Al-Targhib
wal-Tarhib
الترغيب والترهيب
Book of Prayer
كتاب الصلاة
Chapter 12: Voluntary Sunan prayers
Al-Mundhiri records in his book al-Targhib wal-Tarhib:
الترغيب في المحافظة على ثنتي عشرة ركعة من السنة في اليوم والليلة والترغيب في المحافظة على ركعتين قبل الصبح والترغيب في الصلاة قبل الظهر وبعدها والترغيب في الصلاة قبل العصر والترغيب في الصلاة بين المغرب والعشاء والترغيب في الصلاة بعد العشاء
Encouragement to preserve twelve cycles of Sunan prayer each day and night, two cycles before dawn prayer, prayers before and after noon prayer, prayers before midday prayer, prayer between sunset and evening prayer, and prayer after evening prayer.
Source: al-Targhīb wal-Tarhīb 1/222
Umm Habibah reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
مَنْ صَلَّى اثْنَتَيْ عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً فِي يَوْمٍ وَلَيْلَةٍ بُنِيَ لَهُ بِهِنَّ بَيْتٌ فِي الْجَنَّةِ
Whoever performs twelve cycles of prayer in each day and night, by them a house will be built for one in Paradise.
Umm Habibah said:
فَمَا تَرَكْتُهُنَّ مُنْذُ سَمِعْتُهُنَّ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ
I have never abandoned them since I heard it from the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him.
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 728, Grade: Sahih
Aisha reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
مَنْ ثَابَرَ عَلَى ثِنْتَيْ عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً مِنْ السُّنَّةِ بَنَى اللَّهُ لَهُ بَيْتًا فِي الْجَنَّةِ أَرْبَعِ رَكَعَاتٍ قَبْلَ الظُّهْرِ وَرَكْعَتَيْنِ بَعْدَهَا وَرَكْعَتَيْنِ بَعْدَ الْمَغْرِبِ وَرَكْعَتَيْنِ بَعْدَ الْعِشَاءِ وَرَكْعَتَيْنِ قَبْلَ الْفَجْرِ
Whoever perseveres in performing twelve cycles of prayer from the Sunnah, Allah will build a house for him in Paradise. They are four cycles before noon prayer and two after it, two cycles after sunset prayer, two cycles after evening prayer, and two cycles before dawn prayer.
Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhī 414, Grade: Sahih
Aisha reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him said:
رَكْعَتَا الْفَجْرِ خَيْرٌ مِنْ الدُّنْيَا وَمَا فِيهَا لَهُمَا أَحَبُّ إِلَىَّ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا جَمِيعًا
Two cycles of prayer before the dawn prayer are better than the world and everything in it. They are both more beloved to me than the entire world.
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 725, Grade: Sahih
Aisha reported:
لَمْ يَكُنْ عَلَى شَيْءٍ مِنَ النَّوَافِلِ أَشَدَّ مُعَاهَدَةً مِنْهُ عَلَى رَكْعَتَيْنِ قَبْلَ الصُّبْحِ
The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was not as strongly committed to any voluntary prayers as he was to the two cycles before dawn.
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 724, Grade: Sahih
Abdullah ibn Umar reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ تَعْدِلُ ثُلُثَ الْقُرْآنِ وَ قُلْ يَأَيُّهَا الْكَافِرُونَ تَعْدِلُ رُبْعَ الْقُرْآنِ
The chapter, ‘Say: He is Allah the One,’ (112:1) is equal to one-third of the Quran. The chapter, ‘Say: O unbelievers,’ (109:1) is equal to one-fourth of the Quran.
Ibn Umar said:
وَكَانَ يَقْرَأُ بِهِمَا فِي رَكْعَتَيِ الْفَجْرِ
The Prophet would recite either of them in his two cycles before dawn prayer.
Source: al-Mu’jam al-Kabīr 13319, Grade: Sahih li ghayrihi
Umm Habibah reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
مَنْ حَافَظَ عَلَى أَرْبَعِ رَكَعَاتٍ قَبْلَ الظُّهْرِ وَأَرْبَعٍ بَعْدَهَا حَرَّمَهُ اللَّهُ عَلَى النَّارِ
Whoever preserves four cycles of prayer before noon prayer and after it, Allah will forbid him from entering the Hellfire.
Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhī 428, Grade: Sahih
Abu Ayyub reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, would pray four cycles before noon prayer. It was said to him, “You are always performing this prayer.” The Prophet said:
إِنَّ أَبْوَابَ السَّمَاءِ تُفْتَحُ إِذَا زَالَتِ الشَّمْسُ فَلَا تُرْتَجُ حَتَّى يُصَلَّى الظُّهْرُ فَأُحِبُّ أَنْ يَصْعَدَ لِي إِلَى السَّمَاءِ خَيْرٌ
Verily, gates of heavens are opened when the sun begins to decline. They do not begin to close until the noon prayer is completed. Thus, I love for my good deeds to ascend to the heavens.
Source: Musnad Aḥmad 23565, Grade: Sahih li ghayrihi
Abu Qabus reported: My father sent word to Aisha, asking, “Which prayer did the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, most love to perform regularly?” Aisha said:
كَانَ يُصَلِّي أَرْبَعًا قَبْلَ الظُّهْرِ يُطِيلُ فِيهِنَّ الْقِيَامَ وَيُحْسِنُ فِيهِنَّ الرُّكُوعَ وَالسُّجُودَ
The Prophet would perform four cycles before noon prayer, lengthening their standing, bowing and prostrating in the best manner.
Source: Sunan Ibn Mājah 1156, Grade: Hasan li ghayrihi
Abdullah ibn al-Sa’ib reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, would pray four cycles after the decline of the sun before noon prayer and he would say:
إِنَّهَا سَاعَةٌ تُفْتَحُ فِيهَا أَبْوَابُ السَّمَاءِ وَأُحِبُّ أَنْ يَصْعَدَ لِي فِيهَا عَمَلٌ صَالِحٌ
Verily, there is an hour in which the gates of heaven are opened and I love that my good deeds ascend during it.
Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhī 478, Grade: Sahih
Ibn Umar reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
رَحِمَ اللَّهُ امْرَأً صَلَّى قَبْلَ الْعَصْرِ أَرْبَعًا
May Allah have mercy on a person who prays four cycles before afternoon prayer.
Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhī 430, Grade: Hasan
Anas ibn Malik reported: In regards to the verse:
تَتَجَافَى جُنُوبُهُمْ عَنِ المَضَاجِعِ يَدْعُونَ رَبَّهُمْ خَوْفًا وَطَمَعًا وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ يُنْفِقُونَ
They arise from their beds, calling upon their Lord in fear and in hope, spending from what We have provided them, (32:16).
Anas said:
كَانُوا يَتَيَقَّظُونَ مَا بَيْنَ الْمَغْرِبِ وَالْعِشَاءِ يُصَلُّونَ
They are those who are awake to pray between sunset and evening prayer.
Source: Sunan Abī Dāwūd 1321, Grade: Sahih
In another narration, Anas said:
نَزَلَتْ فِي انْتِظَارِ هَذِهِ الصَّلاَةِ الَّتِي تُدْعَى الْعَتَمَةَ
It was revealed about those who wait for a prayer you call ‘the appearance of night.’
Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhī 3196, Grade: Sahih
Hudhayfah reported:
أَتَيْتُ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَصَلَّيْتُ مَعَهُ الْمَغْرِبَ فَصَلَّى حَتَّى صَلَّى العِشَاءَ
I came to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and I performed the evening prayer with him. The Prophet continued to pray until the evening prayer.
Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhī 3781, Grade: Sahih
Aisha reported:
مَا صَلَّى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ الْعِشَاءَ قَطُّ فَدَخَلَ عَلَيَّ إِلَّا صَلَّى أَرْبَعَ رَكَعَاتٍ أَوْ سِتَّ رَكَعَاتٍ
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, never performed the evening prayer and entered my home but that he would then pray four or six cycles.
Source: Sunan Abī Dāwūd 1303, Grade: Sahih