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The Rules on Prayer & Fasting

  • Prayer
    • Obligatory Prayers
    • Daily Prayers
    • The time for fajr prayer
    • The time for ẓuhr and ‘aṣr prayer
    • The Time of Maghrib/‘Ishā’ Prayer
    • Rulings regarding the Times of Prayer
    • Order among prayers
    • Mustaḥabb prayers
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      Mustaḥabb prayers

       

      32. There are many mustaḥabb prayers which are called nawāfil (the plural form of nāfilah), among which daily nawāfil (specially night prayer) have been emphasized more.
      33. Daily nawāfil are those mustaḥabb prayers which are to be offered every day. Performing these nawāfil is very important, and great rewards are mentioned for them. Among these nawāfil, which are said after midnight, are of special and unique importance among mustaḥabb prayers. It has great spiritual benefits, and it is appropriate for Muslims to care to recite it.
      34. The daily nawāfil are as follows:
      1. Nāfilah of ẓuhr: Eight rak‘ah (four two-rak‘ah prayers) to be performed before the ẓuhr prayer.
      2. Nāfilah of ‘aṣr: Eight rak‘ah (four two-rak‘ah prayers) to be performed before the ‘aṣr prayer.
      3. Nāfilah of maghrib: four rak‘ah (two two-rak‘ah prayers) to be performed after the maghrib prayer.
      4. Nāfilah of ‘ishā’: two rak‘ah to be performed after the ‘ishā’ prayer in a sitting posture.
      5. Nāfilah of fajr: two rak‘ah to be performed before the fajr prayer.
      6. Nāfilah of the night (night prayer): eleven rak‘ah to be performed between the middle of the night until the fajr adhān, and it is more recommend to be performed in the last third of the night.
      35. Nāfilah of Ẓuhr and ‘aṣr prayers on Fridays are twenty rak‘ah. That is, four rak‘ah are added to the ẓuhr and ‘aṣr nāfilah prayers, and it is better to perform all twenty rak‘ah before shar‘ī noon, but if it is done after shar‘ī noon until sunset, it is no problem.
      36. In case a person is going to perform the nāfilahs of ẓuhr and ‘aṣr after performing the ẓuhr and ‘aṣr prayers still at the time of nāfilahs*, by obligatory caution, he should perform them merely with the intention of proximity to God, not with the intention of adā’ (in time) or qaḍa’.
      * The time for ẓuhr nāfilahs begins at ẓuhr and continues until the shadow of a pole inserted in the ground increases by two-seventh of the pole height, i.e. if the pole’s height is seven hand spans, the shadow increases by two hand span. The time for ‘aṣr nāfilahs continues until the shadow of a pole inserted in the ground increases by two-seventh of the pole height.
      37. The night prayer is said as follows: at first four two-rak‘ah prayers with the intention of "night prayer" are recited like morning prayers, and then two rak‘ah with the intention of shaf‘ prayer and one rak‘ah with the intention of watr prayer. In its qunūt, it is mustaḥabb to ask Allah for forgiveness, supplicate for the believers, and to ask Allah, the Almighty, for one's needs in accordance with what is mentioned in supplication books.
      38. A traveler or a young person who finds it difficult to offer the night prayer on time or someone who has an excuse such as old age or illness, can offer the night prayer before midnight.
      39. In the nāfilah prayers, reciting the second chapter is not obligatory; rather, it is enough to recite chapter al-Fātiḥah in each rak‘ah; Although it is mustaḥabb to recite the second chapter as well.
      40. The mustaḥabb prayers (except for the watr prayer, which is one rak‘ah) are two rak‘ah and they can be recited sitting, although it is better to recite them standing, and if they are recited sitting, it is mustaḥabb to consider each two rak‘ah as one rak‘ah with the exception of the wutairah prayer (nāfilah of ‘ishā’), which should be recited, as a caution, while sitting, not in standing position.
    • Rulings about the Qiblah
    • The Coverage of Clothes in Prayer
    • Conditions of a Place for Prayer
    • Rulings on masjids
    • Adhān and Iqāmah
    • Obligatory Acts in Prayer
    • Qunūt
    • Prayer’s Ta‘qīb (Mustaḥabb Supplications/Dhikr Recited after Prayers)
    • Translation of the Prayer
    • What Invalidates the Prayer
    • Doubts in Prayer
    • Sajdah of Inadvertence
    • Qaḍā’ of Forgotten Sajdah and Tashahhud
    • A Traveler's Prayer
    • Qaḍā’ Prayers
    • Hire Prayers
    • Qaḍā’ Prayers for Parents
    • Āyāt Prayer
    • Congregational Prayers
    • The Friday Prayer
  • Fasting
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