What are the daily regular voluntary prayers (rawatib) reported from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), with clarification?
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The questioner : O Shaykh, we hope you will clarify for us what the daily regular voluntary prayers (rawatib) reported from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) are.
The Shaykh : Yes, the regular voluntary prayers (rawatib) are twelve rak'ahs:
Four before the midday prayer (Zuhr), after the call to prayer (adhan), with two salams, and two after it, and two after the sunset prayer (Maghrib)—that is, after the sunset prayer—and two after the night prayer ('Isha'), and two before the dawn prayer (Fajr). These two rak'ahs are the best of the regular voluntary prayers (rawatib). For this reason, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) did not leave them, whether resident or traveling. They have a distinctive feature, which is:
that they have a specific recitation. In the first rak'ah, one recites:, and in the second: [Al-Ikhlas 112:1], or in the first: [Al-Baqarah 2:136], and in the second: [Ali 'Imran 3:64].
The third is that the Sunnah in them is to be brief. Therefore, a person should not prolong the bowing (ruku'), prostration (sujud), standing, or sitting in them. The Mother of the Believers, A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), used to say regarding the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) brevity in them:Bulugh al-Maram 2:267.
The fourth is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said:Jami` at-Tirmidhi 416Sahih (Darussalam) is better than the world and all that it contains. There is a weak hadith: , and this indicates their certainty.
These are the regular voluntary prayers (rawatib) that came in the Sunnah:
Four rak'ahs before the midday prayer (Zuhr), after the call to prayer (adhan), with two salams, and two after it, and two after the sunset prayer (Maghrib), and two after the night prayer ('Isha'), and two before the dawn prayer (Fajr).
As for the afternoon prayer ('Asr), it has no regular voluntary prayer (sunnah), because the time after it is a time of prohibition, and no regular voluntary prayer (sunnah) has been reported for the time before it.
The Shaykh : Yes, the regular voluntary prayers (rawatib) are twelve rak'ahs:
Four before the midday prayer (Zuhr), after the call to prayer (adhan), with two salams, and two after it, and two after the sunset prayer (Maghrib)—that is, after the sunset prayer—and two after the night prayer ('Isha'), and two before the dawn prayer (Fajr). These two rak'ahs are the best of the regular voluntary prayers (rawatib). For this reason, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) did not leave them, whether resident or traveling. They have a distinctive feature, which is:
that they have a specific recitation. In the first rak'ah, one recites:
Say: O you disbelievers
قل يا آيها 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 آمنا بالله وما أنزل إلينا وما أنزل إلى إبراهيم وإسماعيل وإسحاق ويعقوب والأسباط وما أوتي موسى وعيسى وما أوتي النبيون من ربهم لا نفرق بين أحد منهم ونحن له مسلمونSay, "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]."
قل يا أهل الكتاب تعالوا إلى كلمة سواء بيننا وبينكم ألا نعبد إلا الله ولا نشرك به شيئا ولا يتخذ بعضنا بعضا أربابا من دون الله فإن تولوا فقولوا اشهدوا بأنا مسلمونThe third is that the Sunnah in them is to be brief. Therefore, a person should not prolong the bowing (ruku'), prostration (sujud), standing, or sitting in them. The Mother of the Believers, A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), used to say regarding the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) brevity in them:
that I would wonder whether he recited al-Fatiha (or not)
حتى أقول : أقرأ بأم الكتابThe fourth is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said:
The two Rak'ah of Fajr are better than the world and what is in it.
ركعتا الفجر خيرٌ من الدنيا وما فيهاPray the two rak'ahs of the dawn prayer (Fajr), even if horses were chasing you
صلوا ركعتي الفجر ولو طاردتكم الخيلThese are the regular voluntary prayers (rawatib) that came in the Sunnah:
Four rak'ahs before the midday prayer (Zuhr), after the call to prayer (adhan), with two salams, and two after it, and two after the sunset prayer (Maghrib), and two after the night prayer ('Isha'), and two before the dawn prayer (Fajr).
As for the afternoon prayer ('Asr), it has no regular voluntary prayer (sunnah), because the time after it is a time of prohibition, and no regular voluntary prayer (sunnah) has been reported for the time before it.