The Book of Prayer

Supererogatory (Voluntary) Prayers

بَابُ صَلاَةِ التَّطَوُّعِ

Supererogatory (Voluntary) Prayers

There are five types: First: Routine Sunnah Prayers These are the ones regarding which Ibn ‘Umar (rahuma) said: “Ten rak‘ahs I remembered from the Messenger of Allah (SA): a. Two before dhuhr and two after it [1-4] b. Two after maghrib, at home [5-6] c. Two after ‘ishâ’, at home [7-8] d. Two before fajr. [9-10] Ḥafṣah (RAH) told me that the Messenger of Allah (SA) used to pray two rak‘ahs whenever fajr time came and the mu’adh-dhin called the adhân.” 301 These [two rak‘ahs before fajr] are the most stressed of all of them. 302 It is preferred to make them short, 303 and praying them at home is better.304 This applies to the two rak‘ahs of maghrib as well.

وَهِيَ عَلَى خَمْسَةِ أَضْرُبٍ: أحدها: السنن الرواتب وَهِيَ الَّتِيْ قَالَ ابْنُ عُمَرَ: " عَشْرُ رَكَعَاتٍ، حَفِظْتُهُنَّ مِنْ رَسُوْلِ اللهِ : أ) رَكْعَتَانِ قَبْلَ الظُّهْرِ، وَرَكْعَتَانِ بَعْدَهَا. ب) وَرَكْعَتَانِ بَعْدَ الْمَغْرِبِ فِيْ بَيْتِهِ. ت) وَرَكْعَتَانِ بَعْدَ الْعِشَاءِ فِيْ بَيْتِهِ. ث) وَرَكْعَتَانِ قَبْلَ الْفَجْرِ. وحَدَّثَتْنِيْ حَفْصَةُ أَنْ رَسُوْلَ اللهِ  كَانَ إِذاَ طَلَعَ الْفَجْرُ وَأَذَّنَ الْمُؤَذِّنُ، صَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ." وَهُمَا آكَدُهَا، وَيَسْتَحَبُّ تَخْفِيْفُهُمَا، وَفِعْلُهُمَا فِي الْبَيْتِ أَفْضَلُ وَكَذٰلِكَ رَكْعَتَا الْمَغْرِبِ


300 One of the Mothers of the Believers (RAH); she was the wife of the Prophet (SA), the daughter of ‘Umar ibn al-Khaṭṭâb (RA), and the sister of Ibn ‘Umar (RAHUMA).


301 (Ag)


302 (M – from ‘Â’ishah)


303 “I used to wonder whether or not he finished reciting the Mother of the Qur’an (Soorat al-Fâtiḥah).” (B – from ‘Â’ishah) & The Prophet (SA) used to recite Soorat al-Kâfiroon (109) in the first rak‘ah and Soorat al-Ikhlâṣ (112) in the second. (A – from Ibn ‘Umar. A:S)

Second: Witr (Odd-numbered Night Prayer) 305 Its time is between the ‘ishâ’ and fajr prayers. The minimum is one rak‘ah, and the maximum is eleven. The minimum that is considered perfect is three, with [divided by] two tasleems. 306 He makes qunoot 307 after the bowing of the third rak‘ah.

.الثَّانِيْ: الْوِتْرُ وَوَقْتُهُ: مَا بَيْنَ الْعِشَاءِ وَالْفَجْرِ وَأَقَلُّهُ رَكْعَةٌ وَأَكْثَرُهُ إِحْدَى عَشْرَةَ. وَأَدْنَى الكَمَالِ: ثَلاَثٌ بِتَسْلِيْمَتَيْنِ. وَيَقْنُتُ فِي الثَّالِثَةِ بَعْدَ الرُّكُوْعِ.


304 (A/SM & Iqnâ‘): It is better to perform all the routine sunnah prayers at home.


305 That is the final night prayer.


306 How to Pray Witr

According to (A):
One prays two rak‘ahs and makes tasleem, and then prays one and makes tasleem, for:
& Ibn ‘Umar (RAHUMA) used to separate the two rak‘ahs from the single rak‘ah with a
tasleem, and he said that the Prophet (SA) used to do that. (Ḥib:S) If you decide to pray the three rak‘ahs together, you make one tashahhud, because it was reported: & “He (SA) used to pray witr with three rak‘ahs, and he sat in the last of them only.” (N; al-Albâni:S) This avoids making the witr like the maghrib prayer. What if a Ḥanafi congregation asks their Ḥanbali imam to pray witr the Ḥanafi way (with two tashahhuds)? Imam Ibn Taymiyah said in al-Fatâwâ al-Kubrâ that to bring about harmony, it would be better for him to agree. As proof, he cited the Prophet’s refraining from razing the Kaaba and rebuilding it, for the sake of harmony.


307 Qunoot

Qunoot is the name of a supplication offered during the prayer, while standing after bowing. Qunoot before bowing, as prescribed by (-H), is permissible according to (A/SM), since it was established from some of the Companions. As for the prayers and occasions when it is prescribed: In the witr prayer, regularly or randomly. Randomly (by the leader of the believers of the time, according to A/SM) in all prayers in cases of need, or of distress or calamities befalling the Ummah. The Prophet (SA) did this when he prayed against the tribes of Ri‘l, Dhakwân, and ‘Usayyah after they killed the Qur’an teachers that he had sent, at their request, to educate them. It is not prescribed to specify this supplication for the fajr prayer, or for any other prayer except the witr. & Abu Mâlik al-Ashja‘i said, “I said to my father, ‘O my father, you prayed behind the Messenger of Allah (SA), Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, ‘Uthmân and ‘Ali (RAHUM). Did they used to say the qunoot in fajr?’ He said, ‘O my son, this is an innovation.’” (T, N, Ma; I,435: S) Imam Ibn Taymiyah said in al-Fatâwâ al-Kubrâ that if one prays behind a Shâfi‘i imam who makes qunoot in the fajr prayer, he should pray qunoot with him. The following narration from the Prophet (SA) is one of the forms of the qunoot in the witr prayer:

Third: The General Supererogatory Prayers The supererogatory prayer at night is better than that of the day, and the latter half (of the night) is better for it than the first half. Praying at night is two by two (in pairs of rak‘ahs).308 The prayer of one sitting is half (in reward) of that of the one standing. 309

الثَّالِثُ: التَّطَوُّعُ الْمُطْلَقُ. وَتَطَوُّعُ اللَّيْلِ أَفْضَلُ مِنْ تَطَوُّعِ النَّهَارِ، وَالنِّصْفُ الأَخِيْرُ أَفْضَلُ مِنَ الأَوَّلِ. وَصَلاَةُ اللَّيْلِ مَثْنَى مَثْنَى. وَصَلاَةُ الْقَاعِدِ عَلَى النِّصْفِ مِنْ صَلاَةِ الْقَائِمِ

Allâhummahdini feeman hadayta wa ‘âfini feeman ‘âfayta wa tawallani feeman tawallayta wa bârik li feemâ a‘ṭayta, wa qini sharra mâ qaḍayta, innaka taqḍi wa lâ yuqḍâ ‘alayka, wa innahu lâ yadhillu man walayta, tabârakta Rabbanâ wa ta‘âlayta. (O Allah, guide me among those whom You have guided, give me safety from all evil among those You spared from all evil, befriend me among those whom You have taken as friends, bless that which You have given me, and spare me the evil which You have decreed. For verily, You decree, and none can decree against You, and he whom You befriend is never humiliated. Blessed are You, O our Lord, and Exalted.) (D, N; I,429: S – from al-Ḥasan ibn ‘Ali)

للهم اهْدِنِي فِيمَنْ هَدَيْتَ وَعَافِنِي فِيمَنْ عَافَيْتَ وَتَوَلَّنِي فِيمَنْ تَوَلَّيْتَ وَبَارِكْ لي فِيمَا أَعْطَيْتَ وَقِنِي شَرَّ ما قَضَيْتَ إِنَّكَ تَقْضِي ولا يُقْضَى عَلَيْكَ وَإِنَّهُ لَا يَذِلُّ من وَالَيْتَ تَبَارَكْتَ رَبَّنَا وَتَعَالَيْتَ

You may make whichever supplication you desire. After the supplication, it was reported from some Companions that they made prayers for the Messenger of Allah (SA). This practice is generally prescribed after all supplications.

308 As indicated in the following hadith:

“The night prayers are two by two, and if you fear (the coming of) the morning, make it witr (odd-numbered) with even one rak‘ah.” (Ag – from Ibn ‘Umar)

صَلَاةُ اللَّيْلِ مَثْنَى مَثْنَى فإذا خِفْتَ الصُّبْحَ فَأَوْتِرْ بِوَاحِدَةٍ

Fourth: What is Prescribed to Be Prayed in Congregation These are three types:

.الرَّابِعُ: مَا تُسَنُّ لَهُ الْجَمَاعَةُ وَهُوَ ثَلاَثَةُ أَنْوَاعٍ:

I. Taraweeḥ These are twenty rak‘ahs 310 after the ‘ishâ’ prayer, 311 in Ramadan. 312

.أَحَدُهَا: التَّرَاوِيْحُ وَهِيَ: عِشْرُوْنَ رَكْعَةً بَعْدَ الْعِشَاءِ فِيْ رَمَضَانَ


309 (Ag) to have been said by the Prophet (SA). This is concerning someone who is capable of standing. For those with excuses, Allah’s mercy is vast, and they will get the full reward. The Messenger of Allah (SA) said:

“If the servant [of Allah] falls ill or travels, he will have the same reward of the deeds he performed when he was healthy and at home.” (B – from Abu Moosâ al-Ash‘ari)

إذا مَرِضَ الْعَبْدُ أو سَافَرَ كُتِبَ له مِثْلُ ما كان يَعْمَلُ مُقِيمًا صَحِيحًا


310 Eleven or twenty-three rak‘ahs?

Twenty rak‘ahs is the position of (A) + (+H, +m, +S) None of the reports from the Prophet (SA) mention more than eleven, with two prior to them (even-numbered). These were narrated in sound reports by Muslim and from the Mother of the Believers ‘Â’ishah (RAH). However, there are some other reports, albeit with controversial authenticity, saying that during the time of ‘Umar (RA), the Muslims prayed twenty rak‘ahs. These reports gained authority because they were widely accepted by the jurists. Praying twenty rak‘ahs is supported by widely accepted reports from the Companions. Additionally, the number is not fixed. The Prophet (SA) said: