Rawatib (Regular Sunnah Prayers)
The voluntary prayers regularly prayed before and after the obligatory prayers.
Rawatib (plural of ratibah) are the voluntary prayers regularly prayed before and/or after the five obligatory prayers. They are considered sunnah mu'akkadah (strongly recommended) and hold a special status in Sunni Islam.
The twelve rawatib according to the most well-known narration are: 2 rak'ah before Fajr, 4 rak'ah before Dhuhr and 2 rak'ah after, 2 rak'ah after Maghrib, and 2 rak'ah after Isha. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Whoever prays twelve voluntary rak'ah during the day, Allah will build a house for him in Paradise" (Sahih Muslim, narrated by Umm Habibah).
The Fajr rawatib's two rak'ah have a special status. The Prophet said: "The two rak'ah of Fajr are better than this world and everything in it" (Sahih Muslim). Aisha narrated that the Prophet was never more careful with any voluntary prayer than the two rak'ah before Fajr. In the Hanafi school, the four rak'ah before Asr are also considered rawatib, bringing the total number to 20.
Related terms
Nahj al-Balagha (The Peak of Eloquence)
Imam Ali's collection of sermons and wise sayings, central to Shia prayer tradition.
Sunnah Mu'akkadah (Emphasized Sunnah)
Voluntary prayers that the Prophet (peace be upon him) performed regularly and rarely omitted.
Sahih al-Bukhari (Bukhari's Authentic Collection)
The most authoritative hadith collection in Sunni Islam, compiled by Imam al-Bukhari.
Ikhlas (Sincerity)
Pure sincerity in worship — acting solely for the sake of Allah.
Fajr (Dawn Prayer)
The first of the five daily prayers, performed at dawn.
Tarawih (Ramadan Night Prayer)
The voluntary night prayer performed in congregation during Ramadan.