Salat al-Duha (Forenoon Prayer)
A voluntary prayer performed after sunrise and before noon, with great reward according to the narrations.
Salat al-Duha is a voluntary (nafilah) prayer performed after the sun has risen approximately 15 minutes above the horizon and until shortly before Dhuhr time. It typically consists of 2 to 12 rak'ah, with the most recommended amount being 4 rak'ah.
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "Every morning charity is given for every joint of your body. Every tasbih is charity, every tahmid is charity, every tahlil is charity, enjoining good is charity, forbidding evil is charity — and two rak'ah at forenoon time is sufficient for all of this" (Sahih Muslim).
Abu Hurayrah narrated: "My friend (the Prophet) advised me three things: to fast three days every month, to pray two rak'ah of Duha, and to pray Witr before I sleep" (Sahih al-Bukhari). Salat al-Duha is considered in all four Sunni schools of law to be a recommended prayer (sunnah), and it is particularly associated with gratitude for a new day.
Related terms
Ijtihad (Independent Legal Reasoning)
The independent interpretive effort to derive legal rules from the Islamic sources.
Salat al-Musafir (Traveler's Prayer)
The shortened prayers that travelers perform while traveling.
Hajj (Pilgrimage)
The annual pilgrimage to Mecca, one of the five pillars of Islam, obligatory for every Muslim with the ability.
Sahabi (Companion of the Prophet)
A person who met the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) as a believer and died as a Muslim.
Tayammum (Dry Purification)
Ritual purification with clean earth, when water is not available.
Sunan al-Nasa'i (Nasa'i's Hadith Collection)
One of the six canonical hadith collections, known for its strict authenticity criteria.