Category: Discovering Islam: A Kid's Guide

The Voluntary Prayers

We all know the five obligatory prayers or صلاة الفرض Salat-ul-Fard that every Muslim must pray. Apart from the Fard prayers, there are صلاة النوافل Salat-un-Nawafil or extra prayers that we should also pray. These prayers are not obligatory, but rasoolullah encouraged Muslims to pray them. Salat-un- Nawafil are comprised of two main types:
1. Salat-us-Sunnah
2. Salat-ut-Tatawwo', or, voluntary prayers.

Sunnah Prayer صلاة السنة

rasoolullah is used to do Sunnah prayers all the time. Scholar, or regular Sunnah prayers that have fixed times.

You have learned earlier about Salat-us-Sunnah and how the Prophet ﷺ used to do these all the time. He always encouraged Muslims to pray them on time. Read the following hadeeth to learn the different Sunnah prayers and what rewards you get if you perform them regularly.

Hadeeth Shareef

عن أم حبيبة رضي الله عنها قالت : قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم:" من صلى في يوم وليلة اثنتي عشرة ركعة تطوعاً بني له بهن بيت في الجنة ، أربعة قبل الظهر وركعتين بعدها وركعتين بعد المغرب وركعتين بعد العشاء، وركعتين قبل الغداة. رواه مسلم وأبو داود وأحمد وابن ماجه

Ummi Habeebah narrated that rasoolullah "Whomer, during the course of one day and night, prays twelve voluntary rakaat will have a house in Jannah built for him for her): four before Thuhr and two after it, two after Maghrib, two after isha' and two before Fajr.

Salat-ut-Tatawwo صلاة الطوع

rasoolullah also used to pray voluntary prayers other than the Sunnah Ratibah.

He encouraged Muslims to perform voluntary prayers as often as possible. Some scholars call them صلاة النفل Salat-un-Nafl, which means the same thing; voluntary or optional prayers.

While some of the prayers known as Salat-ut-Tatawwo' have fixed times, like Salat-ud-Duha, Salat-ul-Witr and Qiyam-ul-Layl, other voluntary prayers have no fixed time. You can pray almost at any time.

However, there are some times you should avoid praying:

🚫Times not good for Voluntary Prayers🚫

🔸After Salat-ul-Fajr until the sun rises up a little.
🔸 The few minutes before the Athan of Salat-uth-Thuhr.
🔸 After Salat-ul-Witr at night.
🔸Between Salat-ul-Asr and Maghrib.

rasoolullah taught us that during the Day of Judgment, Allah will instruct. Al-Mala'ikah, or the angels, to inspect the quality of our Fard prayers. If a person missed some of his Fard prayers or messed some of them up, Allah will ask the angels to add the voluntary prayers to his balance in order to help him out.

Always pray Salat-us-Sunnah and other voluntary prayers. Make sure you pray at least 12 Rak'aat of Sunnah and other Nawafil to get a palace in Jannah.

Hadeeth Qudsi

قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: قال الله عز وجل: ( من عادى لي وليا فقد آذنته بالحرب ، وما تقرب إلي عبدي بشيء أحب إلي مما افترضت عليه ، وما يزال عبدي يتقرب إلي بالنوافل حتى أحبه ، فإذا أحببته كنت سمعه الذي يسمع به ، وبصره الذي يبصر به ، ويده التي يبطش بها ، ورجله التي يمشي بها ، وإن سألني لأعطينه ، ولئن استعاذني لأعيذنه ) رواه البخاري .

Abu Hurayrah narrated that rasoolullah said: Allah said : I will fight those who hurt my servants. The best worship I like my servant to do is the Fard prayers and worship. And my servant keeps doing the voluntary prayers until I love him. And when I love him will help him as he listens, as he sees, as he uses his hands and as he walks with his feet. Additionally, whenever he asks me for something I will give it to him, and when he wants me to protect against something I will protect him.
Reported in Al-Bukhari