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Salah - Nafil Prayers

Salah - Nafil Prayers: Encyclopedia II - Salah - Nafil Prayers

"Nafl" (supererogatory) prayers are numerous which one can offer, as many as he likes, any time except for odious timings . Salah - Tahajjud. Tahajjud salah is performed at night, after one has woken from sleep (one cannot stay up to perform Tahajjud). It thus falls between the waqts of Isha'a and Fajr, from after mid night till dawn. Includes 2 to 12 rakaats . It's reported about the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) that he said: "Adhere to night prayer, for it i ...

Salah: Encyclopedia II - Salah - Nafil Prayers

Salah - Nafil Prayers

"Nafl" (supererogatory) prayers are numerous which one can offer, as many as he likes, any time except for odious timings .

Salah - Tahajjud

Tahajjud salah is performed at night, after one has woken from sleep (one cannot stay up to perform Tahajjud). It thus falls between the waqts of Isha'a and Fajr, from after mid night till dawn. Includes 2 to 12 rakaats .

It's reported about the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) that he said: "Adhere to night prayer, for it is the habit of the righteous before you, and a means of drawing nearer to your Lord; it is an expiation for sins, and a deterrent from wrongdoing." [Tirmidhi & al-Hakim] Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-'As (Allah be pleased with him) relates that the Messenger of Allah (Allah be pleased with him) said to him, "Oh Abdullah, do not be like so-and-so, he used to pray in the night then he abandoned night prayer." [Bukhari & Muslim] And it is reported by Aisha (Allah be pleased with her) that, "The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) used to perform eleven rakats of prayer (at night), prostrating in it a prostration the length it takes any of you to read fifty verses (ayats) before raising his head." [Bukhari]

Salah - Ishraq

Ishraaq time begins when the sun is high in the morning after twenty minutes of sun-rise. Offering two or four rakaat prayer this time is highly rewarding. A hadith says that the one who sits and busies himself in remembrance of Allah after finishing Fajr prayer in congregation till he offers this two rakaat prayer after sunrise, will earn reward of Hajj and Umrah.

Salah - DuhaChasht

Chasht prayer comprises at least two rakaat and at the most twelve. Its time begins after sunrise and ends at meridian. It is better to offer Salaatul Duha (Chasht) when one-fourth of the day comes off.

Abu Hurayra related that the Prophet (Allah bless him & give him peace) said, "Whoever adheres to the Duha prayer shall have his sins forgiven, even if they are like the foam of the sea." [Tirmidhi, 438] Abu Hurayra said, "My Dear One (Allah bless him & give him peace) enjoined me with three: to sleep having performed the witr prayer; to fast three days every month; and the two rakats of Duha." [Nasa'i, 1659] Mu`adha said that she asked `A'isha (Allah be pleased with her), "How many rakats did the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) pray for the Duha prayer?" She replied, "Four rakats, and he would add what he wanted." [Muslim 1175, Ahmad 23317, Ibn Maja 1371]

Salah - Awabeen

Offering six rakaat after the Maghrib obligatory prayer is commendable. This prayer is called Salaatul Awwaabeen. It is optional to offer with one, two or even three salaams. But it is better to say salaam after every two rakaat. If all six rakaat are offered jointly (i.e. with one salaam), then the first two will be deemed "Sunnat-e-Muakkadah" and the remaining four as Nafl. A hadith says that the one who offers six rakaat prayer after Maghrib prayer speaking nothing but what is good in between the two prayers, will earn reward equal to the worship of twelve years.

Salah - Tahiyatul Masjid

Tahiyatul Masjid, also called Masjidus Salaam, consists of two rakaat and is performed when first entering a mosque, as a way of greeting the place of worship.

On the authority of Abu Qatada (Allah be pleased with him) he said, "The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said: 'If any of you enters the Mosque, let him not sit until he prays two rakats.'" [Bukhari & Muslim] And on the authority of Abu Dhar (Allah be pleased with him) he said, "I entered the mosque, and there was the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) sitting alone, so he said: 'Oh Abu Dhar, Truly the mosque has a greeting, and indeed its greeting is two rakats, so stand up and pray them.'"[Reported by Ibn Hiban in his Sahih] Ibn Abidin explains in his commentary Radd al-Muhtar on al-Durr al-Mukhtar that, "What's intended by it (i.e. greeting the mosque) is drawing nearer to Allah not to the mosque, because a man if he enters the house of a king greets the king not his house." [Radd al-Muhtar 'ala al-Durr al-Mukhtar, 1:456]

Salah - Tahiyatul wudu

It is commendable to offer two rakaat of Tahi-yatul Wudu before the washed parts of the body dry up after performance of ablution. The excellence of this prayer is proved by ahadith. However, offering obligatory prayer soon after ablution or bath will serve as its substitute. Offering two Rakahs prayer after "Ghusl" (bath) is also a commendable act.

Abu Hurayra (Allah be pleased with him) related that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said to Bilal, "Oh Bilal, tell me about a work that you are most hopeful about (being rewarded for) from the works you have done in Islam, for I heard the thumping of your sandals in front of me in Jannah." He said, "I did not do a work more hopeful to me, except that I never performed ablution in an hour of night or day without praying with that ablution what was written for me to pray." [Bukhari & Muslim] Muslim reports that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless and give him peace) said, "There is no Muslim who performs ablution properly, than gets up and offers two rakats turning to them wholeheartedly, except that Paradise becomes necessary for him."

Salah - Salat ut tasbih

A. Salaatul Tasbih can be offered any time except for odious times. It is better to offer this prayer before Zuhr prayer. This prayer is highly rewarding. A hadith stresses the importance of this prayer saying "offer Salaatut Tasbih daily if you could do, if not then once a week, if not then once a month, if not then once a year if it is not possible even, then at least once in lifetime.

The followers of Hanafi madhab offer Salaatul Tasbih as has been reported in "Tirmizi Shareef i.e. one should stand up for four Rakahs prayer as per the rules; say Allah-o-Akbar and fold the hands below his navel; recite "Sana" followed by this Tasbih i.e. "Subhaanal Laahi wal-Hamdu Lillaahi walaa Ilaaha Illal-Laahu wal-Laahu Akbar" (Glory be to Allah, Praise be to Allah. There is no deity but Allah. Allah is the Most Great) fifteen times and then recite "Ta'awuz", "Tasmiyah", "Surah Faateha" and any other Surah and then recite the same Tasbih ten times; perform "Rukoo" and recite the same Tasbih ten times after "Subhaana Rabbiyal Azeem"; rise from Rukoo reciting "Sami Allaahu Liman Hamedah" and "Allaa Humma Rabbanaa wa Lakal Hamd" and then recite the same Tasbih ten times; observe "Sajdah" and recite the same Tasbih after "Subhaana Rabbiyal A'laa"; rise from Sajdah and sit in "Jalsah" and recite the same Tasbih ten times; perform second Sajdah and recite the same Tasbih ten times after "Subhaana Rabbiyal A'laa" and then complete the remaining three Rakahs in the similar way. Thus, this Tasbih is recited 75 times in one Rakah and 300 times in all four Rakahs. It is better to recite Surah "Al-Takaasur" in the first Rakah after Surah Faateha, Surah "Al-Asr" in second, Surah "Al-Kaafiroon" in third and Surah "Al-Ikhlaas" in fourth Rakah.

Salah - Salat ul istasqa

Salat ul istasqa is done during the times of drought to ask god for rain.

Salah - Salaatul Haajat

If one wants Allah Almighty to fulfill his need or to meet his want he should offer two or four Rakahs "Nafl" prayer after 'Ishaa prayer. He should, according to Hadees, recite "Ayatul Kursi" (throne verse) thrice after Surah Faateha in the first Rakah, Surah Al-Ikhlaas in second, Surah Al-Falaq in third and Surah Al-Naas in fourth Rakah, which is tantamount to offering four Rakahs in "Qadr" night and then "Du'aa" (supplication) for the fulfillment of his need. By the grace of Allah Almighty his Du'aa will be answered. "Mashaa-ikh" (religious leaders) say that they offered Salaatul Haajat and their needs were fulfilled.

Salah - Journey prayer

On the authority of Maqtam ibn al-Miqdam? That he said, "The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless and give him peace) said, 'No one has left behind with their family anything better than two rakats offered at home when wanting travel.'" [Reported by al-Tabarani] Kaab ibn Malik relates, "The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) would not arrive from a journey except daytime in the forenoon, so if he arrived he started with the mosque and prayed two rakats in it then sat." [Muslim] Whoever desires to travel should offer two rakats of prayer in his home prior to traveling, and when he returns from his journey he should seek the mosque and offer two rakats therein. [ Radd al-Muhtar, 1:459]

Salah - Guidence prayer Istikhara

On the authority of Jabir ibn 'Abdi'llah (may Allah be well pleased with him and with his father) who said, "Allah's Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) used to teach us how to seek guidance in choosing the best option available in a practical enterprise [al-istikhara fi 'l-amr], just as he would teach us a Chapter [Sura] from the Qur'an. He would say:

"'If one of you is concerned about some practical undertaking, or about making plans for a journey, he should perform two cycles of ritual prayer [rak'atain], not as an obligatory observance [farida], but voluntarily. Then he should say:

O Allah, I ask You to show me what is best, through Your knowledge, and I ask You to empower me, through Your power, and I beg You to grant me Your tremendous favor, for You have power, while I am without power, and You have knowledge, while I am without knowledge, and You are the One who knows all things invisible.O Allah, if You know that this undertaking is in the best interests of my religion, my life in this world, and my life in the Hereafter, and can yield successful results in both the short term and the long term, then make it possible for me and make it easy for me, and then bless me in it.If not, then turn it away from me, and make it easy for me to do well, wherever I may happen to be, and make me content with Your verdict, O Most Merciful of the merciful.