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
Sawm (Fasting)
Islamic fasting from dawn to sunset, closely connected with prayer.
Makruh (Discouraged)
Actions that are discouraged in Islamic law but not forbidden.
Nahj al-Balagha (The Peak of Eloquence)
Imam Ali's collection of sermons and wise sayings, central to Shia prayer tradition.
Usul al-Fiqh (Principles of Jurisprudence)
Islamic legal theory that defines the methods for deriving legal rules from the sacred sources.
Wajib (Obligatory)
Actions that are obligatory in Islamic law, including the five daily prayers.
Jam' bayn al-Salatayn (Combining Prayers)
The Shia practice of praying Dhuhr and Asr together, and Maghrib and Isha together.