Voluntary Prayers (Nafl)

Voluntary prayers (nafl or nawafil) are among the most beloved means of drawing closer to Allah. The Prophet, peace be upon him, said in the hadith qudsi reported by Bukhari: "My servant does not draw near to Me with anything more loved by Me than the religious duties I have imposed upon him, and My servant continues to draw near to Me with supererogatory works such that I will love him." Voluntary prayers supplement and compensate for any deficiencies in the obligatory ones.

Rawatib (Regular Sunnah Prayers): The rawatib are sunnah prayers attached to the obligatory ones. The strongest are those which the Prophet, peace be upon him, never omitted. These are twelve rak'ahs: two before Fajr, four before Zuhr, two after Zuhr, two after Maghrib, and two after Isha. The Hanbali school considers these strongly emphasized sunan (sunnah mu'akkadah). The two rak'ahs before Fajr are the most emphasized of all, as the Prophet said: "The two rak'ahs of Fajr are better than the world and all it contains" (Muslim).

Witr Prayer: Witr is the most important voluntary prayer after the rawatib. Some scholars, including some in the Hanbali school, hold it to be obligatory (wajib), while the majority consider it a strongly emphasized sunnah. Witr is performed after Isha and before Fajr. Its minimum is one rak'ah and its maximum is eleven, typically performed as sets of two with a final single rak'ah. The best time for witr is the last third of the night for one who can reliably wake, or after Isha for one who fears he will sleep through. Qunoot (a special supplication) is recited in the final rak'ah of witr, particularly during the second half of Ramadan in the Hanbali view.

Tahajjud (Night Prayer): Tahajjud is night prayer performed after sleeping and waking. Allah praises those who perform it: "Their sides forsake their beds" (al-Sajdah 32:16). The Prophet's tahajjud was typically eight rak'ahs followed by three witr. The night prayer can be performed in sets of two rak'ahs, and one may pray as many as one wishes. Ibn al-Qayyim wrote extensively on the spiritual benefits of tahajjud, describing it as the mark of the sincere believers.

Duha Prayer: The Duha prayer is performed after the sun has fully risen (approximately fifteen to twenty minutes after sunrise) and ends before Zuhr. Its minimum is two rak'ahs and maximum is twelve in the Hanbali view. The Prophet said: "Every morning a sadaqah is due on every joint of a human being. Two rak'ahs of Duha serve as the sadaqah for all of this" (Muslim). It is among the best voluntary deeds.

Prayers Before and After Tawaf: Two rak'ahs after tawaf of the Kaaba are strongly emphasized. Various other voluntary prayers include: Tahiyat al-Masjid (two rak'ahs upon entering the mosque), prayer during the eclipse (salat al-kusuf), prayer for rain (salat al-istisqa'), and the prayer of the two Eids (salat al-'idayn), which is wajib according to the Hanbali school.