Sunnah prayer

A Sunnah prayer (Arabic: صلاة السنة, romanized: Salāt as-Sunnah) is an optional or supererogatory salah (ritual prayer) that are recommended to be performed in addition to the five daily salah, which are compulsory for all Muslims. Sunnah prayer have different characteristics: some are done at the same time as the five daily compulsory prayers, some are done only at certain times (e.g. late at night), or only for specific occasions (e.g. during a drought); some have their own name (e.g. Tahajjud) and some are identified by how they are performed (e.g. "4 (rakat) before Zuhr and 2 after"). The length of the Sunnah prayer also varies.
While the five daily salah are wajib/fard (obligatory), Sunnah prayer (and other sunnah deeds) are Mustahabb (encouraged) – those who perform them will earn a reward in the afterlife, but those who neglect them will not be punished (Allahu masta’an).
Sunnah (in mainstream Islam) means the traditional customs and practices that (are believed to) follow the example of Muhammad. According to the Sunnah of the Muslim tradition, all of these prayers were originally performed by Muhammad (in addition to the five daily obligatory prayers).
Sohaib Sultan states that the steps for Sunnah prayer (Takbir, al-Fatihah, etc.) are exactly the same as for five daily obligatory (fard) prayers, but varying depending on the prayer are the number of rakat (also rakʿah (Arabic: ركعة rakʿah, pronounced [ˈrakʕah]; plural: ركعات rakaʿāt), which is a unit of prayer.
Tahajjud, Witir,and Tarawih are night prayers, Tarawih is only done during Ramadan. (see below)
Salat ul istasqa is a prayer to ask God for rain. Kusuf is done during a solar eclipse; Khusuf during a lunar eclipse. (see below)
According to Sohaib Sultan, the Islamic prophet Muhammad performed Sunnah prayer "before and/or after every obligatory prayer" to gain more blessings and benefits from Allah. Examples of these Sunnah mu’akkadah or "confirmed" sunnah prayer, as established in the Hanafi school of fiqh, (according to Faraz Rabbani) include:
These sunnah prayers don't have a special name; however, some Muslims call these prayers Rawatib Payers (Sholat Sunnah Rawatib in Bahasa). Fajr, Zuhr, Asr, Maghrib, Isha are all names of compulsory prayers. A rakat—also rakʿah (Arabic: ركعة rakʿah, pronounced [ˈrakʕah]; plural: ركعات rakaʿāt) -- is the movement from standing, to bowing on the floor, to standing again, that is part of every salat prayer.
Another division between non-obligatory prayers is whether they are "confirmed" or "unconfirmed":
These two kinds of prayer have "different terminology and rulings".
(When the prayers duplicate the confirmed sunnahs mentioned above they can be included with the confirmed sunnah prayers or not.)
Sunnah prayer is not to be confused with Sunnahs of prayer. Not only are there obligatory and optional types of prayer, but obligatory and optional parts (words and actions) of a prayer (at least for conservative Salafi Muslims such as Muhammad Salih al-Munajjid).
Examples of obligatory and "pillar" words and actions include: i. Standing during obligatory prayers if one is able to do so; ii. The opening takbeer, i.e. saying “Allaahu akbar”; iii. Reciting al-Faatihah at the beginning of the rakat
Examples of sunnah words and actions include: i. Saying after the opening takbeer, “Subhaanaka Allaahumma wa bi hamdika, wa tabaaraka ismuka, wa ta’aala jadduka wa laa ilaaha ghayruka (Glory and praise be to You, O Allaah; blessed be Your name, exalted be Your Majesty, and there is no god but You).” This is called du’aa’ al-istiftaah (opening du’aa’) ii. Seeking refuge with Allaah iii. Saying Bismillaah iv. Saying Ameen
Tahajjud (Arabic: صلاة التهجد) prayer is performed at night time, and it is recommended that it be performed after first going to sleep for a part of the night. Scholars have different opinions about whether sleeping first is absolutely required or not. In Saudi Arabia during the fasting month of Ramadan, there are many people who leave the Tarawih prayers in the main masjid in a hurry so that they can go home, go to sleep, and then wake up to perform their Tahajjud prayers in the early morning. Others simply stay in the mosque and perform these optional prayers before going home.
The time for the Tahajjud prayers falls between the prayer times of the isha'a prayers and the fajr prayers. It is also recommended that the prayers be done in the last third of the night. Muslims believe that the reward is greater for those who do this prayer at a later time. (It is harder to wake up and pray early in the morning, making the person's effort greater, resulting in a greater reward from God.)
Each prayer for a Muslim is made up of repeated actions and at least one rakat. The Tahajjud prayer consists of a minimum of one rakat and a maximum number of 11. Some say 13 but any number more than 13 is a bidah (Innovation); for there is no hadeeth; that is saheeh (strong) showing that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) Muhammad exceeding more than 13 rakats (according to Abu ‘Abdullah Muhammad ibn Nasr al-Marwazee)
A hadith attributed to Aisha reports:
It is recommended that tahajjud be prayed during the last third of the night, but performing it at any other time is better than not performing it at all.
Tarawih (Arabic: صلاة التراويح) is a sunnah muakada night prayer during Ramadan. It is prayer that is only done during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. It can be done alone, in a group, at home, or in a mosque or other public meeting area it does not matter. Typically, Muslims gather together and perform tarawih as a group, often amongst extended family members in one large house. Others may meet in their local mosque, a meeting hall, or even in an outdoor field. Depending on the country, the tarawih prayers might be done in mosque by men only, or by a mixture of men and women (although physically separated from each other). The number of rakat of Tarawih salah is Twenty. Muhammad was afraid that if he continued to perform the prayers in the mosque, then his followers might come to think that they were compulsory and not optional.
After Muhammad, Taraweeh was still prayed by 20 rakats. The issue that people make that he prayed 8 is about Tahajjud (salah ). In the main mosque in Mecca, the Imam (prayer leader) performs twenty rakat and then you pray your isha witr prayers. The total number of people joining the tarawih prayers in the main mosque in Mecca may reach 3-4 million. They fill up all levels inside the mosque, the flat roof, outside in the courtyard, some nearby streets (which are closed off), and on occasions even using up space in the lobbies of some nearby hotels.
It is also customary for the Imam in any mosque to recite the entire contents of the Qur'an during the fasting month by reading approximately one section per day. This practice of reading the Qur'an completely is known as khatm (complete recitation).
Salat ul istasqa (Arabic: صلاة الإستسقاء) is a prayer to ask Allah for rain. It consists of two rakat. According to Ibn Qudaamah said "Prayer for rain is a confirmed Sunnah, proven by the practice of the Messenger of Allah ... and of his successors."
The imam prays, with the followers, two rakat during any time except those times in which it is not desirable to pray. In the first rakat, the imam recites Sura Al-A'la after Sura Al-Fatiha. And in the second rakat, he reads Sura Al-Ghashiyah after Al-Fatihah, and he delivers a khutbah before or after the salah. As soon as he finishes the khutbah (sermon), people face the qiblah (direction of prayer) and supplicate to Allah. It was first introduced in Medina in the month of Ramadan of 6th Hijrah.
There are a number of hadith of Muhammad talking about praying for rain. Ash-Shaf'i states that it has been related from Salim ibn 'Abdullah, on the authority of his father that Muhammad would say for ishsqa':
Sa'd reported that for ishsqa', Muhammad would supplicate: "O Allah, let us be covered with thick clouds that have abundant and beneficial rain, frequently making a light rain upon us and sprinkling upon us with lightning. O Allah, You are full of majesty, bounty and Honour." This is related by Abu 'Awanah in his Sahih.
'Amr ibn Shuaib relates from his father, on the authority of his grandfather, that for istisqa', Muhammad would say: "O Allah, provide water for Your slaves and Your cattle, display Your mercy and give life to Your dead lands." This is related by Abu Dawud.
It is preferred for the one who is making this supplication to raise his hands with the back of his hands toward the sky. Muslim records from Anas that Muhammad would point with the back of his hands during ishsqa.
It is also preferred, upon seeing the rain, to say: "O Allah, make it a beneficial rain", and he should uncover part of his body to the rain. On the other hand, if one fears that there is too much rain, one should say: "O Allah give us mercy and do not give us punishment, calamities, destruction or flooding. O Allah, make it upon the woods, farms and trees. Make it around us and not upon us."
Salat ul-Kusuf (Arabic: صَلَاةُ الْكُسُوف) is a prayer offered during a solar eclipse; Salat ul-Khusuf (Arabic: صَلَاةُ الْخُسُوف) is performed during a lunar eclipse. They are both Nafl (non-obligatory) with two rakat prayers that should be performed by the Muslim community in congregation.
Two or four Rakat (Units) of Khusuf salah are offered in a Jama'ah (Group) or individually, with individual prayers preferred. Neither Adhan (Call for Prayers) nor Iqamah (Second Call for Prayers) is called for Khusuf salah. Recitation of the Quran during Khusuf salah can be done either silently or loudly.
During the time of Muhammad, there was a solar eclipse. People hurried to link this to a worldly event, namely, the death of Muhammad's son, Ibrahim. Muhammad explained the truth of this matter to them. In his Sahih (authentic hadith), Imam Muslim reported that `A'ishah (rali) said:
The Duha prayer (Arabic: صَلَاة الضحى, Ṣalāt aḍ-Ḍuḥā) is the voluntary Islamic prayer between the obligatory Islamic prayers of Fajr and Dhuhr. The time for this prayer begins when the sun has risen to the height of a spear, which is fifteen or twenty minutes after sunrise until just before the sun passes its zenith (after which the time for the dhuhr prayer begins).
Salat al-Istikhaara (Arabic: صلاة الاستخارة), which translates as Prayer of Seeking Counsel, is a prayer recited by Muslims who seek guidance from God when facing a decision in their life. The prayer, known as salah in Arabic is performed in two units of prayer or raka'ah followed by the supplication of Salat al-Istikhaara. It was revealed as a permissible substitute of belomancy, which is illegal in Islam, and was common in pre-Islamic Arabia.