Regular Sunnah (Recommended) Prayers

The Mother of the Believers, ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was never more consistent, diligent, and careful in performing any voluntary prayer than he was with the two Sunnah Rak‘ahs before the Fajr prayer.

1. Voluntary prayers refer to all prayers beyond the obligatory ones. Here, it specifically means the regular Sunnah prayers associated with the obligatory prayers.
2. The regular Sunnah prayers are: two Rak‘ahs before Fajr, four Rak‘ahs before Zhuhr and two after it, two Rak‘ahs after Maghrib, and two Rak‘ahs after ‘Ishā’.
3. The regular Sunnah prayer before Fajr is to be prayed both in residence and during travel, unlike the Sunnah prayers for Zhuhr, Maghrib, and ‘Ishā’, which are only prayed when resident.
4. The two Sunnah Rak‘ahs before Fajr are strongly recommended, and they should not be neglected.

صحيح البخاري (2/ 57) (1169). صحيح مسلم (1/ 501) (724). تيسير العلام شرح عمدة الأحكام، لعبد الله البسام (ص113). تنبيه الأفهام شرح عمدة الأحكام، لابن عثيمين (1/ 144).

Hafsah (may Allah be pleased with her) informs us in this Hadīth about one of the regular practices of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). He used to pray two Rak‘ahs, which are the regular Sunnah prayer before Fajr. He did not pray more than two, as mentioned in the narration in Sahīh Muslim on the authority of Hafsah (may Allah be pleased with her) in which she said: "When the dawn broke, he would not pray except two light Rak‘ahs." 'Light' in this Hadīth means that he used to shorten the standing, bowing, and prostration to such an extent that ‘Ā'ishah used to wonder – as mentioned in Sahīh Al-Bukhāri – whether he had recited Sūrat al-Fātihah or not. This does not mean that he used to perform them so quickly that he would neglect some of the pillars of the prayer of standing, bowing, and prostrating. Rather, the correct meaning is that he used to shorten them in comparison to the rest of the voluntary prayers, which he would usually lengthen. "After the break of dawn", i.e. as soon as dawn broke, he would hasten to perform those two Rak‘ahs before the Iqāmah (second call to prayer) of the Fajr prayer. This means that the time for the two regular voluntary Rak‘ahs of Fajr starts at the break of dawn and lasts until the Iqāmah of the Fajr prayer.

صحيح البخاري، تأليف: محمد بن إسماعيل البخاري، تحقيق: محمد زهير الناصر، الناشر: دار طوق النجاة الطبعة الأولى، 1422هـ. فتح الباري شرح صحيح البخاري، تأليف: أحمد بن علي بن حجر العسقلاني، رقمه وبوب أحاديث: محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي، الناشر: دار المعرفة - بيروت، 1379هـ. المنتقى: شرح موطأ مالك، تأليف: سليمان بن خلف بن سعد القرطبي، الناشر: مطبعة السعادة، الطبعة الأولى، 1332هـ. توضيح الأحكام مِن بلوغ المرام، تأليف: عبد الله بن عبد الرحمن بن صالح البسام، الناشر: مكتبة الأسدي، مكة المكرّمة، الطبعة الخامِسَة، 1423هـ - 2003م.

‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) informed that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to regularly offer the supererogatory prayers in her house without ever leaving them: four Rak‘ahs (unit of prayer) with two Taslīms before the Zhuhr prayer and two Rak‘ahs before the Fajr prayer.

1. It is recommended to regularly observe four Rak‘ahs before the Zhuhr prayer and two Rak‘ahs before the Fajr prayer.
2. It is preferable to offer the regular Sunnah prayers at home and this is why ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) informed about them.

صحيح البخاري (2/ 59) (1182). توضيح الأحكام مِن بلوغ المرام، لعبد الله البسام (2/ 379).

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) gave glad tidings to one who constantly and regularly offers four voluntary Rak‘ahs before the Zhuhr prayer and four voluntary Rak‘ahs after it that Allah will make him forbidden to Hellfire.

1. It is recommended to offer four Rak‘ahs before Zhuhr and four after it regularly.
2. The regular Sunnah prayers offered before the obligatory prayer have several rationales: one of which is getting oneself prepared for worship before starting the obligatory prayer. As for those offered after the obligatory prayer, one of their rationales is to make up for any shortcomings occurring in the obligatory prayers.
3. The regular Sunnah prayers have great benefits, such as increasing good deeds, expiating sins, and raising degrees.
4. The basic rule of Ahl-us-Sunnah regarding the Hadīths of the divine promise, like this Hadīth: They are to be interpreted as applying to those who die on Tawhīd (monotheism). The intended meaning is that they will not remain in Hellfire forever because the sinner from among the monotheists is deserving of punishment but will not be eternally condemned to Hellfire if he is punished.

سنن أبي داود (2/ 448) (1269). سنن الترمذي (1/ 452) (428). سنن النسائي (3/ 265) (1816). سنن ابن ماجه (2/ 238) (1160). مسند أحمد (44/ 358) (26772). سبل السلام شرح بلوغ المرام، لمحمد الصنعاني (1/ 336). توضيح الأحكام مِن بلوغ المرام، لعبد الله البسام (2/ 381).

This noble Hadīth clarifies that whenever the Adhān for the Fajr prayer was made, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would pray two Rak‘ahs, then lie on his right side until the Muezzin would come to him for the Iqāmah.

صحيح البخاري، لأبي عبد الله محمد بن إسماعيل البخاري, تحقيق محمد زهير بن ناصر الناصر، الناشر: دار طوق النجاة، الطبعة الأولى 1422هـ. توضيح الأحكام من بلوغ المرام، لعبدالله بن عبد الرحمن البسام، مكتبة الأسدي، مكة، ط الخامسة 1423هـ. منحة العلام في شرح بلوغ المرام، تأليف: عبد الله بن صالح الفوزان، ط 1، 1427هـ، دار ابن الجوزي. التوضيح لشرح الجامع الصحيح, ابن الملقن الشافعي, ت: دار الفلاح للبحث العلمي وتحقيق التراث, دار النوادر، دمشق – سوريا, الطبعة: الأولى، 1429 هـ - 2008 م. الكواكب الدراري في شرح صحيح البخاري, محمد بن يوسف بن علي شمس الدين الكرماني, دار إحياء التراث العربي، بيروت-لبنان, طبعة أولى: 1356هـ - 1937م. الصحاح تاج اللغة وصحاح العربية, أبو نصر إسماعيل بن حماد الجوهري الفارابي, تحقيق: أحمد عبد الغفور عطار, دار العلم للملايين – بيروت, الطبعة: الرابعة 1407 هـ‍ - 1987 م.

This Hadīth states that it is from the Sunnah of the Messenger (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) to lie down on one’s right side after praying the two Rak‘ahs before Fajr. He is to remain in this position until the Iqāmah for the prayer is called. The wisdom behind lying on one’s right is so that the person does not fall asleep, since the heart is located on the left side of the chest. When a person lies down on his left side, he is more prone to falling asleep, because he will feel more relaxed.

مسند أحمد بن حنبل، لأبي عبد الله أحمد بن محمد بن حنبل، تحقيق أبو المعاطي النوري، عالم الكتب. سنن الترمذي، لأبي عيسى محمد بن عيسى الترمذي، تحقيق : بشار عواد معروف، دار الغرب الإسلامي – بيروت. السنن، لأبي داود سليمان بن الأشعث أبو داود السجستاني، دار الفكر، تحقيق: محمد محيي الدين عبد الحميد. توضيح الأحكام من بلوغ المرام، لعبدالله بن عبد الرحمن البسام، مكتبة الأسدي، مكة، ط الخامسة 1423هـ. منحة العلام في شرح بلوغ المرام، تأليف: عبد الله بن صالح الفوزان، ط 1، 1427هـ، دار ابن الجوزي، الرياض. صحيح أبي داود، محمد ناصر الدين الألباني، مؤسسة غراس للنشر والتوزيع، الكويت.