Voluntary Prayers

Narrated Umm Habibah: The Prophet (ﷺ) as saying: If anyone prays in a day and a night twelve rak'ahs voluntarily (supererogatory prayer), a house will be built from him in Paradise on account of these (rak'ahs).

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.

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 afte the Friday prayer till he departed. He would then pray two rak'ahs.

Narrated 'Aishah: The Prophet (ﷺ) never omitted four rak'ahs before the noon prayer, and two rak'ahs before the dawn prayer.

Narrated 'Aishah: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was more particular about observing the supererogatory rak'ahs before the dawn prayer than about observing any of the other supererogatory prayers.

Narrated 'Aishah: The Prophet (ﷺ) would pray two rak'ahs before the dawn prayer lightly so much so that I would say: Did he recite Surah al-Fatihah in them.

Narrated Abu Hurairah: The Prophet (ﷺ) would recite in both rak'ahs of the dawn prayer: "Say, O unbelievers" and "Say: He is Allah, the one"

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.

Narrated AbuHurayrah: The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Do not omit them (the two rak'ahs before the dawn prayer) even if you are driven away by the horses.

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).

Narrated Abu Hurairah: That he heard the Prophet (ﷺ) recite in both rak'ahs of the dawn: "Say: We believe in Allah, and in the revelation given to us" (3:84). This is in the first rak'ah. In the second rak'ah he recited this verse: "Our Lord, we have believed in what You have sent down, and we follow the Messenger, so write us down among those who bear witness." or he recited: "Surely, we have sent you with the truth as a bringer of glad tidings, and a warner. And you will not be asked about the inhabitants of the Blazing Fire" (2:119). Al-Darawardi doubted (which of the verse he recited).

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.

Narrated Aisha, Ummul Mu'minin: When the Prophet (ﷺ) prayed the two rak'ahs of the dawn prayer, he would lie down if I was asleep; in case I was awake, he would talk to me.

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.

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.

Narrated Qays ibn Amr: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saw a person praying after the congregational prayer at dawn was over. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: There are two rak'ahs of the dawn prayer (i.e. the prescribed rak'ahs). The man replied: I did not pray the two rak'ahs before the dawn prayer. Hence I offered them now. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) kept silent.

This tradition has also been transmitted by 'Ata b. Abi Rabah on the authority of Sa'd b. Sa'id through a different chain of narrators.Abu Dawud said: 'Abd Rabbihi and Yahya b. Sa'id also narrated this tradition from the Prophet (ﷺ) omitting the name of the Companion (mursal). Their grandfather Zaid prayed along with the Prophet (ﷺ).

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.

Narrated AbuAyyub: The Prophet (ﷺ) said: The gates of heaven are opened for four rak'ahs containing no taslim (salutation) before the noon prayer.Abu Dawud said: Yahya b. Sa'id al-Qattan said: If I were to narrate any tradition from 'Ubaidah, I would narrate this tradition.Abu Dawud said: 'Ubaidah is weak.Abu Dawud said: The name of the narrator Ibn Minjab is Sahm.

Narrated Abdullah ibn Umar: The Prophet (ﷺ) said: May Allah show mercy to a man who prays four rak'ahs before the afternoon prayer.

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

Narrated Kuraib, the client of Ibn 'Abbas: That 'Abd Allah b. Abbas, 'Abd al-Rahman b. Azhar and al-Miswar b. Makhramah sent him to 'Aishah, wife of the Prophet (ﷺ). They said: Convey our regards to her from all of us and ask her about the two rak'ahs after the 'Asr prayer, and tell her that we have been informed that she prays them, and we are told that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prohibited them. I entered upon her and told her that for which they had sent me to her. She said: Ask Umm Salamah. I returned to them (Ibn 'Abbas and others) and informed them about her opinion. They sent me back to Umm Salamah with the same mission for which they had sent me to 'Aishah. Umm Salamah said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prohibiting them, but later on I saw him praying them. When he prayed them, he had offered the 'Asr prayer. He then came to me while a number of women from Banu Haram from the Ansar were sitting with me. He prayed these two rak'ahs. I sent a slave girl to him and I told her: Stand beside him and tell him that Umm Salamah has asked: Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), I heard you prohibiting these two rak'ahs (after the afternoon prayer) but I see you praying them yourself. If he makes a sign with his hand, step backward from him. The slave girl did so. When he finished prayer, he said: O daughter of Abu Umayyah, you asked about the praying of two rak'ahs after the 'Asr prayer, in fact, some people of 'Abd al-Qais has come to me with the news that their people had embraced Islam. They hindered me from praying the two rak'ahs after Zuhr prayer. It is those two rak'ahs (which I offered after the 'Asr prayer)

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 Ali ibn AbuTalib: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) would offer two rak'ahs after every obligatory prayer except the dawn and the 'Asr prayer.

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.

Narrated Amr ibn Anbasah as-Sulami: I asked: Messenger of Allah, in which part of night the supplication is more likely to be accepted? He replied: In the last part: Pray as much as you like, for the prayer is attended by the angels and it is recorded till you offer the dawn prayer; then stop praying when the sun is rising till it has reached the height of one or two lances, for it rises between the two horns of the Devil, and the infidels offer prayer for it (at that time). Then pray as much as you like, because the prayer is witnessed and recorded till the shadow of a lance be- comes equal to it. Then cease prayer, for at that time the Hell-fire is heated up and doors of Hell are opened. When the sun declines, pray as much as you like, for the prayer is witnessed till you pray the afternoon prayer; then cease prayer till the sun sets, for it sets between the horns of the Devil, and (at that time) the infidels offer prayer for it. He narrated a lengthy tradition. Abbas said: AbuSalam narrated this tradition in a similar manner from AbuUmamah. If I have made a mistake unintentionally, I beg pardon of Allah and repent to Him.

Narrated Abdullah ibn Umar: Yasar, the client of Ibn Umar, said: Ibn Umar saw me praying after the break of dawn. He said: O Yasar, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came to us while we were offering this prayer. He (the Prophet) said: Those who are present should inform those who are absent: Do not offer any prayer after (the break of) dawn except two rak'ahs.

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