Sunnah (Voluntary Prayer)
Voluntary prayers based on the Prophet's practice.
Sunnah (Arabic: سنة) means "way" or "practice" and in the context of prayer refers to the voluntary prayers that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) regularly performed in addition to the five obligatory prayers. These are also called "rawatib" (regular sunnah prayers).
The most emphasized sunnah prayers (mu'akkadah) are: 2 rak'ah before Fajr, 4 rak'ah before Dhuhr, 2 rak'ah after Dhuhr, 2 rak'ah after Maghrib, and 2 rak'ah after Isha. The Prophet said about the Fajr sunnah prayer: "The two rak'ah before Fajr are better than this world and all that is in it."
In addition to the regular sunnah prayers, there are other voluntary prayers such as Duha (mid-morning prayer), Tahajjud (night prayer), Istikhara (guidance prayer), and Tarawih (Ramadan night prayer). These prayers provide extra reward and strengthen the believer's relationship with Allah.
Related terms
Du'a (Personal Supplication)
Personal address and supplication to Allah for help and guidance.
Tawhid (God's Oneness)
Islamic monotheism — belief in Allah's absolute oneness, the core of prayer.
Du'a al-Faraj (The Supplication of Deliverance)
A short, powerful supplication for Imam al-Mahdi's appearance and deliverance from suffering.
Eid al-Adha (Festival of Sacrifice)
The greatest Islamic holiday, celebrated in remembrance of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son.
Asr (Afternoon Prayer)
The third daily prayer, performed in the afternoon.
Jumu'ah (Friday Prayer)
The weekly congregational prayer on Friday, which replaces Dhuhr.