Rawatib (Regular Sunnah Prayers)
The voluntary prayers regularly prayed before and after the obligatory prayers.
Rawatib (plural of ratibah) are the voluntary prayers regularly prayed before and/or after the five obligatory prayers. They are considered sunnah mu'akkadah (strongly recommended) and hold a special status in Sunni Islam.
The twelve rawatib according to the most well-known narration are: 2 rak'ah before Fajr, 4 rak'ah before Dhuhr and 2 rak'ah after, 2 rak'ah after Maghrib, and 2 rak'ah after Isha. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Whoever prays twelve voluntary rak'ah during the day, Allah will build a house for him in Paradise" (Sahih Muslim, narrated by Umm Habibah).
The Fajr rawatib's two rak'ah have a special status. The Prophet said: "The two rak'ah of Fajr are better than this world and everything in it" (Sahih Muslim). Aisha narrated that the Prophet was never more careful with any voluntary prayer than the two rak'ah before Fajr. In the Hanafi school, the four rak'ah before Asr are also considered rawatib, bringing the total number to 20.
Related terms
Du'a al-Iftitah (The Opening Supplication)
A beautiful supplication recited during Ramadan nights, attributed to Imam al-Mahdi.
Dhikr (Remembrance of Allah)
Remembrance and glorification of Allah through repetition of sacred phrases.
Nisf Sha'ban (Mid-Sha'ban)
The 15th of Sha'ban — the birthday of Imam al-Mahdi and a night of forgiveness.
Taharah (Ritual Purity)
The state of ritual purity, which is a prerequisite for prayer.
Salat al-Istikhara (Guidance Prayer)
A prayer where one asks Allah for guidance to make the right decision.
Sunan Abu Dawud (Abu Dawud's Hadith Collection)
One of the six canonical hadith collections in Sunni Islam with a special focus on legal narrations.