In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful
Imam al-Nawawi records in his book Meadows of the Righteous:
باب فضل السنن الراتبة مع الفرائض وبيان أقلها وأكملها وما بينهما
Chapter on the virtue of the regular Sunan prayers, along with the obligatory prayers, and clarification on the most complete of them and what is between them.
Source: Riyāḍ al-Ṣāliḥīn 1/317
Umm Habibah reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
مَنْ صَلَّى اثْنَتَيْ عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً فِي يَوْمٍ وَلَيْلَةٍ بُنِيَ لَهُ بِهِنَّ بَيْتٌ فِي الْجَنَّةِ
Whoever performs twelve cycles of prayer in each day and night, a house will be built for them in Paradise.
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 728, Grade: Sahih
Ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, reported:
صَلَّيْتُ مَعَ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ سَجْدَتَيْنِ قَبْلَ الظُّهْرِ وَسَجْدَتَيْنِ بَعْدَ الظُّهْرِ وَسَجْدَتَيْنِ بَعْدَ الْمَغْرِبِ وَسَجْدَتَيْنِ بَعْدَ الْعِشَاءِ وَسَجْدَتَيْنِ بَعْدَ الْجُمُعَةِ فَأَمَّا الْمَغْرِبُ وَالْعِشَاءُ فَفِي بَيْتِهِ
I prayed with the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, two prostrations before and after noon prayer, two prostrations after sunset prayer, two prostrations after evening prayer, and two prostrations after Friday prayer. As for sunset and evening prayer, they were in his house.
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 1119, Muttafaqun Alayhi
Abdullah ibn Mughaffil reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
بَيْنَ كُلِّ أَذَانَيْنِ صَلَاةٌ بَيْنَ كُلِّ أَذَانَيْنِ صَلَاةٌ
Between every two calls to prayer is a prayer. Between every two calls to prayer is a prayer.
Then on the third time, the Prophet said:
لِمَنْ شَاءَ
For whoever wishes.
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 627, Grade: Muttafaqun Alayhi
Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, reported:
أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ كَانَ لَا يَدَعُ أَرْبَعًا قَبْلَ الظُّهْرِ وَرَكْعَتَيْنِ قَبْلَ الْغَدَاةِ
The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, would never miss four cycles before noon prayer and two cycles before dawn prayer.
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 1127, Grade: Sahih
In another narration, Aisha said:
لَمْ يَكُنْ عَلَى شَىْءٍ مِنَ النَّوَافِلِ أَشَدَّ مُعَاهَدَةً مِنْهُ عَلَى رَكْعَتَيْنِ قَبْلَ الصُّبْحِ
The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was not as strongly committed to any voluntary prayers as he was to the two cycles before dawn.
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 724, Grade: Sahih
Aisha reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him said:
رَكْعَتَا الْفَجْرِ خَيْرٌ مِنْ الدُّنْيَا وَمَا فِيهَا لَهُمَا أَحَبُّ إِلَىَّ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا جَمِيعًا
Two cycles of prayer before the dawn prayer are better than the world and everything in it. They are both more beloved to me than the entire world.
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 725, Grade: Sahih
Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, reported:
كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يُخَفِّفُ الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ اللَّتَيْنِ قَبْلَ صَلَاةِ الصُّبْحِ حَتَّى إِنِّي لَأَقُولُ هَلْ قَرَأَ بِأُمِّ الْكِتَابِ
The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, would sometimes perform two cycles of prayer before the dawn prayer so lightly that I would say to myself, ‘Did he recite Surat al-Fatihah?’
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 1112, Grade: Muttafaqun Alayhi
Imam al-Qurtubi commented:
لَيْسَ مَعْنَى هَذَا أَنَّهَا شَكَّتْ فِي قِرَاءَتِهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ الْفَاتِحَةَ وَإِنَّمَا مَعْنَاهُ أَنَّهُ كَانَ يُطِيلُ فِي النَّوَافِلِ ، فَلَمَّا خَفَّفَ فِي قِرَاءَةِ رَكْعَتَيِ الْفَجْرِ صَارَ كَأَنَّهُ لَمْ يَقْرَأْ بِالنِّسْبَةِ إِلَى غَيْرِهَا مِنَ الصَّلَوَاتِ
It does not mean that she doubted the Prophet had recited Al-Fatihah. Rather, it only means that his recitation in voluntary prayers was usually long, so when he lightened his recitation in the two cycles before dawn prayer, it was as if he had not recited it as compared to other prayers.
Source: Fatḥ al-Bārī 3/47
Ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, reported:
كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يُصَلِّي مِنْ اللَّيْلِ مَثْنَى مَثْنَى وَيُوتِرُ بِرَكْعَةٍ وَيُصَلِّي الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ قَبْلَ صَلَاةِ الْغَدَاةِ وَكَأَنَّ الْأَذَانَ بِأُذُنَيْهِ
The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, would pray at night two by two and make it odd with one cycle. The Prophet would pray two cycles before the morning prayer so lightly as if the call to prayer were in his ears.
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 995, Grade: Muttafaqun Alayhi
Umm Habibah reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
مَنْ حَافَظَ عَلَى أَرْبَعِ رَكَعَاتٍ قَبْلَ الظُّهْرِ وَأَرْبَعٍ بَعْدَهَا حَرَّمَهُ اللَّهُ عَلَى النَّارِ
Whoever preserves four cycles of prayer before noon prayer and after it, Allah will forbid him from entering the Hellfire.
Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhī 428, Grade: Sahih
Abdullah ibn al-Sa’ib reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, would pray four cycles after the decline of the sun before noon prayer and he would say:
إِنَّهَا سَاعَةٌ تُفْتَحُ فِيهَا أَبْوَابُ السَّمَاءِ وَأُحِبُّ أَنْ يَصْعَدَ لِي فِيهَا عَمَلٌ صَالِحٌ
Verily, there is a moment in which the gates of heaven are opened and I love that my good deeds ascend during it.
Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhī 478, Grade: Hasan
Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, reported:
أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ كَانَ إِذَا لَمْ يُصَلِّ أَرْبَعًا قَبْلَ الظُّهْرِ صَلَّاهُنَّ بَعْدَهُ
If the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, could not pray four cycles before noon prayer, then he would pray them afterwards.
Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhī 426, Grade: Hasan
Ali ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him, reported:
كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يُصَلِّي قَبْلَ الْعَصْرِ أَرْبَعَ رَكَعَاتٍ يَفْصِلُ بَيْنَهُنَّ بِالتَّسْلِيمِ عَلَى الْمَلَائِكَةِ الْمُقَرَّبِينَ وَمَنْ تَبِعَهُمْ مِنْ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنِينَ
The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, would pray four cycles before afternoon prayer, separating them with the invocation of peace upon the favored angels and those who follow them among the Muslims and believers.
Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhī 429, Grade: Hasan
Imam al-Tirmidhi commented:
وَاخْتَارَ إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ أَنْ لاَ يُفْصَلَ فِي الأَرْبَعِ قَبْلَ الْعَصْرِ وَاحْتَجَّ بِهَذَا الْحَدِيثِ وَقَالَ إِسْحَاقُ وَمَعْنَى أَنَّهُ يَفْصِلُ بَيْنَهُنَّ بِالتَّسْلِيمِ يَعْنِي التَّشَهُّدَ وَرَأَى الشَّافِعِيُّ وَأَحْمَدُ صَلاَةَ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ مَثْنَى مَثْنَى يَخْتَارَانِ الْفَصْلَ فِي الأَرْبَعِ قَبْلَ الْعَصْرِ
Ibrahim ibn Ishaq preferred not to separate the four before afternoon prayer, citing this tradition. Ishaq said: It means he would separate between them with the invocation of peace, namely, the tashahhud. It was the opinion of Al-Shafi’i and Ahmad that prayers by night and day are two by two, preferring to separate between the four before afternoon prayer.
Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhī 1/453
Ibn Umar reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
رَحِمَ اللَّهُ امْرَأً صَلَّى قَبْلَ الْعَصْرِ أَرْبَعًا
May Allah have mercy on a person who prays four cycles before afternoon prayer.
Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhī 430, Grade: Hasan
Anas ibn Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, reported:
كَانَ الْمُؤَذِّنُ إِذَا أَذَّنَ قَامَ نَاسٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَبْتَدِرُونَ السَّوَارِيَ حَتَّى يَخْرُجَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَهُمْ كَذَلِكَ يُصَلُّونَ الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ قَبْلَ الْمَغْرِبِ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ بَيْنَ الْأَذَانِ وَالْإِقَامَةِ شَيْءٌ
When the caller to prayer announced the prayer, people among the companions of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, would stand and proceed to the pillars of the mosque until the Prophet came out to them. As such, they would pray two cycles before sunset prayer, for there was not much time between the announcement and performance of prayer.
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 625, Grade: Sahih
Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
إِذَا صَلَّى أَحَدُكُمْ الْجُمُعَةَ فَلْيُصَلِّ بَعْدَهَا أَرْبَعًا
When one of you performs Friday prayer, let him pray four cycles after it.
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 881, Grade: Sahih
Ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, reported:
كَانَ رَسُول اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لَا يُصَلِّي بَعْدَ الْجُمُعَةِ حَتَّى يَنْصَرِفَ فَيُصَلِّي رَكْعَتَيْنِ فِي بَيْتِهِ
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, would not pray after Friday prayer until he had departed and thus would pray in his house.
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 937, Grade: Muttafaqun Alayhi
Zayd ibn Thabit reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
صَلُّوا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ فِي بُيُوتِكُمْ فَإِنَّ أَفْضَلَ الصَّلَاةِ صَلَاةُ الْمَرْءِ فِي بَيْتِهِ إِلَّا الْمَكْتُوبَةَ
O people, perform prayer in your houses, for the best prayer of a man is in his house, except for the prescribed prayers.
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 731, Grade: Sahih
Abu Qatadah reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
إِذَا دَخَلَ أَحَدُكُمْ الْمَسْجِدَ فَلْيَرْكَعْ رَكْعَتَيْنِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَجْلِسَ
When one of you enters the mosque, let him pray two cycles before he sits down.
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 444, Grade: Muttafaqun Alayhi
Success comes from Allah, and Allah knows best
