Regular Sunnahs, daytime and nighttime voluntary prayer, recitation, makeup, sitting and riding Read the bilingual lesson for Voluntary Prayers: Regular Sunnahs, Nawafil and Juristic Differences and test your understanding with a focused quiz.
Lesson
1. Chapter of Voluntary Prayers — scope
بَابُ النَّوَافِلِ
Translation: Chapter of voluntary prayers.
Nafl literally means an addition. In legal usage it denotes prayer beyond the obligatory or wajib prayers. Rawatib are regular prayers attached to the obligatory prayers, either before or after them.
The chapter addresses their number, voluntary rakahs under one salam, recitation, completion and makeup after invalidation, and voluntary prayer while seated or riding.
2. The two Sunnah rakahs of Fajr
السُّنَّةُ فِي الصَّلَاةِ أَنْ يُصَلِّيَ رَكْعَتَيْنِ بَعْدَ طُلُوعِ الْفَجْرِ،
Translation: It is Sunnah to perform two rakahs after the break of dawn.
“Break of dawn” means the arrival of true dawn, not sunrise. These two Sunnah rakahs are offered before the Fajr fard.
Their strong emphasis is supported by the report: رَكْعَتَا الْفَجْرِ خَيْرٌ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا وَمَا فِيهَا
Translation: The two rakahs of Fajr are better than this world and all it contains.
3. Fajr Sunnah and its time
The two Fajr Sunnah rakahs are offered after true dawn and before the Fajr fard; they are not performed in the prohibited interval at sunrise.
Where the Sunnah was missed, jurists distinguish its makeup: Muhammad preferred making it up after the sun has risen and before noon, while another Hanafi view does not require a separate makeup for the Sunnah alone. Missing the Sunnah together with the Fajr fard involves a separate ruling.
4. Sunnahs before and after Zuhr
وَأَرْبَعًا قَبْلَ الظُّهْرِ، وَرَكْعَتَيْنِ بَعْدَهَا،
Translation: And four rakahs before Zuhr and two after it.
The four rakahs before Zuhr are among the emphasized regular Sunnahs; their performance as a four-rakah unit is described here. Two Sunnah rakahs follow the Zuhr fard.
If the congregation begins before the prior Sunnah has been offered, the fard is joined first. Jurists provide separate details for performing the missed pre-Zuhr Sunnah afterward.
5. Legal treatment of Zuhr’s four Sunnah rakahs
Two distinct issues arise concerning the four rakahs before Zuhr: the original number of rakahs and their performance if missed because the fard congregation begins.
There is no dispute here about the regular Sunnah as such, but juristic reports differ about its placement after the fard. The reason is the Sunnah’s connection to the Zuhr time without sacrificing the fard congregation.
6. Two or four rakahs before Asr
وَأَرْبَعًا قَبْلَ الْعَصْرِ، وَإِنْ شَاءَ رَكْعَتَيْنِ،
Translation: And four rakahs before Asr, or, if one wishes, two.
Four rakahs before Asr are recommended voluntary prayers, but not at the same level of emphasis as the two Sunnah rakahs of Fajr or the four before Zuhr.
The wording explicitly permits the choice of two rakahs, so performing two is not the abandonment of a fixed four-rakah obligation.
7. Voluntary prayers around Maghrib and Isha
وَرَكْعَتَيْنِ بَعْدَ الْمَغْرِبِ، وَأَرْبَعًا قَبْلَ الْعِشَاءِ وَأَرْبَعًا بَعْدَهَا، وَإِنْ شَاءَ رَكْعَتَيْنِ.
Translation: Two rakahs after Maghrib, four before Isha, and four after Isha; or two, if one wishes.
Two rakahs after Maghrib are an emphasized Sunnah. The four rakahs before Isha are recommended rather than emphasized in the same way.
After Isha, four rakahs are allowed, while the text explicitly permits two. Witr is a separate prayer after Isha and is not identical in status to the attached Sunnah prayers.
8. Distinguishing levels of regular Sunnahs
Emphasized regular Sunnahs include two before Fajr, four before and two after Zuhr, two after Maghrib, and two after Isha.
Additional recommended prayers include four or two before Asr, four before Isha, and optional additional prayer after Isha.
Not all voluntary prayers attached to the fard have the same degree of emphasis. The distinction between emphasis and permissibility is important.
9. Daytime nafl: two or four per salam
وَنَوَافِلُ النَّهَارِ إِنْ شَاءَ صَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ بِتَسْلِيمَةٍ وَاحِدَةٍ، وَإِنْ شَاءَ أَرْبَعًا، وَيُكْرَهُ الزِّيَادَةُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ.
Translation: As for daytime voluntary prayer, one may perform two or four rakahs with one salam; adding more than that is disliked.
The ruling concerns the number of rakahs within one unit ending in a single salam, not the total number of voluntary rakahs in the day. Separate sets of two or four remain possible.
Combining more than four daytime rakahs under one opening and closing salam is disliked in the Hanafi treatment.
10. What a single salam means
“With one salam” means a continuous prayer begun with one opening takbir and concluded with the salam after the stated rakahs.
For example, eight daytime nafl rakahs may be separated as four units of two or two units of four. Eight consecutive daytime rakahs under a single opening and closing are treated as disliked in the source.
11. Night nafl according to Abu Hanifa
فَأَمَّا نَوَافِلُ اللَّيْلِ فَقَالَ أَبُو حَنِيفَةَ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ: إِنْ صَلَّى ثَمَانِيَ رَكَعَاتٍ بِتَسْلِيمَةٍ وَاحِدَةٍ جَازَ، وَيُكْرَهُ الزِّيَادَةُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ.
Translation: For nighttime voluntary prayer, Abu Hanifa said: up to eight rakahs with one salam is permissible; more than that is disliked.
This is a limit of permissibility; it does not imply that eight consecutive rakahs are always superior.
This ruling concerns joining multiple night rakahs in a single prayer and draws on reports describing longer voluntary night prayers.
12. Night nafl according to Abu Yusuf and Muhammad
وَقَالَ أَبُو يُوسُفَ وَمُحَمَّدٌ رَحِمَهُمَا اللَّهُ: لَا يَزِيدُ بِاللَّيْلِ عَلَى رَكْعَتَيْنِ بِتَسْلِيمَةٍ وَاحِدَةٍ.
Translation: Abu Yusuf and Muhammad said that nighttime voluntary prayer should not exceed two rakahs with one salam.
The two companions prefer nighttime prayer in pairs. One supporting report states: صَلَاةُ اللَّيْلِ مَثْنَى مَثْنَى
Translation: Night prayer is offered two by two.
They use this to prefer separate two-rakah units, while Abu Hanifa allows larger connected sets up to the stated maximum.
13. Day and night: comparative ruling
Daytime: two or four per salam; more than four is disliked.
Nighttime according to Abu Hanifa: up to eight per salam is permissible, and more is disliked.
Nighttime according to Abu Yusuf and Muhammad: two rakahs per salam.
The disagreement concerns how rakahs are joined under a single salam, not the absolute number of voluntary rakahs permitted over the night.
14. Recitation in the first and last two fard rakahs
وَالْقِرَاءَةُ وَاجِبَةٌ فِي الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ الْأُولَيَيْنِ، وَهُوَ مُخَيَّرٌ فِي الْأُخْرَيَيْنِ: إِنْ شَاءَ قَرَأَ الْفَاتِحَةَ، وَإِنْ شَاءَ سَكَتَ، وَإِنْ شَاءَ سَبَّحَ.
Translation: Recitation is wajib in the first two rakahs, while in the last two one has a choice: recite al-Fatihah, remain silent or say tasbih.
This passage refers to the later two rakahs of a four-rakah fard prayer, not to the final two rakahs of a nafl prayer.
Within the Hanafi school, reciting al-Fatihah in these last two fard rakahs remains the Sunnah practice, even though their obligatory recitation status differs from the first two.
15. What choice in the last two fard rakahs means
In the last two fard rakahs, reciting al-Fatihah remains the preferable Sunnah. Remaining silent or saying tasbih does not carry the same Hanafi ruling as omitting the recitation required in the first two.
Shafi‘i jurisprudence requires al-Fatihah in every rakah, while the Hanafi distinction separates the first two from the last two. Their reasoning differs on the generality and specification of recitation requirements.
16. Recitation in every nafl and Witr rakah
وَالْقِرَاءَةُ وَاجِبَةٌ فِي جَمِيعِ رَكَعَاتِ النَّفْلِ، وَفِي جَمِيعِ الْوِتْرِ.
Translation: Recitation is wajib in every rakah of nafl and every rakah of Witr.
Every pair of nafl rakahs has the legal character of a prayer, so even the third and fourth rakahs in a four-rakah nafl prayer require recitation.
Recitation is also required in every rakah of Witr; the last two fard-rakah option cannot be transferred to Witr.
17. Recitation comparison: fard, nafl and Witr
In a four-rakah fard prayer, the first two have required recitation, while the last two have a distinct ruling.
In four-rakah nafl, each of the four requires recitation; likewise, each of the three Witr rakahs requires recitation.
The contrast prevents mistakenly applying the last-two-fard-rakah ruling to nafl or Witr.
18. Invalidating a nafl prayer after starting it
وَمَنْ دَخَلَ فِي صَلَاةِ النَّفْلِ ثُمَّ أَفْسَدَهَا قَضَاهَا،
Translation: Whoever begins a nafl prayer and then invalidates it must make it up.
Before it is begun, nafl is optional; after its opening takbir, a legal duty to complete the commenced act arises. Thus its invalidation entails makeup in Hanafi law.
وَلَا تُبْطِلُوا أَعْمَالَكُمْ
Translation: Do not nullify your deeds.
Hanafi reasoning also draws upon preserving an act of worship once undertaken.
19. Disagreement on making up a broken nafl
The Hanafis require makeup once a begun voluntary prayer is invalidated, because commencement makes completion binding.
Al-Shafi‘i does not impose makeup, reasoning that the original voluntary character is not automatically transformed into an obligation by beginning.
The disagreement is about what legal duty follows commencement, not about whether nafl prayer is recommended.
20. Four nafl rakahs: invalidation after the first pair
فَإِنْ صَلَّى أَرْبَعَ رَكَعَاتٍ، وَقَعَدَ فِي الْأَوَّلَيَيْنِ، ثُمَّ أَفْسَدَ الْأُخْرَيَيْنِ: قَضَى رَكْعَتَيْنِ.
Translation: If one performed a four-rakah nafl, sat after the first two and then invalidated the last two, one makes up two rakahs.
The sitting after the first pair gives that initial shaf‘ a completed legal status. Therefore, when only the later pair is invalidated, its makeup is two rakahs in the principal Hanafi ruling.
This specific judgment assumes that the sitting after the first two rakahs was correctly performed.
21. Abu Yusuf: making up four rakahs
وَقَالَ أَبُو يُوسُفَ: يَقْضِي أَرْبَعًا.
Translation: Abu Yusuf said that four rakahs must be made up.
Abu Yusuf regards the commitment arising from a single opening as covering all four rakahs, so invalidating the later pair leads to makeup of four.
The other Hanafi view treats the first properly completed pair as independent once its sitting is performed, leaving only the later pair to make up. The issue is the status of two pairs under one opening.
22. Two cases of nafl makeup
Case 1: if a two-rakah nafl is begun and invalidated, the Hanafi makeup is two rakahs.
Case 2: in a four-rakah nafl where the first pair has been completed with its sitting and the later pair is invalidated, Abu Hanifa and Muhammad require two-rakah makeup, while Abu Yusuf requires four.
The distinction turns on whether the first pair reached completion.
23. Voluntary prayer while seated despite ability to stand
وَيُصَلِّي النَّافِلَةَ قَاعِدًا مَعَ الْقُدْرَةِ عَلَى الْقِيَامِ.
Translation: One may perform voluntary prayer while seated even if one is capable of standing.
This is a concession for voluntary prayer and differs from the standing requirement in a fard prayer when standing is possible.
A hadith states: صَلَاةُ الْقَاعِدِ عَلَى النِّصْفِ مِنْ صَلَاةِ الْقَائِمِ
Translation: The prayer of one seated has half the reward of one standing.
This general comparison concerns optional sitting without excuse; a genuine disability has a separate ruling.
24. Starting standing and then sitting
وَإِنِ افْتَتَحَهَا قَائِمًا ثُمَّ قَعَدَ جَازَ عِنْدَ أَبِي حَنِيفَةَ.
Translation: If one begins nafl while standing and then sits, it is valid according to Abu Hanifa.
For Abu Hanifa, since voluntary prayer may begin seated, sitting later during the same prayer is also valid. Initial standing does not create a separate standing duty for all later rakahs.
Validity and the greater merit of standing remain separate issues.
25. The companions’ distinction on sitting without excuse
وَقَالَا: لَا يَجُوزُ إِلَّا مِنْ عُذْرٍ.
Translation: Abu Yusuf and Muhammad said that this is not allowed except for an excuse.
This dispute specifically concerns a nafl begun while standing and then continued seated without excuse.
The two companions treat standing at commencement as an undertaking that cannot be discarded without reason during the prayer. Beginning a voluntary prayer while seated is a separate permitted case.
26. Standing and sitting: the precise issue
Starting nafl seated is permissible despite ability to stand, though standing is superior.
Sitting after initially standing is allowed by Abu Hanifa but, absent an excuse, not allowed by Abu Yusuf and Muhammad.
The standing requirement for fard prayer is distinct and not the subject of this disagreement.
27. Nafl prayer on a mount outside the town
وَمَنْ كَانَ خَارِجَ الْمِصْرِ يَتَنَفَّلُ عَلَى دَابَّتِهِ إِلَى أَيِّ جِهَةٍ تَوَجَّهَتْ، يُومِئُ إِيمَاءً.
Translation: Someone outside the town may perform nafl prayer on a mount in whatever direction it travels, bowing and prostrating by gestures.
“Outside the town” means beyond settled city limits. This concession applies to voluntary prayer rather than removing the usual conditions of standing and qiblah for obligatory prayer.
Ima’ consists of gesturing for ruku and sujud, with the sujud gesture lower than the ruku gesture.
28. Hadith basis for prayer while riding
Reports from Ibn Umar describe the Prophet praying voluntary prayer while riding during travel and gesturing for the bow and prostration.
Accordingly, the direction of the mount need not be aligned to the qiblah throughout such voluntary prayer. The ruling is limited to the conditions stated for voluntary prayer outside settled limits, not a blanket ruling for fard or wajib prayers.
29. Different concessions for nafl, fard and Witr
Nafl may be performed seated even by someone who can stand; fard requires standing when able.
Outside the town, voluntary prayer on a moving mount may use gestures and follow its direction.
Witr has a distinct legal status and requires recitation in each rakah, so not every nafl concession automatically transfers to it.
30. Legal summary of the chapter
Regular Sunnahs vary in number and emphasis. Daytime nafl is two or four per salam; for night prayer Abu Hanifa permits up to eight while the companions prefer two.
Recitation is required in every nafl and Witr rakah, unlike the distinctive treatment of the final two fard rakahs. Broken nafl requires makeup in Hanafi law, with disagreement on how much when the latter pair of four rakahs is invalidated.
The chapter also defines permissibility of seated nafl and riding outside city limits.