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
Mutahhirat (Purifying Agents)
The agents and methods that purify impure things according to Shia fiqh.
Minaret (Prayer Tower)
The mosque's tower, from which the adhan (call to prayer) is traditionally recited.
Shahadah (Declaration of Faith)
The first pillar of Islam: the testimony that there is no god except Allah and that Muhammad is His Messenger.
Sahabi (Companion of the Prophet)
A person who met the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) as a believer and died as a Muslim.
Masjid (Mosque)
The Islamic house of worship, where Muslims gather for congregational prayer.
Du'a al-Iftitah (The Opening Supplication)
A beautiful supplication recited during Ramadan nights, attributed to Imam al-Mahdi.