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
Sahifa al-Sajjadiyyah (The Psalms of Sajjad)
A collection of supplications from the 4th Imam, called "The Psalms of Islam."
Sahih al-Bukhari (Bukhari's Authentic Collection)
The most authoritative hadith collection in Sunni Islam, compiled by Imam al-Bukhari.
Eid al-Adha (Festival of Sacrifice)
The greatest Islamic holiday, celebrated in remembrance of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son.
Ashura (The Tenth of Muharram)
The tenth day of Muharram, the commemoration of Imam Husayn's martyrdom.
Qasr (Shortened Prayer)
The permission to shorten the four-rak'ah prayers to two rak'ah during travel.
Taslim (Concluding Greeting)
The concluding peace greeting that marks the end of the prayer.