Q: What is the difference between NAWFIL and RAKAT?

Firstly, please allow us to clarify the difference between Fard, Sunnah and Nafl prayers. Fard prayers: These are the five obligatory prayers at their appointed times of the day. If one prays them, he will earn a huge reward from Allah Subhanah; and if one does not pray them, it will be considered a grave sin in the sight of Allah Subhanah, and one will have a severe accounting for missing his obligatory prayers in the Presence of the Majestic Lord on the Day of Judgment. Nafl prayers: These are the voluntary prayers. If one prays them, he will earn a huge reward from Allah Subhanah; and if one does not pray them, there is no sin. Sunnah prayers: These are the Nafl or voluntary prayers which were prayed by the Messenger of Allah (saws), and thus they become his (saw's) Sunnah for us. If one prays them, he will earn a huge reward from Allah Subhanah; and if one does not pray them, there is no sin. The most that can be said of one who does not pray the Sunnah prayers is that he lost a great opportunity to earn huge rewards from Allah Subhanah. Your Question: i once had a talk with a shia friend of mine about it and she said that we sunnis have made the sunnah rakats as equal to the actual obligatory rakats. Your friend has obviously misunderstood the concept of the obligatory Fard and the voluntary Sunnah and Nafl prayers. Under no circumstances can the rewards of the obligatory Fard prayers be compared to the Sunnah or Nafl voluntary prayers. Fiqh-us-Sunnah Fiqh 2.1 Their Significance, Supererogatory (Sunnah and Nafl) Prayers The Sunnah or Nawafil (supererogatory prayers), have been legislated to make up for any deficiencies left in the performance of Fard salah (obligatory prayers). In Salah, there are virtues that are not found in any other form of worship. Abu Hurairah reports that the Prophet (saws) said: "The first thing that the people will be called to account for on the Day of

Resurrection will be the prayers. Our Lord will say to the Angels, although He knows better: 'Look into the (Fard) Salah of my servant to see if he observed it perfectly or been negligent in it. So if he observed it perfectly it will be recorded to his credit, but if he had been negligent in it in any way, Allah would say: 'See if My servant has any supererogatory prayers. Then if he has any supererogatory prayers, Allah would say: 'Make up the deficiency in My servant's obligatory prayer with his supererogatory prayers.' Thereafter all his actions will be examined in like manner'" Related by Abu Dawud. Your Question: if the sunnah rakats are "farz " then what is the difference left between sunnah and obligatory rakats ? There are no 'Fard' or obligatory prayers to be performed everyday apart from the five appointed obligatory prayers; all the other prayers are voluntary. Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 1.44 Narrated by Talha bin Ubaidullah A man from Najd with unkempt hair came to Allah's Messenger (saws) and we heard his loud voice but could not understand what he was saying, till he came near and then we came to know that he was asking about Islam. Allah's Messenger (saws) said, "You have to offer prayers perfectly five times in a day and night (24 hours)." The man asked, "Is there any more (praying)?" Allah's Messenger (saws) replied, "No, but if you want to offer the Nawafil prayers (you can)." Allah's Messenger (saws) further said to him: "You have to observe fasts during the month of Ramadan." The man asked, "Is there any more fasting?" Allah's Messenger (saws) replied, "No, but if you want to observe the Nawafil fasts (you can.)" Then Allah's Messenger (saws) further said to him, "You have to pay the Zakat (obligatory charity)." The man asked, "Is there any thing other than the Zakat for me to pay?" Allah's Messenger (saws) replied, "No, unless you want to give alms of your own." And then that man retreated saying, "By Allah! I will neither do less nor more than this (the obligatory duties)!." Allah's Messenger (saws) said, "If what he said is true, then he will be successful (i.e. he will be grantedParadise)." Your Question: and is there any sin on one who doesn`t say sunnah rakats with every namaz. There is no sin on the person who, for any reason whatsoever, does not perform the Sunnah or Nafl voluntary prayers; the most that can be said of

such a person is that he missed an opportunity to earn huge rewards from Allah Subhanah for not observing his Sunnah and/or Nafl voluntary prayers. Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah's Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength. Amongst the Sunnah prayers offered by the Prophet (saws), the scholars of Jurisprudence have divided them into two categories: 1. Sunnah Muaqqeda 2. Sunnah Ghayr-Muaqqeda Ref: Sunnah Muaqqeda: The term Muaqqeda itself means something which is stressed or emphasized. The non-obligatory prayers which were constantly stressed and emphasized by the Messenger of Allah (saws) by his acts or his words like the two rakahs before Fajr, four rakahs before and two rakahs after Dhuhr, two rakahs after Magrib, two rakahs after Isha, the witr prayers, etc. are known as Sunnah Muaqqeda or nonobligatory prayers which were almost always offered by the Prophet (saws). Ref: Sunnah Ghayr-Muaqqeda: The non-obligatory prayers which were sometimes offered by the Prophet (saws) like two rakahs before Asr, or two rakahs before Magrib, etc. are termed as Sunnah Ghayr-Muaqqeda. Your Question: The sunnat before Farz, if we couldn't perform due to Aqamat start, so it is necessary to perform after Farz? The only prayers which are necessary and prescribed as a duty unto the believers are the five obligatory prayers of the day and night.all the other prayers would be considered supererogatory and voluntary. If perchance one misses a voluntary Sunnah prayer, regardless of whether it is Muaqqeda or Ghayr-Muaqqeda, it would be best and preferred that one strive to offer it after the obligatory prayer. Because the Sunnah prayers are not obligatory, if for any reason one does not offer them, there is no sin. The most that can be said of one who does not offer the Sunnah prayers is that he lost a great opportunity to earn huge rewards from Allah Subhanah. Your Question: And Namaz "Tahay-yutul-Masjid" is Sunnat MoAk-Keda ? Al-Muwatta Hadith 9.60

Yahya related from Malik, from Amir ibn Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr, from Amr ibn Sulaymaz-Zuraqi, from Abu Qatadaal-Ansari that the Messenger of Allah (saws) said, "Whenever you enter the masjid, you should pray two rakahs before you sit down." Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 2.52 Narrated by Jabir bin Abdullah A person entered the mosque (and sat down) while the Prophet (saws) was delivering the Khutba on a Friday. The Prophet said to him, "Have you prayed?" The man replied in the negative. The Prophet (saws) said, "Get up and pray two Rakat." As much as the two-rakah tahiyat-ul-masjid prayers were encouraged by the Messenger of Allah (saws), the absolute majority of the scholars and jurists in Islam have not included the tahiyat-ul-masjid prayers amongst the Sunnah Muaqqeda prayers.the tahiyat-ul-masjid prayers are considered as Sunnah Ghayr-Muaqqeda prayers in Islamic Jurisprudence. Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allahs Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength. Sunna: is a highly recommended prayer, if you don't pray it your prayer will still be valid but incomplete. It is what the Prophet regularly prayed, but they are not compulsory. I would not call them optional because the scholars call them wajib (duty) not mubaa7 (optional). Example, the other 2 ruka'as of Isha prayer. Sometimes the Sunna prayers are called Shef'3 and Witr (like those mentioned in the Quran).

Nafl: These are optional prayers that you pray at no specified time. They do not fall in any other category of optional prayers (such as Qiyaam il-layl, Tahajuud, Istikhara...etc.). Example: you decide to pray to ruk'as right now, for no specific reason other than the worship of God. Prayers .. Sunnah and Nafl Prayers

Fajr prayer is only the two unit obligatory (fard) prayer. The Dhuhr prayer is only the four unit fard prayer. The `Asr prayer is only the four unit fard prayer. The Maghrib prayer is only the three unit fard prayer. The `Isha' prayer is only the four unit fard prayer. This is agreed upon by all Muslims of all schools of thought and is a matter of juristic consensus (ijma`). Associated with each of these prayers are other prayers that the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to pray with great regularity. Scholars differ as to the recommended number of these Sunnah prayers. Our Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Whoever prays twelve units of prayer voluntarily in a day and night Allah will build him a house in Paradise" [Related by Muslim]. Al-Tirmidhi relates the same hadith with a good chain of narrators, wherein these twelve units are enumerated as follows: There are two Sunnah units before the Fajr prayer (sunnah mu`akkadah). There are four Sunnah units before the Dhuhr prayer (performed as two separate prayers of two units each) and two Sunnah rakahs after it. There are two Sunnah unit's after the Maghrib prayer. There are two Sunnah unit's after the `Isha' prayer. There are also Sunnah prayers of lesser importance mentioned in other hadith. There is a hadith about praying four units of prayer before `Asr. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "May Allah bless whoever prays four units of prayer before `Asr" [Related by Ahmad, Abu Dawud, al-Tirmidhi and Ibn Khuzaymah who authenticated it]. Please note that these four units should be performed as two separate prayers of two units each. There is also a two unit Sunnah prayer that may be prayed before the Maghrib prayer. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Pray two units before the Maghrib prayer." He said this three times. After the third time, he said: "...for whoever wishes to do so. [Bukhari and Muslim] It is also Sunnah Mu`akkadah to pray Witr prayer either at night before going to sleep or after waking up for Tahajjud before the time of Fajr. However, the Witr prayer is a prayer in its own right and is not associated with any of the five obligatory prayers. There are many other recommended voluntary (nafl) prayers that the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to pray, like two units

before going to bed at night, but these are also completely independent of the five obligatory prayers. The most recommended of all voluntary prayers is the Tahajjud prayer at night which should be performed before the time of the Fajr prayer but after waking up from sleep. In the Hanafi school of Law, the recommended prayers are as follows: There are two Sunnah units before the Fajr prayer. There are four Sunnah units before Dhuhr prayer and two afterwards. The Hanafi scholars also recommend the performance of two voluntary (nafl) prayers after these Sunnah prayers. There are four Sunnah units before the `Asr prayer. There are two Sunnah unit's after the Maghrib prayer. The Hanafi scholars also recommend the performance of two voluntary (nafl) prayers after these Sunnah prayers. There are four Sunnah units before the `Isha' prayer and two after it. The Hanafi scholars also recommend the performance of two voluntary (nafl) prayers after these Sunnah prayers. The Hanafi scholars also encourage the performance of Witr prayer immediately after completing the `Isha' prayer and the other prayers associated with it. This is because the Witr prayer is considered obligatory (wajib) in the Hanafi school of Law, and it is feared that by delaying the Witr prayer, a person might fall asleep and miss it altogether. The Hanafi scholars also recommend the performance of two voluntary (nafl) prayers after performing the Witr prayer, because the Prophet (peace be upon him) was in the habit of performing two units of prayer before going to sleep. Ishraq (Prayer After Sunrise) After completing Fajr salt, one does not move from ones place and remains there reciting dhikr, tasbh, Qurn, etc., avoiding participation in worldly affairs until the sun has fully risen (at least 15 minutes after sunrise). Then, one stands and offers two or four raktnafl. This is called Salt-ul-Ishrq. The Prophet ( saws) said: Whoever prays Fajr with the congregation (jamat) and then sits and remembers Allh until the sun rises and then prays two rakt , he will have the reward of a Hajj and Umrah. [T-567] Salat ad Duha (Morning Prayer) It is performed after the sun has risen high in the morning, after about one-third of the day has passed and it lasts until

zawl. One may perform 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 or 12 rakt of nafl. Hadrat ishah (Allh be pleased with her) was asked how much the Prophet (saws) used to pray for the Duh prayer. She said, Four rakt or he increased it as Allh wills. [M-1235, from Muslim] Also, the Prophet (saws) was reported as saying: Whoever prays 12 rakt for the Duh prayer, Allh will built a golden castle for him in Paradise. [M-1240, from Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah] Salat-ul-Awwabin (Prayer of the Repentent) After performing the fard and sunnah of Maghrib, one may perform from 6 to a maximum of 20 rakt nafl. This prayer has been called as Awwbn. (This name is sometimes also applied to the morning prayer.) The Prophet ( saws) reportedly said: Whoever prays, after the Maghrib, six rakt without talking of anything indecent in between them, it would be equivalent to twelve years of worship for him. [M1173, from Tirmidhi] The one who prays twenty rakt after Maghrib- Allh will build for him a house in Paradise. [M1174, from Tirmidhi] Tahajjud (Night Prayer) Of all the nafl prayers, that prayer which is offered in the middle of the night, known as Tahajjud or Salt-ul-Layl, is the most rewarding and beneficial: The best salt after the prescribed (compulsory) prayers is the night prayer (ie. tahajjud). [RS1165, from Muslim] There is a certain period of time in the night during which if a Muslim prays for anything beneficial to his life in this world or the next, it will be granted to him. And this time occurs every night. [RS1178, from Muslim] There are many other narrations mentioning the thawb (reward) that is brought by engaging in this prayer. The number of rakt prayed in tahajjud should be between 4 and 12 rakt. They can be performed in units of two or four rakt each. It is best to wake up in the middle of the night to perform the tahajjud. However, if one is not sure that one will be able to do so, then one can pray four rakt right after the 2 sunnah muakkadah of Ish with the intention (niyyah) of tahajjud. Although the reward will be much less, the pious authorities of the religion have advised this method for those who find it difficult to wake up later in the night. The Witr prayer should be offered after the tahajjud. There are

many others such as Tasbih prayer (If you don't classify as Bidah) ..Tauba..Istikirah..etc. The above prayers should be on every muslims "to do" list daily. The Holy Prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam said that Allah Taala says,"My servant comes nearer to me by nafl worships upto this that I begin to love him and when I love him I become his ear by which he listens and I become his eyes by which he sees. (Bukhari) and Allah Ta'ala Knows Best __________________ "By the Lord of this [human] frame, I do love Death" ~Sufyan Thawri My Pleasure is with you, Ibn Said! You Stood (in Worship) when night fell, Sad with tears and firm of heart. Behold! Choose which castle you wish, And Visit me; for I am not far from you! "Woe to you, son of Adam! Can you fight Allah? Whoever disobeys Allah is fighting Him. By Allah! I have met seventy veterans of Badr. Most of their garments were wool. Had you seen them you would have said they are crazy, and had they seen the best among you they would have said: "Those people will have no part in the Hereafter." Had they seen the worst among you they would have said: "Those people do not believe in the Day of Reckoning." ~ Al Hassan Al Basri.. Prayers .. Sunnah and Nafl Prayers Prayers: Sunnah and Nafl

Fajr prayer is only the two unit obligatory (fard) prayer. The Dhuhr prayer is only the four unit fard prayer. The `Asr prayer is only the four unit fard prayer. The Maghrib prayer is only the three unit fard prayer. The `Isha' prayer is only the four unit fard prayer. This is agreed upon by all Muslims of all schools of thought and is a matter of juristic consensus (ijma`). Associated with each of these prayers are other prayers that the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to pray with great regularity. Scholars differ as to the recommended number of these Sunnah prayers. Our Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Whoever prays twelve units of

prayer voluntarily in a day and night Allah will build him a house in Paradise" [Related by Muslim]. Al-Tirmidhi relates the same hadith with a
good chain of narrators, wherein these twelve units are enumerated as follows: There are two Sunnah units before the Fajr prayer (sunnah mu`akkadah).

There are four Sunnah units before the Dhuhr prayer (performed as two separate prayers of two units each) and two Sunnah rakahs after it. There There are are two two Sunnah Sunnah unit's unit's after after the the Maghrib `Isha' prayer. prayer.

There are also Sunnah prayers of lesser importance mentioned in other hadith. There is a hadith about praying four units of prayer before `Asr. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "May Allah bless whoever prays four units of prayer before `Asr" [Related by Ahmad, Abu Dawud, alTirmidhi and Ibn Khuzaymah who authenticated it]. Please note that these four units should be performed as two separate prayers of two units each. There is also a two unit Sunnah prayer that may be prayed before the Maghrib prayer. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Pray two units before the Maghrib prayer." He said this three times. After the third time, he said: "...for whoever wishes to do so. [Bukhari and Muslim] It is also Sunnah Mu`akkadah to pray Witr prayer either at night before going to sleep or after waking up for Tahajjud before the time of Fajr. However, the Witr prayer is a prayer in its own right and is not associated with any of the five obligatory prayers. There are many other recommended voluntary (nafl) prayers that the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to pray, like two units before going to bed at night, but these are also completely independent of the five obligatory prayers. The most recommended of all voluntary prayers is the Tahajjud prayer at night which should be performed before the time of the Fajr prayer but after waking up from sleep.

In the Hanafi school of Law, the recommended prayers are as follows: There are two Sunnah units before the Fajr prayer. There are four Sunnah units before Dhuhr prayer and two afterwards. The Hanafi scholars also recommend the performance of two voluntary (nafl) prayers after these Sunnah prayers. There are four Sunnah units before the `Asr prayer.

There are two Sunnah unit's after the Maghrib prayer. The Hanafi scholars also recommend the performance of two voluntary (nafl) prayers after these Sunnah prayers. There are four Sunnah units before the `Isha' prayer and two after it. The Hanafi scholars also recommend the performance of two voluntary (nafl) prayers after these Sunnah prayers. The Hanafi scholars also encourage the performance of Witr prayer immediately after completing the `Isha' prayer and the other prayers associated with it. This is because the Witr prayer is considered obligatory (wajib) in the Hanafi school of Law, and it is feared that by delaying the Witr prayer, a person might fall asleep and miss it altogether. The Hanafi scholars also recommend the performance of two voluntary (nafl) prayers after performing the Witr prayer, because the Prophet (peace be upon him) was in the habit of performing two units of prayer before going to sleep.

Ishraq (Prayer After Sunrise)

After completing Fajr salt, one does not move from ones place and remains there reciting dhikr, tasbh, Qurn, etc., avoiding participation in

worldly affairs until the sun has fully risen (at least 15 minutes after sunrise). Then, one stands and offers two or four raktnafl. This is called Salt-ul-Ishrq. The Prophet ( saws) said: Whoever prays Fajr with the congregation (jamat) and then sits and remembers Allh until the sun rises and then prays two rakt, he will have the reward of a Hajj andUmrah. [T-567]

Salat ad Duha (Morning Prayer)

It is performed after the sun has risen high in the morning, after about one-third of the day has passed and it lasts until zawl. One may perform 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 or 12 rakt of nafl. Hadrat ishah (Allh be pleased with her) was asked how much the Prophet (saws) used to pray for the Duh prayer. She said, Four rakt or he increased it as Allh wills. [M-1235, from Muslim] Also, the Prophet (saws) was reported as saying: Whoever prays 12 rakt for the Duh prayer, Allh will built a golden castle for him in Paradise. [M-1240, from Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah]

Salat-ul-Awwabin (Prayer of the Repentent)

After performing the fard and sunnah of Maghrib, one may perform from 6 to a maximum of 20 rakt nafl. This prayer has been called as Awwbn. (This name is sometimes also applied to the morning prayer.) The Prophet ( saws) reportedly said: Whoever prays, after the Maghrib, six rakt without talking of anything indecent in between them, it would be equivalent to twelve years of

worship

for

him.

[M1173,

fromTirmidhi]

The one who prays twenty rakt after Maghrib- Allh will build for him a house in Paradise. [M-1174, from Tirmidhi]

Tahajjud (Night Prayer)

Of all the nafl prayers, that prayer which is offered in the middle of the night, known as Tahajjud or Salt-ul-Layl, is the most rewarding and beneficial: The best salt after the prescribed (compulsory) prayers is the night prayer (ie. tahajjud). [RS-1165, from Muslim] There is a certain period of time in the night during which if a Muslim prays for anything beneficial to his life in this world or the next, it will be granted to him. And this time occurs every night. [RS-1178, from Muslim] There are many other narrations mentioning the thawb (reward) that is brought by engaging in this prayer. The number of rakt prayed in tahajjud should be between 4 and 12 rakt. They can be performed in units of two or four rakt each. It is best to wake up in the middle of the night to perform the tahajjud. However, if one is not sure that one will be able to do so, then one can pray four rakt right after the 2 sunnah muakkadah of Ish with the intention (niyyah) of tahajjud. Although the reward will be much less, the pious authorities of the religion have advised this method for those who find it difficult to wake up later in the night. The Witr prayer should be offered after the tahajjud. -- I don't want the post to get to long now. But one should strive to get in as much Nafl prayers as he/she can do. I have listed the ones I do on a daily basis. There are many others such as Tasbih prayer (If you don't classify as Bidah) ..Tauba..Istikirah..etc. The above prayers should be on

every

muslims

"to

do"

list

daily.

The Holy Prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam said that Allah Taala says,"My

servant comes nearer to me by nafl worships upto this that I begin to love him and when I love him I become his ear by which he listens and I become his eyes by which he sees. (Bukhari)
and Allah Ta'ala Knows Best

__________________ "By the Lord of this [human] frame, I do love Death" ~Sufyan Thawri My Pleasure is with you, Ibn Said! You Stood (in Worship) when night fell, Sad with tears and firm of heart. Behold! Choose which castle you wish, And Visit me; for I am not far from you! "Woe to you, son of Adam! Can you fight Allah? Whoever disobeys Allah is fighting Him. By Allah! I have met seventy veterans of Badr. Most of their garments were wool. Had you seen them you would have said they are crazy, and had they seen the best among you they would have said: "Those people will have no part in the Hereafter." Had they seen the worst among you they would have said: "Those people do not believe in the Day of Reckoning." ~ Al Hassan Al Basri..