What are the authentic recommended practices (sunnah) before and after each prayer?
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The questioner : What are the authentic recommended practices (sunnah) before and after each prayer?
The Shaykh : As for the 'Asr prayer, there is no rawatib before it and no rawatib after it. As for the Fajr prayer, there is a rawatib before it consisting of only two light rak'ahs, in which he recites in the first and in the second[Al-Ikhlas 112:1] or he recites in the first[Al-Baqarah 2:136] and in the second rak'ah[Ali 'Imran 3:64] he recites this once and with a surah and al-Ikhlas a second time, because the Sunnah came with this and this.
As for the Zuhr prayer, it has a regular voluntary prayer before it and a regular voluntary prayer after it. The regular voluntary prayer before it is four rak'ahs with two taslims, and the regular voluntary prayer after it is two rak'ahs.
As for the Maghrib prayer, it has a regular voluntary prayer after it consisting of two rak'ahs. As for the 'Isha' prayer, it also has a regular voluntary prayer after it consisting of two rak'ahs. Thus, the regular voluntary prayers are twelve rak'ahs: two before Fajr, four before Zuhr, two after Zuhr, two after Maghrib, and two after 'Isha'. A person should strive to maintain these regular voluntary prayers, because whoever prays twelve rak'ahs in a day and night, Allah will build for him a house in Paradise. Also, these regular voluntary prayers complete what is lacking in the obligatory prayers, or they make up for what is deficient in the obligatory prayers, because even if a person prays the obligatory prayer, he is not free from deficiency and shortcoming. Allah, Mighty and Majestic, legislated these regular voluntary prayers to make up for the deficiency. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : As for the 'Asr prayer, there is no rawatib before it and no rawatib after it. As for the Fajr prayer, there is a rawatib before it consisting of only two light rak'ahs, in which he recites in the first
Say: O you disbelievers!
قل يا أيها الكافرونSay, "He is Allah, [who is] One,
قل هو الله أحدSay, [O believers], "We have believed in Allah and what has been revealed to us and what has been revealed to Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the Descendants and what was given to Moses and Jesus and what was given to the prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and we are Muslims [in submission] to Him."
قولوا ءامَنّا بِاللَّهِ وَما أُنزِلَ إِلَينا وَما أُنزِلَ إِلى إِبراهيمَ وَإِسماعيلَ وَإِسحاقَ وَيَعقوبَ وَالأَسباطِ وَما أوتِيَ موسى وَعيسى وَما أوتِيَ النَّبِيّونَ مِن رَبِّهِم لا نُفَرِّقُ بَينَ أَحَدٍ مِنهُم وَنَحنُ لَهُ مُسلِمونَSay, "O People of the Scripture, come to a word that is equitable between us and you - that we will not worship except Allah and not associate anything with Him and not take one another as lords instead of Allah." But if they turn away, then say, "Bear witness that we are Muslims [submitting to Him]."
قُل يا أَهلَ الكِتابِ تَعالَوا إِلى كَلِمَةٍ سَواءٍ بَينَنا وَبَينَكُم أَلّا نَعبُدَ إِلَّا اللَّهَ وَلا نُشرِكَ بِهِ شَيئًا وَلا يَتَّخِذَ بَعضُنا بَعضًا أَربابًا مِن دونِ اللَّهِ فَإِن تَوَلَّوا فَقولُوا اشهَدوا بِأَنّا مُسلِمونَSay: O you disbelievers!
قل يا أيها الكافرونAs for the Zuhr prayer, it has a regular voluntary prayer before it and a regular voluntary prayer after it. The regular voluntary prayer before it is four rak'ahs with two taslims, and the regular voluntary prayer after it is two rak'ahs.
As for the Maghrib prayer, it has a regular voluntary prayer after it consisting of two rak'ahs. As for the 'Isha' prayer, it also has a regular voluntary prayer after it consisting of two rak'ahs. Thus, the regular voluntary prayers are twelve rak'ahs: two before Fajr, four before Zuhr, two after Zuhr, two after Maghrib, and two after 'Isha'. A person should strive to maintain these regular voluntary prayers, because whoever prays twelve rak'ahs in a day and night, Allah will build for him a house in Paradise. Also, these regular voluntary prayers complete what is lacking in the obligatory prayers, or they make up for what is deficient in the obligatory prayers, because even if a person prays the obligatory prayer, he is not free from deficiency and shortcoming. Allah, Mighty and Majestic, legislated these regular voluntary prayers to make up for the deficiency. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.