Prayer (Kitab Al-Salat): Voluntary Prayers

كتاب التطوع

Chapter 1: Chapters Regarding The Voluntary And Sunnah Prayers

Narrated Abd Allah b. 'Umar

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) would pray two rak'ahs before and two after the noon prayer, two after the sunset prayer in his house, and two after the night prayer. He would not pray after the Friday prayer till he departed. He would then pray two rak'ahs.

Chapter 3: Making Them Brief

Narrated Bilal

Ziyadah al-Kindi reported on the authority of Bilal that he (Bilal) came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) to inform him about the dawn prayer. Aisha kept Bilal engaged in a matter which she asked him till the day was bright and it became fairly light. Bilal then stood up and called him to prayer and called him repeatedly. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) did not yet come out. When he came out, he led the people in prayer and he (Bilal) informed him that Aisha had kept him engaged in a matter which she asked him till it became fairly light; hence he became late in reaching him (in time). He (Bilal) said: Messenger of Allah, the dawn became fairly bright. He said: If the dawn became brighter than it is now, I would pray them (the two rak'ahs of the sunnah prayer), offer them well and in a more beautiful manner.

Chapter 4: Lying Down On One's Side After It

Narrated AbuHurayrah

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: If any of you prays two rak'ahs before the dawn prayer, he should lie at his right side.

Marwan ibn al-Hakam said to him: Is it not enough that one of us walks to the mosque until he lies at his right side? According to the version of Ubaydullah, he (AbuHurayrah) replied: No.

This statement (of AbuHurayrah) reached Ibn Umar. He said: AbuHurayrah exceed limits on himself. He was asked: Do you look askance at what he says? He replied: No, but he dared and we showed cowardice. This (criticism of Ibn Umar) reached AbuHurayrah. He said: What is my sin if I remembered and they forgot?

Narrated 'Aishah

When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) finished his prayer late in the night, he would see. If I was awake, he would talk to me. If I was sleeping, he would awaken me, and pray two rak'ahs, then he would lie down as long as the mu'adhdhin came to him and call him for the dawn prayer. Then he would pray two rak'ahs lightly and come out for prayer.

Chapter 5: (What) If He Sees The Imam Without Having Prayed The Two Rak'ahs (Before) Fajr

Narrated 'Abd Allah b. Sarjas

A man came while the Prophet (ﷺ) was leading the people in the dawn prayer. He prayed the two rak'ahs and then joined the congregational prayer led by the Prophet (ﷺ). When he finished the prayer, the Prophet (ﷺ) said: So-and-so, which was your real prayer, the one you prayed alone or the one offered with us ?

Narrated Abu Hurairah

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)as saying: When the iqamah is pronounced for prayer, no prayer is valid except the obligatory prayer.

Chapter 10: Those Who Allowed These Two Rak'ahs To Be Prayed If The Sun Is Still High

Narrated Ali ibn AbuTalib

The Prophet (ﷺ) prohibited to offer prayer after the afternoon prayer except at the time when the sun is high up in the sky.

Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas

Some reliable people testified before me, and among them was Umar ibn al-Khattab, and most reliable in my eyes was Umar: The Prophet of Allah (ﷺ) said: There is no prayer after the dawn prayer until the sun rises; and there is no prayer after the 'Asr prayer until the sun sets.

Al-Aswad and Masruq said

We bear witness that 'Aishah said: Not a day passed but the Prophet (ﷺ) prayed two rak'ahs after the 'Asr prayer

Narrated Aisha, Ummul Mu'minin

Dhakwan, the client of Aisha, reported on the authority of Aisha: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to pray after the afternoon prayer but prohibited others from it; and he would fast continuously but forbid others to do so.

Chapter 11: The Prayer Before Maghrib

Narrated Anas b. Malik

I offered two rak'ahs of prayer before the Maghrib prayer (i.e. obligatory) during the time of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). I (narrator al-Mukhtar b. Fulful) asked Anas: Did the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) se you ? He replied: Yes, but he neither commanded us nor forbade us (to do so).

Chapter 12: The Duha Prayer

Abu al-Aswad al-Dailani said

While we were present with Abu Dharr, he said: In the morning, alms are due for him, ever fast is alms, every pilgrimage is alms, every utterance of "Glory to be Allah" is alms, every utterance of "Allah is most great" is alms, every utterance of "Praise be to Allah" is alms. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) recounted all such good works. He then said: Two rak'ahs which one prays in the Duha serve instead of that.

Narrated AbuUmamah

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Prayer followed by a prayer with no idle talk between the two is recorded in Illiyyun.

Narrated 'Abd Allah b. Shaqiq

I asked 'Aishah: Did the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) pray in the Duha? She replied: No, except when he returned from his journey. I then asked: Did the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) recite the surahs combining each other? She said: He would do so in the mufassal surahs.

Chapter 1: Chapters Regarding The Voluntary And Sunnah Prayers

Narrated Abd Allah b. Shaqiq

I asked A'ishah about the voluntary prayers offered by the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). She replied: Before the noon prayer he would pray four rak'ahs in my house, then go out and lead the people in prayer, then return to my house and pray two rak'ahs. He would lead the people in the sunset prayer, then return to my house and pray two rak'ahs. Then he would lead the people in the night prayer, and enter my house and pray two rak'ahs. He would pray nine rak'ahs during the night, including witr (prayer). At night he would pray for a long time standing and for a long time sitting. When he recited the Qur'an while standing, he would bow and prostrate himself from the standing position, and when he recited while sitting, he would bow and prostrate himself from the sitting position, and when dawn came he prayed two rak'ahs, then he would come out and lead the people in the dawn prayer.

Chapter 3: Making Them Brief

Narrated Abu Hurairah

The Prophet (ﷺ) would recite in the two (supererogatory) rak'ahs of the dawn prayer: "Say, O unbelievers" [Surat al-Kafiroon:1] and "Say: He is Allah, the one" [Surat al-Ikhlas:1]

Narrated 'Abd Allah b. 'Abbas

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to recite in both rak'ahs of the dawn prayer: "Say: We believe in Allah and in the revelation given to us" (3:84) . This is in the first rak'ah and in the second rak'ah (he recited): "We believe in Allah and bear witness that we submit ourself (to Him)." (3:52).

Chapter 4: Lying Down On One's Side After It

Narrated AbuBakrah

I came out with the Prophet (ﷺ) to offer the dawn prayer. When he passed by a sleeping man he called him for prayer or moved him with his foot. The narrator Ziyad said: This tradition has been reported to us by AbulFadl.

Chapter 7: The Four Rak'ahs Before And After Dhuhr

Narrated Umm Habibah

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: If anyone keeps on praying regularly four rak'ahs before and four after the noon prayer, he will not enter the Hell-fire.

Abu Dawud said: Al-'Ala' bin Al-Harith and Sulaiman bin Musa reported it from Makhul with his chain, similarly.

Chapter 8: The Prayer Before 'Asr

Narrated 'Ali

That the Prophet (ﷺ) used to pray two rak'ahs before the 'Asr prayer.