Sunnah is My Style!

Salah (Prayer)

                In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

‘Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon our beloved Prophet Muhammad (s.a.s), his blessed descendents and noble companions.’

                                                                      Aameen.

 Abu Huraira RadiyAllahu 'anhu  narrates that once the Prophet Sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam asked his companions, 'Do you think that dirt can remain on a person bathing 5 times a day in a brook running in front of his door?' 'No O Rasoolullah', replied the compan­ions, 'No dirt can remain on his body.' The Prophet Sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam remarked, 'So, exactly similar is the effect of Salah offered 5 times a day. With the Grace of Allah SWT, it washes away all the sins'. (Bukhari, Muslim)

Salah

Fard is the Obligatory Salah; In Sunnah Salah, there is Muakkadah (obligatory) Sunnah and Ghair e Muakkadah (non-obligatory) Sunnah; Nafl/Nawafil is the voluntary Salah; The Witr (odd number) prayer is extra prayers that the Prophet practiced and highly encouraged Muslims to practice as well.

Names of Salah  | Total Rakahs |  Sunnah |  Fard  | Sunnah |  Nafl 

         Fajr              |          4            |        2       |      2     |       -         |     -    

         Zuhr           |          12           |        4       |      4     |       2        |      2   

         Asr             |           8            |        4      |      4      |      -          |     -    

     Maghrib         |           5            |        -        |      3     |      2         |     -   

        Isha              |          17           |        4       |      4     |      2         |     2    

 Plus 3 rakahs Witr and 2 Nafl (Isha)

The Sunnahs which are Muakkadah:

A part of the Salah performed accordingly to the obligatory prayers and Jum’ah (Friday) Prayer are called Muakkadah Sunnahs.

In one Hadith, such kinds of prayers have been described as:

“Whoever performs 12 Rak’ahs Salah beside Fard prayers, Allah Almighty will build a home for them. Those are: 2 rakahs before the Fajr (dawn or early morning) prayer, 4 rakahs before the Zuhr (noon) prayer and 2 rakahs after, 2 rakahs after the Maghrib (evening) prayer and 2 rakahs after the Isha (night) prayer.”

(Tirmizi; Salât, 189; Nesâî, Kiyâmul-Layl, 66; Ibn Mace, Ikâma, 100).

Non Muakkadah Sunnahs: These are Salah which Hazrath Prophet (SAW) sometimes did not perform. These are:

1. 4 rakahs before the ‘Asr (afternoon) prayer. About that prayer, The Prophet of Allah (SAW) said: “May Allah give mercy upon those who perform 4 rakahs prayer before the Asr prayer.” (Tirmizi, Salat, 301)