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
Shukr (Gratitude)
Gratitude toward Allah for His countless blessings.
Asr (Afternoon Prayer)
The third daily prayer, performed in the afternoon.
Barakah (Blessing)
Divine blessing and abundance, obtained through worship and good deeds.
Du'a Jawshan al-Kabir (The Great Armor)
A long supplication with 1000 of Allah's names and attributes, recited during Ramadan nights.
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.
Mab'ath (The Prophet's Calling)
The day when Prophet Muhammad received the first revelation and was called to prophethood.