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
Salat al-Musafir (Traveler's Prayer)
The shortened prayers that travelers perform while traveling.
Masjid al-Aqsa (The Farthest Mosque)
The third holiest mosque in Islam, in Jerusalem, connected to the Prophet's nocturnal journey.
Qiyas (Analogical Reasoning)
Legal analogy used to derive Islamic rules for new situations based on established rules.
Imamat (Divine Leadership)
The doctrine of the twelve divinely appointed Imams who lead the community after the Prophet.
Laylat al-Mi'raj (The Night of Ascension)
The night when Prophet Muhammad journeyed to the heavens and received the gift of prayer.
Surah Al-Fatiha (The Opening Chapter)
The opening chapter of the Quran, recited in every single rak'ah.