The greeting-the-mosque, after-wudu, sunrise (Ishraq), forenoon (Duha), night (Tahajjud) and guidance (Istikhara) prayers
A handful of further recommended prayers tied to particular moments, and how to pray the prayer for guidance (Salat al-Istikhara) when facing a decision.
Besides the daily prayers, there are a few other good, recommended prayers tied to a particular moment or need.
| Prayer | When | How many rak'ahs |
|---|---|---|
| Tahiyyat al-Masjid | When you enter a mosque, before you sit down | 2 |
| Tahiyyat al-Wudu | Right after you make wudu, before you dry off | 2 |
| Ishraq | A little while after sunrise | 2, or up to 4 |
| Duha (Chasht) | From when the sun is fully up until midday (Zawal) | At least 2, up to 12 |
| Tahajjud | After Isha, before Witr, best prayed after waking up past midnight | At least 2; 4 or 8 is a good middle amount; up to 12 |
If you're not sure you'll wake up for Tahajjud, it's fine to just pray Witr straight after Isha instead.
Praying two rak'ahs when you enter a mosque, two after making wudu, a short prayer after sunrise, the forenoon prayer, and the night prayer after Isha are all good, recommended prayers.
12345678910Salat al-Istikhara is a special two-rak'ah prayer you pray when you have an important decision to make and you're not sure whether to go ahead with it.
How to pray Istikhara
- Make wudu, then pray two rak'ahs.
- In the first rak'ah, recite Surah Al-Kafirun after Al-Fatiha; in the second, recite Surah Al-Ikhlas.
- After you finish, praise Allah and send blessings on the Prophet ﷺ, then say the Istikhara dua.
- When you say the dua, instead of saying "this matter," name your actual decision, like "this trip" or "this marriage."
- After the dua, if you feel your heart lean towards doing it, go ahead. If you don't, hold back.
When you have an important decision to make, the Prophet's way is to pray two rak'ahs, then praise Allah, send blessings on the Prophet, and say the Istikhara dua, naming your actual decision in it.
12اَللّٰهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْتَخِيرُكَ بِعِلْمِكَ وَ اسْتَقْدِرُكَ بِقُدْرَتِكَ وَ اسْتَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ الْعَظِيمِ فَإِنَّكَ تَقْدِرُ وَلَااقْدِرُ وَتَعْلَمُ وَلَا أَعْلَمُ وَ أَنْتَ عَلامُ الْغُيُوبِ . اَللّٰهُمَّ إِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الْأَمْرَ خَيْرٌ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي فَاقْدِرْهُ لِي وَيَسِّرُهُ لِي ثُمَّ بَارِكْ لِي فِيهِ وَ إِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الْأَمْرَ شَرٌّ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَ عَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِى فَاصْرِفُهُ عَنِّى وَاصْرِفْنِى عَنْهُ وَ اقْدِرُ لِي الْخَيْرَ حَيْثُ كَانَ ثُمَّ أَرْضِی به
Allāhumma innī astakhīruka bi-ʿilmika wa astaqdiruka bi-qudratika wa asʾaluka min faḍlika'l-ʿaẓīm, fa-innaka taqdiru wa lā aqdir, wa taʿlamu wa lā aʿlam, wa anta ʿallāmu'l-ghuyūb. Allāhumma in kunta taʿlamu anna hādha'l-amra khayrun lī fī dīnī wa maʿāshī wa ʿāqibati amrī, faqdirhu lī wa yassirhu lī thumma bārik lī fīh; wa in kunta taʿlamu anna hādha'l-amra sharrun lī fī dīnī wa maʿāshī wa ʿāqibati amrī, faṣrifhu ʿannī wa'ṣrifnī ʿanhu, wa'qdir liya'l-khayra ḥaythu kāna thumma arḍinī bih
O Allah, I ask You to choose for me by Your knowledge, and I ask You to give me ability by Your power, and I ask You from Your great favour, for You are able and I am not, and You know and I do not, and You are the One who knows the unseen. O Allah, if You know that this matter is good for me in my religion, my life and how things turn out for me, then decide it for me and make it easy for me, and then bless it for me. And if You know that this matter is bad for me in my religion, my life and how things turn out for me, then turn it away from me and turn me away from it, and decide what is good for me wherever it is, and make me happy with it.
Besides the daily and sunnah prayers already described, there are some additional sunnah and nafl prayers:
| Prayer | When it is prayed | Rak'ahs |
|---|---|---|
| Tahiyyat al-Masjid | On entering a mosque, before sitting down | 2 (recommended) |
| Tahiyyat al-Wudu | After performing wudu, before the body dries | 2 (recommended) |
| Salat al-Ishraq | After sunrise | 2, or 4 may also be prayed |
| Salat al-Duha (Chasht) | From when the sun has fully risen until Zawal (noon) | Minimum 2, maximum 12 |
| Tahajjud | After Isha, before Witr | Minimum 2, average 4 or 8, maximum 12 |
For Tahajjud, it is better to sleep after Isha and wake after midnight to pray it, followed by Witr; if one is not confident of waking, it is permissible to pray Witr together with Isha instead.
Tahiyyat al-Masjid, Tahiyyat al-Wudu, Salat al-Ishraq, Salat al-Duha and Tahajjud are recommended prayers, each tied to its own moment: two rak'ahs on entering a mosque or after wudu, two to four after sunrise, two to twelve in the forenoon, and two to twelve at night after Isha, before Witr.
12345678910Salat al-Istikhara is prayed when an important matter arises and there is uncertainty about whether to proceed with it.
The method of Salat al-Istikhara
- Perform wudu and pray two rak'ahs.
- In the first rak'ah, recite Surah Al-Kafirun (Qul yaa ayyuhal Kafirun); in the second, recite Surah Al-Ikhlas (Qul Huwallahu Ahad).
- After completing the prayer, praise Allah and send blessings on the Prophet ﷺ, then recite the Istikhara dua.
- In place of "hadha al-amr" (this matter) in the dua, name the specific matter: for example, "hadha as-safar" (this journey) or "hadha an-nikah" (this marriage).
- After reciting the dua, if inclined to proceed with the matter, go ahead with it; if not, refrain from it.
When facing an important, uncertain matter, the sunnah is to pray two rak'ahs of Istikhara, then praise Allah, send blessings on the Prophet, and recite the Istikhara dua, naming the specific matter in place of "this matter".
12اَللّٰهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْتَخِيرُكَ بِعِلْمِكَ وَ اسْتَقْدِرُكَ بِقُدْرَتِكَ وَ اسْتَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ الْعَظِيمِ فَإِنَّكَ تَقْدِرُ وَلَااقْدِرُ وَتَعْلَمُ وَلَا أَعْلَمُ وَ أَنْتَ عَلامُ الْغُيُوبِ . اَللّٰهُمَّ إِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الْأَمْرَ خَيْرٌ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي فَاقْدِرْهُ لِي وَيَسِّرُهُ لِي ثُمَّ بَارِكْ لِي فِيهِ وَ إِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الْأَمْرَ شَرٌّ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَ عَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِى فَاصْرِفُهُ عَنِّى وَاصْرِفْنِى عَنْهُ وَ اقْدِرُ لِي الْخَيْرَ حَيْثُ كَانَ ثُمَّ أَرْضِی به
Allāhumma innī astakhīruka bi-ʿilmika wa astaqdiruka bi-qudratika wa asʾaluka min faḍlika'l-ʿaẓīm, fa-innaka taqdiru wa lā aqdir, wa taʿlamu wa lā aʿlam, wa anta ʿallāmu'l-ghuyūb. Allāhumma in kunta taʿlamu anna hādha'l-amra khayrun lī fī dīnī wa maʿāshī wa ʿāqibati amrī, faqdirhu lī wa yassirhu lī thumma bārik lī fīh; wa in kunta taʿlamu anna hādha'l-amra sharrun lī fī dīnī wa maʿāshī wa ʿāqibati amrī, faṣrifhu ʿannī wa'ṣrifnī ʿanhu, wa'qdir liya'l-khayra ḥaythu kāna thumma arḍinī bih
O Allah, I seek Your guidance by Your knowledge, and I seek ability by Your power, and I ask You from Your immense favour, for You are able and I am not, and You know and I do not, and You are the Knower of the unseen. O Allah, if You know that this matter is good for me in my religion, my livelihood and the outcome of my affairs, then decree it for me, make it easy for me, and bless it for me. And if You know that this matter is bad for me in my religion, my livelihood and the outcome of my affairs, then turn it away from me and turn me away from it, and decree for me what is good wherever it may be, and make me content with it.
Beyond the farḍ and the sunnah muʾakkadah prayers already treated, a further set of sunnah and nafl prayers is tied to particular occasions or times:
| Prayer | Occasion | Rakʿāt |
|---|---|---|
| Taḥiyyat al-Masjid | On entering a mosque, before sitting | 2 (mustaḥabb) |
| Taḥiyyat al-Wuḍūʾ | Immediately after wuḍūʾ, before the body dries | 2 (mustaḥabb) |
| Ṣalāt al-Ishrāq | After sunrise | 2, or 4 may also be prayed |
| Ṣalāt aḍ-Ḍuḥā (Chāsht) | From full sunrise until zawāl | Minimum 2, maximum 12 |
| Tahajjud | After ʿIshāʾ, before Witr | Minimum 2, an average of 4 or 8, maximum 12 |
For tahajjud, sleeping after ʿIshāʾ and waking after midnight to pray it, followed by Witr, is preferable; one unsure of waking may instead pray Witr immediately with ʿIshāʾ.
Tahiyyat al-Masjid and Tahiyyat al-Wudu (two rak'at each) are mustahabb, as are Salat al-Ishraq (two or four rak'at), Salat ad-Duha (two to twelve) and Tahajjud (two to twelve, prayed after Isha and before Witr), each at its stated occasion.
12345678910Ṣalāt al-Istikhārah is prayed where an important matter arises and there is uncertainty over whether to proceed with it.
The method of ṣalāt al-istikhārah
- Perform wuḍūʾ and pray two rakʿāt.
- Recite Sūrat al-Kāfirūn in the first rakʿah and Sūrat al-Ikhlāṣ in the second.
- On completion, praise Allah and send ṣalāt upon the Prophet ﷺ, then recite the duʿāʾ of istikhārah.
- In place of "hādha'l-amr" (this matter) within the duʿāʾ, the specific matter at hand is named: "hādha's-safar" (this journey), "hādha'n-nikāḥ" (this marriage), and so on.
- Following the duʿāʾ, one proceeds with the matter if inclined toward it, and refrains from it if not.
The sunnah on facing an important matter of uncertain outcome is to pray two rak'at of istikharah, then praise Allah, send salat upon the Prophet, and recite the du'a of istikharah, naming the specific matter in place of "hadha'l-amr".
12اَللّٰهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْتَخِيرُكَ بِعِلْمِكَ وَ اسْتَقْدِرُكَ بِقُدْرَتِكَ وَ اسْتَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ الْعَظِيمِ فَإِنَّكَ تَقْدِرُ وَلَااقْدِرُ وَتَعْلَمُ وَلَا أَعْلَمُ وَ أَنْتَ عَلامُ الْغُيُوبِ . اَللّٰهُمَّ إِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الْأَمْرَ خَيْرٌ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي فَاقْدِرْهُ لِي وَيَسِّرُهُ لِي ثُمَّ بَارِكْ لِي فِيهِ وَ إِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الْأَمْرَ شَرٌّ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَ عَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِى فَاصْرِفُهُ عَنِّى وَاصْرِفْنِى عَنْهُ وَ اقْدِرُ لِي الْخَيْرَ حَيْثُ كَانَ ثُمَّ أَرْضِی به
Allāhumma innī astakhīruka bi-ʿilmika wa astaqdiruka bi-qudratika wa asʾaluka min faḍlika'l-ʿaẓīm, fa-innaka taqdiru wa lā aqdir, wa taʿlamu wa lā aʿlam, wa anta ʿallāmu'l-ghuyūb. Allāhumma in kunta taʿlamu anna hādha'l-amra khayrun lī fī dīnī wa maʿāshī wa ʿāqibati amrī, faqdirhu lī wa yassirhu lī thumma bārik lī fīh; wa in kunta taʿlamu anna hādha'l-amra sharrun lī fī dīnī wa maʿāshī wa ʿāqibati amrī, faṣrifhu ʿannī wa'ṣrifnī ʿanhu, wa'qdir liya'l-khayra ḥaythu kāna thumma arḍinī bih
O Allah, I seek Your guidance by Your knowledge, and I seek ability by Your power, and I ask You from Your immense favour, for You are able and I am not, and You know and I do not, and You are the Knower of the unseen. O Allah, if You know that this matter is good for me in my religion, my livelihood and the outcome of my affairs, then decree it for me, make it easy for me, and bless it for me. And if You know that this matter is bad for me in my religion, my livelihood and the outcome of my affairs, then turn it away from me and turn me away from it, and decree for me what is good wherever it may be, and make me content with it.
This is the English translation of Nisab Ahle Khidmaat Sharia, exactly as the book has it, for the passages this page was written from. About 377 words. Switch back to Guide for the rewritten version.
Rulings of Prayer (Salah) Note 2
There are some additional Sunnah and Nafl Prayers other than described above, those are:
- Tahiyyat al-Masjid: It is recommended to pray two Rak'ahs when entering the mosque before sitting.
- Tahiyyat al-Wudu: After performing Wudu (ablution), it is recommended to pray two Rak'ahs before drying the body.
- Salat al-Ishraq: It is recommended to pray two Rak'ahs after sunrise. Four Rak'ahs may also be prayed.
- Salat al-Duha (Chasht):
- The minimum is 2 Rak'ahs, and the maximum is 12 Rak'ahs.
- The time for Salat al-Duha starts after the sun has fully risen and continues until the time of Zawal (noon).
- Tahajjud:
- The minimum is 2 Rak'ahs, the average is 4 Rak'ahs or 8, and the maximum is 12 Rak'ahs.
- The time for Tahajjud is after the Isha prayer, before the Witr prayer. It is better to sleep after Isha and then wake up after midnight to pray Tahajjud, followed by Witr. If one is unsure of being able to wake up, it is permissible to pray Witr with Isha.
Salat al-Istikhara:
- When an important matter arises and there is uncertainty about whether to proceed with it or not, it is recommended to perform Wudu (ablution) and pray two Rak'ahs of Salat al-Istikhara.
- In the first Rak'ah, recite Surah قُلْ يَايُّهَا الْكَفِرُونَ and in the second Rak'ah, recite Surah قُلْ هُوَ اللهُ أَحَدٌ.
- After completing the prayer, praise Allah and send blessings upon the Prophet (peace be upon him), and then recite the Istikhara dua:
"اَللّٰهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْتَخِيرُكَ بِعِلْمِكَ وَ اسْتَقْدِرُكَ بِقُدْرَتِكَ وَ اسْتَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ الْعَظِيمِ فَإِنَّكَ تَقْدِرُ وَلَااقْدِرُ وَتَعْلَمُ وَلَا أَعْلَمُ وَ أَنْتَ عَلامُ الْغُيُوبِ . اَللّٰهُمَّ إِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الْأَمْرَ خَيْرٌ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي فَاقْدِرْهُ لِي وَيَسِّرُهُ لِي ثُمَّ بَارِكْ لِي فِيهِ وَ إِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الْأَمْرَ شَرٌّ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَ عَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِى فَاصْرِفُهُ عَنِّى وَاصْرِفْنِى عَنْهُ وَ اقْدِرُ لِي الْخَيْرَ حَيْثُ كَانَ ثُمَّ أَرْضِی به "
Instead of Saying هذا الامر, mention your specific need, for example:
هذا السفر (this travel) or هذا النكاح (this marriage), etc. After reciting the dua, if you feel inclined to proceed with the matter, go ahead with it; otherwise, refrain from it.
- It is better to repeat the Salat al-Istikhara up to seven times before making a decision.
Related
- The sunnah and voluntary (nafl) prayers The twelve emphasised sunnahs of the day, the sunnahs that are not emphasised, and the voluntary (nafl) prayers, including the sunrise (Ishraq), forenoon (Duha) and after-Maghrib (Awwabin) prayers.
- The Witr prayer Witr is necessary (wajib) after Isha: three units (rak'ahs) with an extra surah in each, and the supplication (Dua-e-Qunoot) recited standing in the third.
- The night prayer of Ramadan (Tarawih) The confirmed sunnah of Ramadan night prayer: its twenty units (rak'ahs), its timing, completing the Qur'an, and the rules of praying it in congregation.
- The number of units (rakats) in the daily prayers The full count of units (rak'ahs) of each daily prayer in the Hanafi school: the sunnah before, the obligatory (fard), the sunnah after, Witr and the voluntary (nafl), with the emphasised sunnah marked apart.