Sunnah (Voluntary Prayer)
Voluntary prayers based on the Prophet's practice.
Sunnah (Arabic: سنة) means "way" or "practice" and in the context of prayer refers to the voluntary prayers that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) regularly performed in addition to the five obligatory prayers. These are also called "rawatib" (regular sunnah prayers).
The most emphasized sunnah prayers (mu'akkadah) are: 2 rak'ah before Fajr, 4 rak'ah before Dhuhr, 2 rak'ah after Dhuhr, 2 rak'ah after Maghrib, and 2 rak'ah after Isha. The Prophet said about the Fajr sunnah prayer: "The two rak'ah before Fajr are better than this world and all that is in it."
In addition to the regular sunnah prayers, there are other voluntary prayers such as Duha (mid-morning prayer), Tahajjud (night prayer), Istikhara (guidance prayer), and Tarawih (Ramadan night prayer). These prayers provide extra reward and strengthen the believer's relationship with Allah.
Related terms
Rak'ah (Prayer Cycle)
A single cycle of movements and recitations in the Islamic prayer.
Turbah (Prayer Stone)
A small clay tablet upon which Shia Muslims place their forehead during sujud.
Sajdah (Prostration)
Prostration with the forehead on the ground — the most humble position in prayer.
Qunut (Supplication with Raised Hands)
A personal supplication (du'a) with raised hands, recited during the prayer.
Taslim (Concluding Greeting)
The concluding peace greeting that marks the end of the prayer.
Qiyas (Analogical Reasoning)
Legal analogy used to derive Islamic rules for new situations based on established rules.