The rawatib sunnas and supererogatory rules

Supererogatory prayers (tatawwu) are all the prayers performed in addition to the five obligatory prayers. This first part covers the rawatib sunnahs and the degree to which they are confirmed, the legal differences between voluntary and obligatory prayer, the recommended and disliked times for voluntary prayers, and then the rules for making up missed sunnahs and prayers missed during prohibited times. Every opinion is attributed to the school that holds it (Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i, Hanbali), together with its evidence, hadiths and classical references.

The most strongly confirmed rawatib sunnahs

According to the Hanafis, the confirmed rawatib sunnahs are twelve: the ten mentioned before, with the addition of two rak'ahs before Dhuhr (Sharh Fath al-Qadir, 1/442).

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did not omit four rak'ahs before Dhuhr.Narrated by al-Bukhari (1127)

Umm Habiba (may Allah be pleased with her) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

Whoever prays twelve rak'ahs in a day and a night, a house will be built for him in Paradise by virtue of them.Narrated by Muslim (728)

She added: "I have never omitted them since I heard them from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)." Al-Tirmidhi (415) specified their distribution: "Four rak'ahs before Dhuhr, two rak'ahs after it, two rak'ahs after Maghrib, two rak'ahs after Isha, and two rak'ahs before the Fajr prayer."

Among the Malikis, no number is fixed for the rak'ahs of the rawatib sunnahs: two rak'ahs at each time are enough to attain what is recommended, though it is preferable to pray four, except for Maghrib, for which six are prayed: before and after Dhuhr, before Asr, after Maghrib and after Isha; the sunnah of Fajr is raghba, that is, strongly desired (al-Sharh al-Saghir, 1/265, 266).

The most strongly confirmed of these sunnahs is the pair of Fajr. Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said:

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was never more firmly committed to any voluntary prayer than to the two rak'ahs before Fajr.Narrated by al-Bukhari (1093) and Muslim (1191)

In another wording: "and he never omitted them" (al-Bukhari, 1159). And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

The two rak'ahs of Fajr are better than the world and everything in it.Narrated by Muslim (725)

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "That is why he never omitted them, in travel or residence; and it was in travel that he was most steadfast upon the sunnah of Fajr and the Witr, more than upon all other voluntary prayers apart from the other rawatib, and it is not reported that he ever prayed in travel a rawatib sunnah other than them" (Zad al-Ma'ad, 1/315).

Some of these sunnahs precede the obligatory prayers and others follow them. Ibn Daqiq al-Id (may Allah have mercy on him) said: in advancing the voluntary prayers before the obligatory ones or delaying them after them there is a subtle and fitting meaning.

As for advancing them: it is because man is occupied with the affairs of this world and their means, which puts his soul in a state far removed from the presence of the heart in worship, while humility is the soul of worship. When the sunnahs precede the obligatory prayer, the soul becomes accustomed to worship and settles into a state that draws it closer to humility. It then enters the obligatory prayers in a good state which it would not have attained without the sunnah that preceded them, for the soul is inclined to be shaped by what it experiences, especially if it devotes itself to it or lingers in it, and the arrival of a contrary state may erase the effect of the previous state or weaken it.

As for the sunnahs that follow the obligatory prayer, it is because it has been related that the voluntary prayers repair the deficiency of the obligatory prayers: once the obligatory prayer has taken place, it is fitting that what repairs any deficiency that occurred should come after it (Ihkam al-Ahkam, 1/170; Hashiyat al-Dasuqi, 1/312; Bulghat al-Salik, 1/265, 266).

The differences between voluntary and obligatory prayer

Among voluntary prayers there are specific prayers, other than the rawatib that accompany the obligatory prayers, and the unrestricted voluntary prayers. Among them: the Duha prayer, the tasbih and istighfar prayer, the prayer of need (hajah), the greeting of the mosque (tahiyyat al-masjid) and others, which will be discussed later, Allah willing.

Voluntary prayer differs from the obligatory prayer in several respects:

• Praying seated: it is permitted in voluntary prayer to pray sitting while able to stand, which is not permitted in the obligatory prayer, because standing is a pillar of it when one is able; voluntary prayer is a lasting good, and requiring it standing would prevent that good from being maintained, whereas the obligatory prayer belongs to specific times, so requiring it while able causes no hardship. The evidence is the hadith of Imran ibn Husayn (may Allah be pleased with him): I asked the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) about the prayer of a man sitting, and he said: "If he prays standing, that is better; and whoever prays sitting has half the reward of the one who prays standing" (al-Bukhari, 1065; see al-Mughni, 2/337).
• Recitation: in voluntary prayer, recitation beyond al-Fatihah takes place in all the rak'ahs; as for recitation in the obligatory prayers of four or three rak'ahs, it occurs only in the first two according to the majority, contrary to the Shafi'is, who hold it recommended to recite a portion of the Quran with al-Fatihah in all the rak'ahs, as has already been explained.
• Time and quantity: unrestricted voluntary prayer has neither a specific time nor a fixed quantity: it is permitted at any time and in any amount, except that it is disliked at certain times and in certain measures, as will come. The obligatory prayer has a fixed quantity and specific times, and it may not be exceeded.
• Intention: unrestricted voluntary prayer is performed with an unrestricted intention, whereas the obligatory prayer is valid only with a specific intention, as has been explained.
• Praying on a mount and the like: the jurists agree that voluntary prayer on a mount is permitted; as for the obligatory prayer, Ibn Battal (may Allah have mercy on him) said that the scholars agree that no one may pray the obligatory prayer on the beast without an excuse (al-Ifsah, 1/142, 143), and this will be discussed later, Allah willing.
• Praying inside the Ka'bah and on its roof: the jurists agree that voluntary prayer inside the Ka'bah is valid. They differed over the obligatory prayer inside the Ka'bah or on its roof: Abu Hanifah said that if the worshipper has before him a portion of its direction, the prayer is valid. Al-Shafi'i said that prayer on its roof is valid, unless he faces a screen built of plaster or mud; if it is unbaked or baked bricks stacked one upon another without mortar, it is not valid; if he erects a piece of wood, the matter has two views among his companions; and if he prays inside facing the door, it is not valid, unless he has before him a projecting threshold connected to the building. Ahmad said that it is not valid under any circumstance, neither on its roof nor inside it. As for Malik, there are two narrations, like the two schools: one in the sense of Ahmad's madhhab, namely that prayer there is not valid at all; this is the narration of Asbagh, and Abd al-Wahhab said it is the most famous among the verifiers of our school; the other narration is that prayer there is sufficient, though disliked (al-Ifsah, 1/144; al-Bahr al-Ra'iq, 2/215; al-Durr al-Mukhtar, 2/254; Mawahib al-Jalil, 1/511; al-Istidhkar, 4/322; Sharh Muslim, 9/83; Tarh al-Tathrib, 5/119; al-Insaf, 1/498; Sharh Muntaha al-Iradat, 1/166).

What is disliked (makruh) in voluntary prayer

What is disliked in voluntary prayer is of two kinds.

The first kind is what relates to quantity. It is disliked to exceed four rak'ahs with a single salutation by day; this is not disliked by night, and the worshipper may pray six or eight rak'ahs with a single salutation. Al-Kasani said: the basis of this is that the voluntary prayers were legislated in the pattern of the obligatory ones, and what follows the original does not oppose it; if more than four were prayed by day, it would oppose the obligatory prayers. This analogy applies to the night, except that the increase beyond four to eight, or to six, is known to us from the text, for it is reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to pray at night five rak'ahs, nine rak'ahs, eleven rak'ahs or thirteen rak'ahs.

In each of these numbers, the last three rak'ahs constitute the Witr, and of the thirteen, two rak'ahs are the sunnah of Fajr; there thus remain two, four, six and eight rak'ahs. Up to this measure, it is permitted to pray with a single salutation, without dislike.

The shaykhs differed over exceeding eight rak'ahs with a single salutation at night. Some said it is disliked, because this increase is not narrated from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Others said it is not disliked, and to this view inclined the shaykh and imam, the ascetic al-Sarakhsi (may Allah have mercy on him), because it is the connecting of one act of worship to another. But this involves the same problem as exceeding four rak'ahs by day; the correct position is that it is disliked, for the reason we mentioned, and this is the view of most of the shaykhs (Ma'ani al-Athar, 2/290, 291; al-Mughni, 2/310, 318).

The second kind is what relates to time. Al-Kasani (may Allah have mercy on him) said: voluntary prayer is disliked at the disliked times, which are twelve; at some of them voluntary prayer is disliked on account of a meaning inherent in the time itself, and at others on account of a meaning unrelated to the time.

The times in which voluntary prayer is disliked on account of a meaning inherent in the time are three:

• the time after sunrise, until the sun rises high and turns white;
• the time of the sun's zenith, when it stands upright, until it begins to decline;
• the time of the sun's change of color, that is, its reddening and then its yellowing, until it sets; this has already been explained under the times in which prayer is forbidden.

As for the times in which voluntary prayer is disliked on account of a meaning unrelated to the time, they include:

• the time after the appearance of dawn until the Fajr prayer, the time after the Fajr prayer until sunrise, and the time after the Asr prayer until the sun disappears;
• the time after sunset, because it delays the Maghrib prayer, which is disliked;
• the time after the imam has begun the prayer, and the time before he begins it once the muezzin has started the iqamah: voluntary prayer at that time is disliked in order to preserve the right of the congregational prayer;
• the time of the Friday khutbah, because voluntary prayer leads to neglecting listening to it;
• the time after the imam goes out for the Friday khutbah before he begins delivering it, and the time after he finishes it before he begins the prayer, except for the greeting of the mosque, as will come, Allah willing;
• the time before the Eid prayer, in which voluntary prayer is disliked: the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did not pray voluntary prayers before the two Eids (al-Bukhari, 945; Muslim, 884), despite the strength of his zeal for prayer; for hastening to the Eid prayer is a sunnah, and being occupied with voluntary prayer causes delay; and were he to busy himself with voluntary prayer in his house, he would fall at the time of sunrise, and both are disliked (Ma'ani al-Athar, 2/292; al-Bahr al-Ra'iq, 2/215; al-Durr al-Mukhtar, 2/254; Mawahib al-Jalil, 1/511; al-Istidhkar, 4/322; Sharh Muslim, 9/83; Tarh al-Tathrib, 5/119; al-Insaf, 1/498; Sharh Muntaha al-Iradat, 1/166).

The recommended times for voluntary prayer

Unrestricted voluntary prayers are legislated throughout the night, and throughout the day outside the prohibited times; night prayer is better than day prayer. Imam Ahmad said: I know of nothing better than standing in prayer at night, and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was commanded with it. Allah the Most High said:

"And rise at night in voluntary prayer as an extra offering for you."

Surah al-Isra, 79

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

The best prayer after the obligatory one is the night prayer.Narrated by Muslim (1163)

Standing in prayer at night was for a time obligatory, as shown by the saying of the Most High: "O you who are wrapped up! Stand (in prayer) by night, except a little: half of it, or lessen it a little" (Surah al-Muzzammil, 1-3); then it was abrogated by His saying: "Indeed, your Lord knows that you stand (in prayer) nearly two thirds of the night" (Surah al-Muzzammil, 20).

The best of tahajjud is the middle of the latter part of the night, as reported by Amr ibn Abasah: I said: O Messenger of Allah, which part of the night is most likely to be answered? He replied: "The middle of the latter part of the night" (sahih hadith: Abu Dawud, 1277; see al-Mughni, 2/330).

Beginning a voluntary prayer is a chapter of its own. The Hanafis said that whoever begins a nafl must complete it, for what has been performed is an act of worship, and nullifying an act of worship is forbidden, by the saying of the Most High:

"And do not render your deeds void."

Surah Muhammad, 33

What has been performed becomes a right of Allah the Most High, which cannot be preserved except by committing to the remainder: completion is therefore necessary. If one leaves it without an excuse, making it up is due, along with the sin and punishment of neglect; if one leaves it for an excuse, making it up is likewise due (Ma'ani al-Athar, 2/277; Kashf al-Asrar, 2/452; Usul al-Sarakhsi, 1/116; al-Fatawa al-Hindiyyah, 1/113; Mukhtasar Ikhtilaf al-Ulama, 1/311; Ahkam al-Quran of al-Jassas, 1/291).

The Malikis said: whoever leaves the nafl with an excuse owes no makeup, and whoever leaves it without an excuse must make it up (al-Istidhkar, 3/309; al-Tamhid, 12/72; Mawahib al-Jalil, 2/90; Sharh al-Zarqani, 1/505).

The Shafi'is said: whoever begins the nafl is not obliged to continue, and no makeup is due from him if he does not complete it. The nafl, not binding before its beginning, remains so after it: the nature of a thing does not change by beginning it, and it remains a nafl after as before; it is therefore performed with the intention of nafl, and even if he completes it, he will have performed a nafl without obligation falling upon him. They stated explicitly, however, that leaving a nafl, other than Hajj and Umrah, without an excuse is disliked, on the apparent meaning of His saying: "And do not render your deeds void" (Surah Muhammad, 33), and in order to depart from the view of those who require completion. Al-Suyuti (may Allah have mercy on him) said: we have no unrestricted nafl whose makeup is recommended, except for one who began a voluntary prayer or fast and then invalidated it: he is recommended to make it up (al-Ashbah wa-l-Naza'ir, 402; Mughni al-Muhtaj, 1/448; Fath al-Bari, 1/107).

The best number of rak'ahs in voluntary prayer

The Hanbalis said: for one who begins a nafl, perseverance in it is recommended; if he leaves it, no sin falls upon him and no makeup is due, though making it up is recommended in order to depart from the disagreement. It is nevertheless reported from Imam Ahmad what indicates that prayer becomes binding from its beginning. Al-Athram said: I asked Abu Abdillah (Ahmad): a man begins the day fasting a voluntary fast, does he have the choice, and may a man who has entered into prayer cut it short? He replied: prayer is stricter; as for prayer, he does not cut it short. It was said: if he cuts it short, does he make it up? He said: if he makes it up, there is no disagreement on it. Abu Ishaq al-Jawzajani inclined to this view and said: prayer has a state of ihram and a state of release; whoever begins it is bound, as in Hajj (al-Mughni, 4/215, 217; al-Kafi, 1/365).

As for the best number of rak'ahs in voluntary prayer, the Malikis, Shafi'is and Hanbalis said that night prayer and day prayer are performed two by two, with a salutation after every two rak'ahs; this is also the view of Abu Yusuf and Muhammad ibn al-Hasan of the Hanafis for night prayer. The evidence is the hadith of Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both):

The prayer of the night and the day is two by two.Sahih hadith: Abu Dawud (1295), al-Tirmidhi (597), al-Nasa'i (1666) and Ibn Majah (1322)

Ibn Umar also said: "I memorized from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) ten rak'ahs: two rak'ahs before Dhuhr, two rak'ahs after it, two rak'ahs after Maghrib in his house, two rak'ahs after Isha in his house, and two rak'ahs before the Subh prayer, a time during which no one entered upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)" (al-Bukhari, 1126).

Al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: it is established, by hadiths too many to count, that the day prayer is two by two, and they are well known in the Sahih, such as the hadith: "two rak'ahs before Dhuhr and two rak'ahs after it, likewise before Asr, after Maghrib and after Isha"; and the hadiths of the two rak'ahs of Duha, the greeting of the mosque and the two rak'ahs of istikharah, the two rak'ahs upon returning from travel, and the two rak'ahs after wudu, among others (al-Majmu', 4/62). And because praying two by two is farther removed from forgetfulness and more akin to the night prayers of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), the authentic of whose voluntary prayers is two rak'ahs. The Hanbalis, however, said: if he offers four rak'ahs voluntarily by day, there is no harm (al-Tamhid, 13/243; al-Istidhkar, 2/108; al-Mughni, 2/537; Nihayat al-Muhtaj, 2/126; Sharh Muntaha al-Iradat, 1/101).

Imam Abu Hanifah (may Allah have mercy on him) held that the best in night and day prayer is four by four; his two companions followed him for day prayer, excluding night prayer. Al-Kasani (may Allah have mercy on him) said: as for explaining what is best in voluntary prayer, for the day it is four by four according to the view of our companions; and for the night it is four by four according to the view of Abu Hanifah, while according to Abu Yusuf and Muhammad it is two by two, which is also the view of al-Shafi'i (Ma'ani al-Athar, 2/288).

Imam al-Tahawi (may Allah have mercy on him) related: some people held that night and day prayer is two by two, with a salutation after every two, relying on these reports; others opposed them: as for day prayer, if you wish you pray two by two with a salutation after every two, or four at once, and they disliked adding to that; and they differed over night prayer. Some said: two rak'ahs if you wish, or four, or six, or eight, and they disliked adding to that; among them was Abu Hanifah (may Allah have mercy on him). Others said: night prayer is two by two with a salutation after every two; among them was Abu Yusuf (may Allah have mercy on him); and what we mentioned for day prayer is the view of Abu Hanifah, Abu Yusuf and Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on them all (Sharh Ma'ani al-Athar, 1/334; Sharh Sahih al-Bukhari of Ibn Battal, 3/155).

Abu Hanifah's evidence is the hadith of Abdallah ibn Shaqiq, who said: I asked Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) about the voluntary prayer of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and she said: "He used to pray four rak'ahs before Dhuhr in my house..." (Muslim, 730). And from Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her): "The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to pray Duha four rak'ahs, and add as much as Allah willed" (Muslim, 719).

And from Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them): "He used to pray at night two by two, and by day four by four, then salute"; this hadith was narrated by Ibn al-Mundhir in al-Awsat (5/2773), by Ibn Abi Shaybah (2/274), and by al-Tahawi in Sharh Ma'ani al-Athar (1/334), through Ubaydallah ibn Umar, from Nafi', from Ibn Umar, and its chain is sahih.

And the hadith of Abu Ayyub (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him):

Four rak'ahs before Dhuhr, with no salutation among them; the gates of heaven are opened for them.Hasan hadith: Abu Dawud (1270)

His evidence for night prayer is the hadith of Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), who said: "He used to pray (at night) four rak'ahs: do not ask about their beauty and their length; then he prayed four rak'ahs: do not ask about their beauty and their length; then he prayed three" (al-Bukhari, 1096; Muslim, 731). The word "he used to" expresses habit and steadfastness, and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was steadfast only upon the best of deeds and those most beloved to Allah (Ma'ani al-Athar, 2/289).

Nevertheless, Imam al-Tahawi (may Allah have mercy on him), of the Hanafis, adopted the view of the majority, namely that night prayer is two by two, commenting on the previous hadith that it is narrated from Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) that he used to salute between every two of them. This chapter is taken only from fixed transmission and adherence to what the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did and commanded, and to what his companions did after him; yet we do not find, in his deeds or in his sayings, that he permitted it...

Congregational prayer in voluntary prayer

On the separation that should be made between the obligatory and the voluntary prayer, the Shafi'is said that it aims at multiplying the places of prostration; and if he does not move to another spot, he should separate the obligatory prayer from the voluntary one by speech. They cite what was reported from Sa'ib ibn Yazid: I prayed Friday with Mu'awiyah in the maqsura; when the imam saluted, I stood in my place and prayed; he then sent for me and said: "Never do again what you have done: when you have prayed Friday, do not follow it with a prayer until you have spoken or gone out, for the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) commanded us with that, namely not to follow one prayer with another until we have spoken or gone out" (Muslim, 883). And by his saying (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him):

Is one of you unable to move forward or backward, or to his right or his left in the prayer? That is: in prostration.Sahih hadith: Abu Dawud (1006)

Congregation (jama'ah) is a sunnah in the prayer of the two Eids, and al-Nawawi said that this is a matter of consensus (al-Majmu', 5/24). It is obligatory (wajib) among the Hanafis, a collective obligation (fard kifayah) among the Hanbalis, and a confirmed sunnah among the Malikis and Shafi'is, as will come in the chapter on the prayer of the two Eids, Allah willing. The jurists likewise agree that congregation is a sunnah in the eclipse prayer for the sun and the moon, as well as in the prayer for rain (istisqa), except with Abu Hanifah (may Allah have mercy on him): according to him there is no congregation in those prayers, because there is no prayer in them; this will be detailed, Allah willing. Likewise, congregation is a sunnah in the Tarawih prayer, by the consensus of the companions and the consensus of the people of the major cities.

Congregation in the Witr prayer is a sunnah in the month of Ramadan among the Hanbalis, recommended among the Shafi'is, and one of two views among the Hanafis; as for other than Ramadan, this will be set out in the chapter on Witr, Allah willing (Ma'ani al-Athar, 1/280, 283; al-Tahtawi, 1/27; al-Bahr al-Ra'iq, 2/75; Ibn Abidin, 1/371; al-Dasuqi, 1/320; al-Mudawwanah, 2/486; Fath al-Bari, 3/62; Ibn Battal, 3/176; al-Nil, 3/95; al-Majmu', 4/28; Sharh Muslim, 6/39; Mughni al-Muhtaj, 1/225; Hilyat al-Ulama, 2/270; al-Mughni, 1/441; Kashshaf al-Qina', 1/414; Sharh Muntaha al-Iradat, 1/131).

As for prayers other than these, the principle is that they are performed individually, but praying them in congregation is permitted, for the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did both, and most of his voluntary prayers were individual. Ibn Qudamah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: voluntary prayer is permitted in congregation and individually, for the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did both, and most of his voluntary prayers were individual; he prayed with Hudhayfah once, with Anas, his mother and the orphan once, led his companions in prayer in the house of Utban once, and led them during the nights of Ramadan three times; all of these are sound hadiths (al-Mughni, 1/442; Kashshaf al-Qina', 1/439, 440; al-Mubdi', 2/25; al-Nil, 3/95).

The Malikis, however, conditioned the permission on the group being few and the place little known: if the number is large, congregation is disliked; likewise it is disliked if the group is few but the place well known. Ibn Wahb reported from Malik that there is no harm in a small number of people being led in a voluntary prayer, but not if the place is well known or the people are gathered for it deliberately. Al-Hafiz said in the Fath: Malik built this upon his principle of blocking the means (sadd al-dhara'i), for fear that one without knowledge might think it an obligatory prayer; and Ibn Habib, among his companions, excepted the qiyam of Ramadan, because of how well known that practice was among the companions and those after them, may Allah be pleased with them all (Fath al-Bari, 3/62; Sharh Ibn Battal, 3/176; Hashiyat al-Dasuqi, 1/320).

As for the Hanafis, they hold that congregation in the nafl outside Ramadan is disliked. Ibn Nujaym (may Allah have mercy on him) said: if they pray Witr in congregation outside Ramadan, it is valid but disliked, like voluntary prayer in congregation outside Ramadan; and he stipulated in al-Kafi that it be by way of spontaneous prompting (tadayi): if one follows one, or two follow one, it is not disliked; if three follow one, they differed; and if four follow one, it is disliked by agreement (al-Bahr al-Ra'iq, 2/75; Qiyam al-Layl of al-Marwazi, 1/5).

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: voluntary prayer in congregation is of two kinds. The first: that for which regular congregation is legislated, such as the eclipse, the prayer for rain and the qiyam of Ramadan; this is done in congregation constantly, as established by the sunnah. The second: that for which regular congregation is not legislated, such as night prayer, the rawatib sunnahs, the Duha prayer and the greeting of the mosque and the like; if this is done in congregation occasionally, it is permitted; but regular congregation in it is not legislated; rather it is a disliked innovation, for the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), the companions and the successors were not accustomed to gathering for the rawatib beyond this; the Prophet only offered voluntary prayer in a small congregation at times: he would stand at night alone, but when Ibn Abbas spent the night with him, he prayed with him; on another night Hudhayfah prayed with him; on another night Ibn Mas'ud; likewise he prayed in the house of Utban ibn Malik al-Ansari in the place he had taken as a place of prayer, and he prayed with Anas, his mother and the orphan. Most of his voluntary prayers he prayed individually; that is what we have said regarding legislated voluntary prayers. As for instituting a prayer of a set number and a set recitation at a set time, prayed in regular congregation, such as the al-Ragha'ib prayer on the first Friday of Rajab, the al-Alfiyyah prayer at the beginning of Rajab and the like, this is not legislated, by the agreement of the imams of Islam, as the authoritative scholars have stated; and none invents such a thing but an ignorant innovator; opening such a door entails changing the laws of Islam and taking a share of the condition of those who legislated in the religion what Allah did not permit; and Allah knows best (Majmu' al-Fatawa, 23/413).

Reciting aloud or quietly in voluntary prayer

The jurists agree that reciting aloud is a sunnah in the prayers of the two Eids, the prayer for rain, the Tarawih and the lunar eclipse. They differed over the solar eclipse: should one recite quietly or aloud? The three imams, Abu Hanifah, Malik and al-Shafi'i, held that quiet recitation in it is a sunnah; while Imam Ahmad, Abu Yusuf and Muhammad of the Hanafis, Ibn Khuzaymah, Ibn al-Mundhir and other hadith scholars of the Shafi'is, and Ibn al-'Arabi of the Malikis, held that reciting aloud in it is a sunnah (Fath al-Bari, 2/550; Umdat al-Qari, 6/33; Nayl al-Awtar, 4/22; Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi, 3/120).

As for the unrestricted voluntary prayers of the day, as well as the rawatib sunnahs, quiet recitation in them is a sunnah without disagreement (Umdat al-Qari, 6/33; Majma' al-Anhur, 1/100; al-Fawakih al-Dawani, 1/200; al-Mawaqib in the margin of al-Khattab, 2/68; al-Sharh al-Kabir, 1/313; al-Zarqani, 1/281; al-Majmu', 3/345; Kashshaf al-Qina', 1/344, 440; Matalib Awli al-Nuha, 1/575).

As for the voluntary prayers of the night, the Malikis and al-Tahawi, the author of al-Tatimmah among the Shafi'is, hold that reciting aloud in them is a sunnah (al-Fawakih al-Dawani, 1/200; al-Zarqani, 1/281; al-Majmu', 3/345; al-Rawdah, 1/341). Al-Qadi Husayn and the author of al-Tahdhib among the Shafi'is said: one takes the middle course between aloud and quiet; this is if one does not disturb a sleeper or a worshipper, or the like; otherwise the sunnah is quiet recitation (al-Majmu', 3/345; Rawdat al-Talibin, 1/248; Mughni al-Muhtaj, 1/162).

The Hanafis said: the one praying voluntarily alone chooses between reciting aloud and quietly in the night nafl, for the voluntary prayers follow the obligatory ones, whose numbers they complete; one is therefore free in them as one is free in the obligatory prayers. If he is an imam, he recites aloud, for the reason mentioned of following the obligatory prayers; this is why he recites quietly in the day voluntary prayers, even if he is an imam. They then differed over the definition of reciting aloud and quietly: al-Hinduwani said: reciting aloud is that another person hears him; mukhafatah is that he hears himself. Al-Karkhi said: reciting aloud is that he hears himself articulating the letters correctly, for recitation is the act of the tongue, not of the ear. Al-Zayla'i (may Allah have mercy on him) said: the first is more correct, for the mere movement of the tongue without sound is not called recitation (Majma' al-Anhur, 2/156; Tabyin al-Haqa'iq, 1/127).

The Hanbalis said: the one who prays voluntarily at night considers the interest at stake: if reciting aloud makes him more active in his recitation, or if someone near him listens to his recitation or benefits from it, reciting aloud is better, because of the benefits that follow; if someone near him is performing tahajjud or is disturbed by the raising of his voice, a sleeper or otherwise, or if he fears showing off, quiet recitation is better, to ward off that harm (Kashshaf al-Qina', 1/344, 445; Matalib Awli al-Nuha, 1/575).

Praying voluntary prayers sitting or standing

The scholars agree that it is permitted to perform voluntary prayer sitting while able to stand, for voluntary prayer is a lasting good, and requiring it standing would prevent that good from being maintained (Sharh Muslim, 6/10; al-Majmu', 3/231; Bada'i' al-Sana'i', 1/297; al-Bahr al-Ra'iq, 2/67; Hashiyat al-Tahtawi, 1/265; Hilyat al-Ulama, 2/120; al-Majmu', 3/232; Fath al-Bari, 2/585; Umdat al-Qari, 7/160; Durr al-Hukkam, 2/30; Nihayat al-Muhtaj, 1/471; Nayl al-Awtar, 3/99). And because many people find prolonged standing difficult: were it required in voluntary prayer, most would abandon it; the Lawgiver therefore tolerated omitting standing in it, to encourage its increase, just as He tolerated praying it on a mount while traveling (al-Mughni, 1/443; I'lam al-Muwaqqi'in, 1/303).

The evidence is his saying (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him):

The prayer of the one sitting is half the prayer of the one standing.Sahih hadith: Ibn Majah (1230) and others

Al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: this hadith is understood of voluntary prayer performed sitting while able to stand: he then has half the reward of the one standing; but if he prays the nafl sitting due to his inability to stand, his reward is not diminished; rather it is equal to that of one standing (Sharh Muslim, 6/13). And Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: "The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to pray sitting and recite sitting; when there remained of his recitation the equivalent of thirty or forty verses, he would stand and recite standing, then bow, then prostrate, then do the same in the second rak'ah" (Muslim, 731).

It is also reported, through another channel, the option of bowing and prostrating standing or sitting, the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) having done both: Aisha added that she never saw the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) pray the night prayer sitting until he grew old: he would recite sitting, and when he wished to bow he would stand, recite about thirty or forty verses, then bow (al-Bukhari, 1097; Muslim, 731). And from her: "The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) would pray one night standing for a long time and one night sitting for a long time; when he recited standing he would bow and prostrate standing, and when he recited sitting he would bow and prostrate sitting" (Muslim, 730).

If he begins the voluntary prayer standing and then wishes to sit, or begins it sitting and then wishes to stand, this is permitted according to Abu Hanifah, by judicial preference (istishsan), and according to Malik, al-Shafi'i and Ahmad: for he is engaged in a voluntary act, free between standing and sitting at the start; the same applies after beginning, since he remains in a voluntary act; and the hadiths of Aisha mentioned above bear this out. Abu Yusuf and Muhammad of the Hanafis said that this is not permitted to him. Al-Kasani said: that is the analogy (qiyas), for beginning is binding, like a vow: if he vows to pray two rak'ahs standing, sitting is not permitted to him without an excuse; likewise if he begins standing.

To their saying that beginning is binding, it is answered: beginning is not binding by legal determination; it is binding only by necessity, in order to preserve from nullity what has become an act of worship; and what has become such remains worship through the persistence of the remaining substance of the prayer, not through the persistence of the remaining attribute: since voluntary prayer sitting is permitted in principle, realizing standing in what remains is not required. He is therefore not required to pray more than two rak'ahs, for what has been performed dispenses with addition, unlike the vow, which is the object of legal obligation: if he binds himself with the attribute, it becomes obligatory likewise (Bada'i' al-Sana'i', 1/297; Ma'ani al-Athar, 1/291; al-Bahr al-Ra'iq, 2/68; Durr al-Hukkam, 2/30; Umdat al-Qari, 7/205; Sharh Muslim, 6/11; Hilyat al-Ulama, 2/120; Kashshaf al-Qina', 1/441; Nayl al-Awtar, 3/101; al-Insaf, 2/188). It is reported from Abu Hanifah that it is not permitted to pray the sunnah of Fajr or the Tarawih sitting, for each of them is a confirmed sunnah (Ibn Abidin, 2/14; al-Bahr al-Ra'iq, 2/98).

Voluntary prayer while lying down

Abu Buraydah reported, and al-Bukhari with him as well as others, that Imran ibn Husayn, whose face was beaming, narrated to him: I asked the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) about the prayer of a man sitting, and he said:

If he prays standing, that is better; whoever prays sitting has half the reward of the one standing; and whoever prays lying down, that is, reclining on his side, has half the reward of the one sitting.Narrated by al-Bukhari and others

We have said previously that the scholars agree on permitting a man to pray sitting despite his ability to stand; but here they do not hold it permitted. Al-Kamal Ibn al-Humam (may Allah have mercy on him) said: we do not know of prayer lying down being permitted except in the obligatory prayer when one is unable to sit; and I do not know of its being permitted in the nafl in our school (Sharh Fath al-Qadir, 1/460; Durr al-Hukkam, 2/31). Ibn Nujaym related in al-Bahr, from Sharh al-Mashariq, the denial of its validity lying down: it occurs in some of its narrations: "and whoever prays lying down, that is, reclining on his side, has half the reward of the one sitting"; it cannot be understood of the nafl while able, since prayer is not valid lying down, unless this isolated narration is judged anomalous (al-Bahr al-Ra'iq, 2/67; Hashiyat al-Tahtawi, 1/265).

Al-Tahawi said in Sharh al-Mushkil: we pondered his saying: "Whoever prays lying down has half the reward of the one who prays sitting"; and we found that as for the one praying sitting who is unable to bow and prostrate in his sitting, it is not for him to pray lying on his side; we thereby understood that this hadith does not refer to one who prays lying down while he is able to pray sitting, bowing and prostrating in it. Rather it is the one who prays sitting among those who can only prostrate by gesture: he may pray on his side, gesturing for the bowing and prostration. We thereby understood that the "one praying lying down" credited with half the reward of the one sitting is the one who was able to pray sitting, gesturing in his sitting for the bowing and prostration, and who prayed lying down gesturing, by his own choice, preferring that to praying sitting gesturing; he thus deserves half the reward of the one sitting, and not more of its reward; and success is what we ask of Allah (Sharh Mushkil al-Athar, 4/398).

Ibn Abidin (may Allah have mercy on him) said: prayer lying down is not valid in our school without an excuse (Ibn Abidin, 2/36, 37). Ibn Abd al-Barr (may Allah have mercy on him) said: the majority of the people of knowledge do not permit the nafl reclining (al-Tamhid, 1/134). Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: the prayer of the reclining one at half the prayer of the one sitting refers to the excused, as in the hadith: he came out while they were afflicted with fever and praying sitting, and he said that; none of the early generations permitted voluntary prayer reclining without an excuse, and no one among the early generations is known to have done it. Its permissibility is a view in the madhhab of al-Shafi'i and Ahmad, and no sound predecessor is known for its holders; and this matter is among those which spread widely as a trial: were it permitted for every Muslim to pray voluntarily on his side while healthy, with no illness, as it is permitted to pray voluntarily sitting or on a mount, this would have been among what the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) clarified to his ummah, and the companions would have known it; and given the strength of the motivation toward good, some of them would inevitably have done it; so when none of them did it, that indicates it was not legislated among them (Majmu' al-Fatawa, 7/36, 37; see al-Insaf, 2/119).

He said elsewhere: voluntary prayer reclining is not permitted without an excuse, and this is the view of the majority of scholars. And he said: a group of Ahmad's companions and others did follow this, permitting voluntary prayer reclining for one who is healthy; it is a novel opinion, an innovation (Majmu' al-Fatawa, 4/428; Mukhtasar al-Fatawa al-Misriyyah, 1/58; Sharh al-Zarkashi, 1/230). Al-Khattabi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: I do not recall any of the people of knowledge granting a concession for voluntary prayer lying down as they did for praying sitting; if this wording is authentic from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and was not inserted into the hadith by some narrators, either by analogy with the prayer of the one sitting or in consideration of the prayer of the sick man reclining, then he said: I do not know of the word "lying down" heard anywhere but in this hadith (Ma'alim al-Sunan, 1/225; see al-Nihayah of Ibn al-Athir, 5/129; Fath al-Bari, 2/585; Nayl al-Awtar, 3/100).

Ibn Battal (may Allah have mercy on him) said: as for his saying "whoever prays lying down has half the reward of the one sitting", its meaning is not accepted by the scholars, for they agree that the nafl is not prayed by gesture by one who is able to stand (Sharh Ibn Battal, 3/102). Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "Whoever prays lying down has half the reward of the one sitting": this applies only to the excused; otherwise, the one not excused has no reward at all if the prayer is obligatory, and if it is a nafl, voluntary prayer on the side is not permitted to him: the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) never did it on a single day, nor any of the companions at all, despite the strength of their zeal for all forms of worship and the doing of every good. That is why the majority of the ummah forbids it, and prayer on the side is permitted only to one who cannot sit, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said to Imran: "Pray standing; if you cannot, sitting; if you cannot, on your side"; and Imran ibn Husayn is the narrator of the two hadiths, and he is the one who asked the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) about them (The Prayer and the Ruling on the One Who Abandons It, 1/160).

He said in Bada'i' al-Fawa'id: his saying "and whoever prays lying down" indicates the permissibility of voluntary prayer for the one reclining, contrary to the view of the four imams, even though it is a view in the madhhab of Ahmad and al-Shafi'i (Bada'i' al-Fawa'id, 4/1012). He also said: Ibn Abd al-Barr said that they agreed it is not permitted to offer the nafl reclining. I say: in the Tirmidhi there is its permissibility from al-Hasan al-Basri, and al-Tirmidhi related through his chain from al-Hasan that he said: "If he wishes, he may pray the voluntary prayer sitting, standing and reclining"; and Allah knows best (Bada'i' al-Fawa'id, 4/1013; see Sunan al-Tirmidhi, 2/209).

As for the two views found in the madhhab of al-Shafi'i and Ahmad, al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said in Sharh Muslim: the most correct position with us is that the nafl reclining is permitted to one able to stand and sit, because of the sahih hadith in al-Bukhari: "and whoever prays lying down has half the reward of the one sitting"; and when he prays reclining, it is on his right side; if on his left, it is permitted, though contrary to what is preferable; if he lies flat on his back while able to recline on his side, it is not valid. It was said: what is preferable is that he be lying flat on his back, and that if he reclines on his side it is not valid. The first is correct, and Allah knows best (Sharh Muslim, 6/14).

He said in al-Majmu': what is meant by "lying down" is reclining on the side; if he offers a voluntary prayer reclining, gesturing with his head while able to stand and sit, there are two views. The first: his prayer is not valid, for he removes its form without an excuse, and this is the stronger of the two with the Imam of the Two Sanctuaries (al-Juwayni). The second, which is the correct position: it is valid, because of the hadith of Imran (al-Majmu', 3/231).

Al-Ayni said: our shaykh Zayn al-Din al-Iraqi said: as for the denial, by al-Khattabi and Ibn Battal, of any disagreement, as mentioned previously, over the validity of voluntary prayer reclining for one who is able, it is rejected; in our school there are two views, and the more correct of them is validity. Among the Malikis there are three views, related by Qadi Iyad in al-Ikmal. The first: permissibility absolutely, in necessity and by choice, for the healthy and the sick, on the apparent meaning of the hadith; this is the one with which the qadi began his discussion. The second: prohibition absolutely for both, for neither is in the form of prayer. The third: permissibility due to the weakness of the sick person only. Al-Tirmidhi related through his chain from al-Hasan al-Basri its permissibility, saying: "If the man wishes, he may pray the voluntary prayer..."

Making up missed sunnahs

The evidence is his saying (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him):

When one of you stands to pray, Satan comes to him and confuses him until he no longer knows how much he has prayed; when one of you finds that, let him prostrate twice while sitting.Narrated by al-Bukhari (1175) and Muslim (389)

His saying "stands to pray" encompasses all prayers, obligatory and voluntary: the text is general for everything called prayer. Ibn Abi Shaybah related through his chain from Abu Aqil that he heard Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab say: "The two prostrations of forgetfulness in the voluntary prayers are like the two prostrations of forgetfulness in the obligatory prayer" (al-Musannaf of Ibn Abi Shaybah, 4433; al-Awsat, 3/336; al-Mudawwanah, 1/137; al-Hidayah, 1/52; al-Zarqani, 1/105; al-Majmu', 4/161; al-Mughni, 1/698; Umdat al-Qari, 7/303; Sharh Ibn Battal, 3/230; Sunan al-Bayhaqi al-Kubra, 1/137).

The ruling on making up sunnahs: the scholars differed over the legitimacy of making up the rawatib sunnahs in four views:

• The first view: making them up is recommended absolutely, whether the omission was with an excuse or without; to this went al-Shafi'i in the newer position, Ahmad and Muhammad ibn al-Hasan.
• The second view: they are not made up; this is the view of Abu Hanifah, Malik and Abu Yusuf according to the more famous of the two narrations from him, the view of al-Shafi'i in the older position, and a narration related from Ahmad; the famous position from Malik is making up the two rak'ahs of Fajr after sunrise.
• The third view: distinguishing between what is independent in itself, such as the Eid and Duha prayers, which are made up, and what follows something else, such as the rawatib of the obligatory prayers, which are not made up; this is one of the views related from al-Shafi'i.
• The fourth view: that he makes them up if he wishes and omits them if he wishes, by way of free choice; it is related from the rationalists (ashab al-ra'y) and Malik (Nayl al-Awtar, 3/31; al-Hidayah wa-l-'Inayah, 1/342; Sharh Fath al-Qadir, 1/479; al-Binayah, 2/613; Sharh Mukhtasar Khalil of al-Kharashi, 2/16; al-Wasit, 2/217; Rawdat al-Talibin, 2/78; al-Majmu', 4/45; al-Munthur, 3/74; al-Fatawa al-Fiqhiyyah al-Kubra, 1/186; Majmu' al-Fatawa, 22/299; al-Insaf, 2/178).

Making up missed prayers during prohibited times

The jurists of the four schools differed over the ruling on making up missed prayers during prohibited times in three views.

The first view: it is permitted to make up the obligatory prayer or a sunnah with a cause during the prohibited times; the prohibition of praying at those hours applies only to newly begun voluntary prayers and voluntary prayer itself. This is the madhhab of Imam al-Shafi'i and his companions, and of Ahmad according to a narration chosen by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah and Ibn al-Qayyim. Imam al-Shafi'i (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "The sum of the prohibition by the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and Allah knows best, of prayer after Subh until the sun rises and after its appearance until it rises high, of prayer after Asr until the sun sets and after the disappearance of part of it until all of it disappears, and of prayer at midday until the sun declines, except on the day of Friday, applies to no prayer which imposes commitment on the worshipper in any of the possible ways, nor to a confirmed prayer which has been commanded though it is not obligatory, nor to a prayer the man used to pray and then neglected; when one of these prayers is prayed at those times, it is by indication of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), then by the consensus of the people in praying over the dead after Subh and after Asr" (al-Umm, 1/232).

It will be said: where is the indication from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)? The answer: his saying: "Whoever forgets a prayer or sleeps through it, let him pray it when he remembers it" (al-Bukhari, 572; Muslim, 684); Allah the Most High says: "And establish prayer for My remembrance" (Surah Taha, 14); and it was commanded that no one be prevented from circumambulating the House and praying there at whatever hour he wishes; and the Muslims prayed over their dead after Subh and after Asr.

Umm Salamah reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) prayed two rak'ahs after Asr in her house, which he used to pray after Dhuhr and had been distracted from. And Qays, the grandfather of Yahya ibn Sa'id, reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) saw him praying two rak'ahs after Subh; he questioned him, and he told him they were the two rak'ahs of Fajr, and he approved (sahih hadith: Abu Dawud, 1267; the Prophet said to him: "The Subh prayer is two rak'ahs," and the man replied: "I had not prayed them before, so I prayed them now," and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) remained silent). For the two rak'ahs of Fajr are confirmed and commanded: the prohibition of prayer at the prohibited times therefore cannot apply to a prayer lacking binding character. As for any prayer its owner was accustomed to pray and then neglected or was distracted from, and any confirmed prayer even if not obligatory, such as the two rak'ahs of Fajr and the eclipse prayer, the prohibition of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) stands for everything other than these (al-Istidhkar, 1/373).

Al-Mawardi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "The specification of certain prayers by the prohibition refers to the prayer of a nafl by which the worshipper begins without a cause; as for the prayers with causes, among the obligatory and recommended prayers, performing them is permitted at all these times, such as the missed prayer, the Witr, the two rak'ahs of Fajr, the greeting of the mosque, the Friday prayer, the two Eids and the prayer for rain" (al-Hawi al-Kabir, 6/352; Ma'rifat al-Sunan wa-l-Athar of al-Bayhaqi, 2/263, 273; al-Majmu' of al-Nawawi, 4/170, 171; Fath al-Bari, 2/71; Majmu' al-Fatawa, 23/191; al-Insaf, 2/206, 208).

The second view: the prohibition of voluntary prayers after the Fajr prayer and after the Asr prayer is absolute, except for funerals, whose permissibility is established by consensus without waiting for sunrise or sunset; this is the madhhab of Imam Malik and his companions, and of Ahmad according to the famous position from him. Ibn Abd al-Barr (may Allah have mercy on him) said: prayer after Subh, if it is a nafl or a sunnah that is not a makeup of an obligation, is not permitted; for the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) prohibited prayer after Subh until the sun rises and after Asr until the sun sets (al-Bukhari, 1139; Muslim, 826), an absolute prohibition; yet it applies only to everything other than the obligatory among prayers, as in the hadith of Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

Whoever catches a rak'ah of Subh before the sun rises, or a rak'ah of Asr before the sun sets, has caught the time.Narrated by Muslim (608)

Among those who held this view: Malik ibn Anas and his companions; Ahmad ibn Hanbal and Ishaq ibn Rahawayh inclined to it. Ahmad ibn Hanbal and Ishaq said: after Asr, only a missed prayer or a funeral prayer is prayed. Malik's madhhab in this is the madhhab of Umar ibn al-Khattab, Abu Sa'id al-Khudri and Abu Hurayrah, who reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) that he prohibited prayer after Subh until the sun rises and prayer after Asr until the sun sets, and they know best what they reported. It should suffice you that Umar struck on account of that with the whip, and that can only come from clear insight. Ibn Abbas also related this hadith from Umar, from the Prophet (peace be upon him), and applied it according to its apparent meaning and generality (al-Istidhkar, 1/383, 384).

Ibn Qudamah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: as for making up sunnahs at the other prohibited times, and performing other prayers with causes, such as the greeting of the mosque, the eclipse prayer and the prostration of recitation, the famous position in the madhhab is that it is not permitted; al-Kharqi mentioned it for the prostration of recitation and the eclipse prayer. The qadi said: there are two narrations on this, the more correct of which is that it is not permitted, the view of the rationalists, because of the generality of the prohibition; the other narration is that it is permitted, which is the view of al-Shafi'i, for the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "When one of you enters the mosque, let him not sit until he prays two rak'ahs" (al-Bukhari, 433; Muslim, 714), agreed upon, and he said of the eclipse: "When you see it, pray"; these are specific to those prayers, so the general prohibition concerning all prayer takes precedence; and because they are prayers with a cause, resembling what is established as permitted.

To this it is answered: the prohibition is prohibitive and the command is recommendatory, and abandoning the forbidden is better than performing the recommended; and to their saying that the command is specific to those prayers, it is answered that it is general as to time, while the prohibition is specific to that time, so the prohibition takes precedence. Nor does the analogy apply to making up after Asr, for the prohibition in it is lighter, as we mentioned; nor to making up the Witr after the rising of dawn, for that reason and because it is its own time, as in the hadith of Abu Basrah; nor to the funeral prayer, for it is a collective obligation and the dead person is feared for; nor to the two rak'ahs of tawaf, for they follow something not prohibited at that time, even though we have stated that the correct position is that the funeral prayer is not prayed at the three times in the hadith of Uqbah ibn Amir, nor should the two rak'ahs of tawaf be prayed at those times, nor should a congregational prayer be repeated in them: when these confirmed prayers are prohibited at those times, others deserve prohibition more; and Allah knows best (al-Mughni, 1/431, 432; see Fath al-Bari of Ibn Rajab, 3/319, 320; al-Insaf, 2/206, 208).

The funeral prayer was singled out among the prayers by consensus on its permissibility. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: the prayer over the dead after Fajr and after Asr: Ibn al-Mundhir related the consensus of the Muslims on the funeral prayer after Fajr and after Asr; and those three types are performed during the prohibited times according to Ahmad without disagreement, for there are specific hadiths indicating their permissibility at the time of prohibition; that is why they were excepted, along with the funeral at the two times, by the consensus of the Muslims. As for the other prayers with causes, such as the greeting of the mosque, the prostration of recitation and the eclipse prayer, such as the two rak'ahs of tawaf at the three times and the funeral prayer at the three times, his statements about them vary: the famous position from him is the prohibition, which is the choice of many of his companions, such as al-Kharqi and the qadi, and the madhhab of Malik and Abu Hanifah; but Abu Hanifah permits the prostration after Fajr and after Asr. There is also a narration that all prayers with causes are permitted, which is the choice of Abu al-Khattab and the madhhab of al-Shafi'i, and it is the preferable position in this chapter, for reasons; then he mentioned them (Majmu' al-Fatawa, 23/191 and following; al-Awsat, 2/397).

The third view: nothing at all of all the prayers, obligatory or voluntary, is prayed at sunrise, after Subh, after Asr, at sunset and at the zenith, except the Asr of that day; this is the view of Abu Hanifah and his companions. Imam al-Sarakhsi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: know that the times in which prayer is disliked are five; three of them exclude every kind of prayer: at sunrise until it turns white, and at its setting, except the Asr of that day, which is performed at sunset.

The basis of it is the hadith of Uqbah ibn Amir (may Allah be pleased with him):

Three hours in which the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) forbade us to pray or bury our dead: when the sun rises rising until it rises high, when the man of midday stands upright until the sun inclines, and when the sun yellows for setting until it sets.Narrated by Muslim (831)

And the hadith of al-Sanabihi (may Allah be pleased with him), that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "The sun rises with the horn of Satan; when it rises high, it leaves it; then when it reaches the zenith, it joins it; when it declines, it leaves it; when it nears setting, it joins it; when it sets, it leaves it; and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) prohibited prayer at those hours"; it is a weak hadith, narrated by Ahmad (4/348, 349), al-Nasa'i (559) and Ibn Majah (1253), among others. And the hadith of Amr ibn Abasah (may Allah be pleased with him), which is his saying: O prophet of Allah, inform me of what Allah has taught you and I do not know; inform me about prayer. He replied: "Pray the Subh prayer, then..." (the continuation is in the following part).