Four rakah Sunnah.
Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,
As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.
(May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)
One of our brothers/sisters has asked
this question:
Earlier i had written a question about Salaah and
Alhamdulillaah u have given very good replies to those Qs, but what my query
was related to the Sunnaah/Nafil Prayers.
I wanted to know is a 4 Rakah Sunnah prayer the same as
a 4 Rakaah Fardh Prayer.
What i mean is in the 3rd n 4th Rakahs do we have to
recite some Surah after Surah Fatiha or like 4 Rakah Fard prayers we only
recite Surah Fatiha.
My thinking is as Fardh Salaah is the most important so
there cant be anything else or any other Salaah greater than it.
So the 4 Rakah Sunnah Salaah also must b prayed the same
way as the 4 Rakah Fardh Salaah.
Kindly reflect upon my query in
JazhaaKallaah
AllaahHafeez
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errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from
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Answer:
Four rakah Sunnah
In the name of Allah,
We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah
guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide
them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah
Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the
seal of His Messengers.
Your Question: I wanted to know is a 4 Rakah Sunnah prayer
the same as a 4 Rakaah Fardh Prayer.
Firstly, please allow us to clarify the difference
between Fard, Sunnah and Nafl prayers.
Fard prayers: These are the five obligatory prayers at
their appointed times of the day. If one
prays them, one will earn a huge reward from Allah Subhanah; and if one does
not pray them, there will be a severe accounting and punishment.
Nafl prayers: These are the voluntary or non-obligatory
prayers. If one prays them, one will
earn a huge reward from Allah Subhanah; and if one does not pray them, there is
no sin.
Sunnah prayers: These are the Nafl or voluntary prayers
which were prayed by the Messenger of Allah (saws), and thus they become his
(saw’s) Sunnah for us. If one prays them,
one will earn a huge reward from Allah Subhanah; and if one does not pray them, there is no sin. The most that can be said of one who does
not pray the Sunnah prayers is that he lost a great opportunity to earn huge
rewards from Allah Subhanah.
The ‘fard’ and the ‘sunnah’
prayers are distinct from each other, and the difference in their rewards is
incomparable.
Your Question: ….What i mean is in the 3rd n 4th Rakahs do
we have to recite some Surah after Surah Fatiha or like 4 Rakah Fard prayers we
only recite Surah Fatiha.
Although there is evidence that
at times the Messenger of Allah (saws) did offer some ‘qiyam ul-layl’ prayers
in a combination of more than two-rakahs, the absolute majority of the ‘nafl’
prayers offered by the Prophet (saws) were in a set of two-rakah combinations.
The absolute majority of the
scholars are of the opinion that it would be best for the believers who wish to
offer their voluntary ‘nafl’ and/or ‘sunnah’ prayers, they should follow the
sustained practice of the Messenger of Allah (saws) and offer them in a set of
two-rakah combinations.
If one for any reason wishes to
offer their ‘nafl’ or ‘sunnah’ prayers in a four (or more) rakah combination,
the scholars are of the opinion that it would be best to recite another Surah
after the recitation of Surah Al-Fatihah in each rakah. And Allah Alone Knows Best.
Whatever written of
Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever
of error is of me alone. Allah Alone
Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.
Your brother and
well wisher in Islam,
Burhan