 with tasleem between.

2 between adhan and iqamah of Maghrib

Some narrations report the Prophet ﷺ encouraged 2 rak’at after the adhan and before the iqamah of Maghrib. Recommended.

2 after every wudu (tahiyyat al-wudu)

After every wudu, pray 2 rak’at. The Prophet ﷺ said the one who does this, without any worldly thought entering his heart during them, enters Paradise (Bukhari, Muslim).

2 on entering the mosque (tahiyyat al-masjid)

Whenever you enter a mosque, pray 2 rak’at before sitting down (Bukhari, Muslim). If the iqamah is being called or the imam is already praying, join the congregation instead.

Witr

The night’s odd-numbered voluntary prayer, prayed after Isha. See the full guide: Witr.

Duha, the mid-morning prayer

Prayed after the sun has risen visibly (about 15–20 minutes after sunrise) until just before Dhuhr. Minimum 2 rak’at, optimal 4 or 8, can be more in pairs.

The Prophet ﷺ said: “In the morning, charity is due from every joint in the body. Every tasbih is charity, every tahmid is charity, every tahlil is charity, every takbir is charity, enjoining good is charity, forbidding evil is charity, and two rak’at of Duha suffice for all that.” (Muslim)

Tahajjud, the night prayer

Prayed in the last third of the night before Fajr, after waking from sleep. The Prophet ﷺ never missed this. Pray in pairs (2 + 2) as much as you can manage, anywhere from 2 to 12 rak’at, then end the night with witr.

Salat al-Istikhara, seeking guidance

When facing a decision (where to live, marriage, work, etc.), pray 2 rak’at of nafl then recite the specific istikhara du’a taught by the Prophet ﷺ. (A dedicated istikhara page is planned.)

Salat at-Tarawih, Ramadan night prayers

Prayed in congregation after Isha during the nights of Ramadan. Typically 8 or 20 rak’at (in pairs). (A dedicated tarawih page is planned.)

Forbidden times for voluntary prayers

There are specific times when voluntary prayers are NOT permitted. The fard prayers and making up missed fards are exceptions and may be prayed in these times.

1. From after Fajr until 15-20 minutes after sunrise, no nafl after the sunnah of Fajr until the sun has fully risen
2. At true zenith, just before Dhuhr time enters, when the sun is directly overhead (a brief window of about 10 minutes)
3. From after Asr fard until sunset, no nafl in this window at all
4. During the moment of sunrise itself
5. During the moment of sunset itself

The general rule: do not pray nafl while the sun is rising, at its peak, or setting.

Exceptions to the forbidden times:

• Prayers with a specific cause (e.g., tahiyyat al-masjid, tahiyyat al-wudu), some scholars permit these in forbidden times
• Funeral prayers
• Missed fards that you are now making up

A practical daily schedule

If you wanted to fit the rawatib into a typical day:

• After Fajr enters → 2 rak’at sunnah → fard Fajr → post-salah adhkar → wait (no nafl until after sunrise) → optionally 2-8 rak’at Duha after sunrise
• Before Dhuhr → 4 rak’at sunnah → fard Dhuhr → 2 rak’at sunnah after
• Before Asr → 4 rak’at (recommended, not from 12 rawatib) → fard Asr → no nafl until Maghrib
• Maghrib adhan → iqamah → optionally 2 rak’at → fard Maghrib → 2 rak’at sunnah after
• Fard Isha → 2 rak’at sunnah → witr (if not delaying to last third)
• Late night (if you can) → tahajjud + delayed witr