The Sunnahs of Wetr Prayer


(wetr prayer means ending the prayer at night with an odd number of raka's)

1-It is sunnah, for the one who wishes to end the prayer at night with three wetr raka's, to read after al-fateha :

suraht al a'laa no. 87{( sabbiĥi asma rabbika al-'a`lá) in the first raka,


surat al kafirun no.109 {( qul yā 'ayyuhā al-kāfirūna) in the second raka, and surat al ikhlaas no 112{( qul huwa allāhu 'aĥadun) in the third raka, as narrated by abu dawood, at termithi and ibn majah.

2- it is sunnah to say, after finishing the wetr prayer: (-subhaanal-malikil-quddoosi- i.e. glory is to the king, the holy), three times. at the third time, as narrated by ad-dar qotni, it is sunnah to raise and extend his voice and say: (-rabbil-malaa'ikati warroohi- i.e. lord of the angels and the spirit), authenticated by al-arna'out, and it was narrated by abu dawood and an-nasa'ei. 

The Sunnahs of Praying at Night

 The prophet – peace be upon him – said: (the best time for fasting after ramadan is the month of moharram, and the best prayer after performing obligatory ones is the night prayer), narrated by muslim.

1-The best number (of raka's) for praying at night is eleven raka's (bows) or thirteen ones along the night because it is narrated that: (the prophet – peace be upon him – was praying eleven raka's – bows – (at night) and that was his usual prayer), narrated by al-bukhari.

in another narration, it is mentioned: (he was praying thirteen raka's …), narrated by al-bukhari.

2- It is sunnah when praying at night to use sewak and reciting the last verses of ali-imran from: {( 'inna fī khalqi as-samāwāti wa al-'arđi wa akhtilāfi al-layli wa an-nahāri la'āyātin li'wlī al-'albābi) i.e. (indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day are signs for those of understanding)} (aal-imran: 190) until finishing this sura.

3- It is sunnah also to say the supplications of the prophet – peace be upon him – such as: (o allah, praise is to you. you are the light of the heavens and the earth and all that they contain. praise is to you, you are the sustainer of the heavens and the earth and all they contain. praise is to you, you are the king of the heavens and the earth. you are the truth, your promise is true, your audience is true, your word is true, paradise is true, hell is true, the prophets are true).

4- It is sunnah also to start the prayer at night with two light raka's in order to become active and get ready to the following prayers. the prophet – peace be upon him – said: (if you start praying at night, then start prayer with two light raka's). narrated by muslim.

5- It is sunnah also to start the prayer at night by saying the following prophetic supplication: (o allah, lord of jibrail, mikail and israfil, maker of the heavens and the earth. knower of the unseen and the seen. you judge between your slaves regarding that in which they differ. guide me to the truth regarding that in which there is difference, by your leave. surely, you guide whomever you please to the straight path). narrated by muslim.

6-It is sunnah also to prolong the prayer, because the prophet – peace be upon him – was asked: what is the best prayer? he said: (the longer). narrated by muslim. the meaning of "longer" is prolonging standing in prayer.

7- It is sunnah also to ask refuge in allah the almighty when you recite a verse speaking about punishment, by saying [i seek refuge in allah from the punishment of allah], and to ask the mercy of allah when you recite a verse speaking about mercy, by saying: [o allah, i ask for your favor], and to glorify allah when you recite a verse exalting allah the almighty.

The Supererogatory Prayers to be performed per Day and Night

 1-The arranged sunnahs* he (pbuh) said: (in no way does a muslim slave pray to allah twelve rak’as (units of prayer) per day, except (that) allah builds a house for him in paradise, or (that) a house is built for him in paradise). narrated by muslim.          

- These are as follows:  four rak’as before athuhr (noon) prayer and two after it, two rak’as after al-maghreb (sunset) prayer, two rak’as after al-isha’ (evening) prayer and two rak’as before al-fajr (dawn) prayer.

- my beloved brother: don’t you yearn for a house in paradise? preserve this prophetic advice and pray twelve rak’as other than the obligatory prayers.

1-Ad-duha (forenoon) prayer:

it is equal to [360] sadaqas (charitable deeds).  since, man’s body consists of [360] bones, therefore, each bone of them needs a sadaqa daily to be a sort of thanks (to allah) for this blessing. instead of all of this, two rak’as in the forenoon are sufficient.                                                       

its' two fruits: as reported in the authentic narrations of muslim, who quoted abu-dhar as saying that the prophet (pbuh) said: (every morning, there becomes a sadaqa for every joint in anyone of you.  every glorification is a sadaqa, commanding beneficence is a sadaqa, forbidding malfeasance is a sadaqa and instead of this, two rak’as performed in the forenoon are sufficient). 

abu-huraira – may allah be pleased with him – was quoted as saying: (my fellow (pbuh) enjoined me concerning fasting three days every month, the two rak’as of ad-duha and performing al-wetr prayer before i go to bed).  agreed upon.

its time: it starts 15 minutes (quarter of an hour) after sunrise, until quarter of an hour before athuhr (noon) prayer.

the best time to perform it: when the heat of the sun intensifies.

its number: its minimum number is two rak’as.

its maximum (number): eight rak’as and it has been said that there is no limit for its maximum. 

2- the sunnah of al-asr (afternoon) prayer:

he (pbuh) said: (may allah have mercy on this who performs four rak’as before al-asr (afternoon) prayer).  narrated by abu-dawoud and at-termithi.

3- the sunnah of al-maghreb (sunset) prayer:

he (pbuh) said: (perform prayer before al-maghreb, in the third time he said: for this who wants).  narrated by al-bukhari.

4- the sunnah of al-isha’ (evening) prayer:

he (pbuh) said: (between every two athans (calls to prayer) there is a prayer; between every two athans (calls to prayer) there is a prayer, between every two athans (calls to prayer) there is a prayer, in the third he said: for this who wants).  agreed upon.

- an-nawawi said: the meaning of the two athans: the athan (call to prayer) and al-iqamah (the call to start performing prayer). 

Provisions for Sutra

1-Sutra is anything put in front of the one who prays such as wall, stick, column …etc irrespective of the width of the sutra.

2-The height of the sutra is 30 cm approximately.

3-The distance between the legs and the sutra is three ells approximately i.e. a distance sufficient for making prostration.

4-The sutra is to be used by imam and individuals (whether in the obligatory or supererogatory prayers).

5- The sutra of the imam is enough for all persons praying behind him; therefore, it is allowed to pass in front of the praying persons when necessary.

the benefits of applying this sunnah:

a)   it prevents from interrupting prayer by the passers-by.

b)   it helps avoiding looking here and there because when the muslim uses the sutra, he will only look on his space and will think more in the meaning of the prayer.

c)   it helps others in passing by without any need to walk in front of the one who prays.

Praying Behind Sutra

(i.e. praying behind a barrier such as a wall, stick, column ..etc)

The prophet – peace be upon him – said: (if you want to pray, then stand behind a sutra, come close to it, and don’t allow anyone to pass between you and the sutra). narrated by abu dawood, ibn majah and ibn khuzaima

this prophetic tradition stipulated putting the sutra when performing the prayer, whether in the masjed or in home, for men and women. some muslims don't pray behind sutra; therefore, they deprive themselves from the reward of applying this sunnah.

This sunnah is repeated several times by the muslim during night and day when he performs the regular prophetic prayers, ad-doha prayer (morning prayer), masjed entry prayer, wetr prayer (the last prayer at night), the obligatory prayers by the woman when she prays alone at home. however, when praying at masjed, the sutra of the imam is enough for all who pray behind him.

The Sunnahs of Iqama

The recommendable actions when establishing the prayer .

(iqama means the second call for prayer in order to stand and align for performing the prayer)  

The first four sunnah actions, as mentioned above, are applicable upon making the iqama (establishing the prayer) as per the fatwa (legal opinion) of the permanent committee of the scientific researches & fatwa. accordingly, the total number of sunnah actions which can be applied upon iqama, in each prayer, is (20) actions of sunnah.  

The following things should be taken into consideration upon hearing the athan (call for prayer) and iqama (establishing the prayer) in order to apply the sunnah accurately and gain the reward under the will of allah the almighty:

a-  turning toward the qibla (kabaa direction) when making the athan and iqama.

b-  standing up.

c-  making ablution.

d-  refrain from speaking between the time of athan and iqama.

e-  keeping stability during iqama.

f-   emphasizing on the "a" and "h" letters in the word "allah" in athan, but in iqama, it can be pronounced quickly.

g-  putting fingers on the ears when making athan.

h-  extending and raising the voice when making athan, but lowering it when making the iqama.

i-   separating between athan and iqama. the separation can take place by praying two rak'as, or making one prostration, glorifying allah the almighty, sitting down, or speaking. in al maghrib (sunset) prayer, it is enough to take breath only, and it is not advisable to speak between athan and iqama – as per some narrations – in al fajr (down) prayer. some jurists said that it is enough to separate between athan and iqama by making one step only.

j-   the one who hears athan or iqama is recommended to repeat the same words, except when hearing (qad qamat as-salat – i.e. the prayer is established), he should say (la hawla wala quwata ella belllah – i.e. there is no might and no power except by allah).  

The Sunnahs of Athan-Call for Prayer

The recommendable actions when calling for the prayer

There are five sunnah actions (i.e. prophetic actions) recommended by the prophet – peace be upon him -  upon hearing the call for the prayer, as mentioned in zad al ma'ad book, by ibn al qayyem:

1-  The hearer should repeat after the mo'athen (the one who calls for prayer) all words except when the mo'athen says: (hayyah ala as-sala – i.e. hasten to the prayer) and (hayyah ala al-falah – i.e. hasten to the salvation), the hearer should say (la hawla wala quwata ella belllah – i.e. there is no might and no power except by allah). narrated by al-bukhari & muslim.

the benefit of this sunnah: you will be rewarded with paradise as stipulated in sahih muslim.

2-  The hearer should say: (ashhadu an la ilaha ella allah wa anna muhammadan rasoulo allah, radito bellahi raban, wa bel islami denan, wa be- muhammaden rasolua – i.e. i also bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped except allah and that muhammad is his prophet, i am pleased with allah as my lord , with islam as my religion and with muhammad as my prophet). narrated by muslim.

the benefit of this sunnah: allah will forgive your sins, as stipulated in the same prophetic tradition.

3-  After the mo'athen finishes the athan (the call for prayer), you should ask allah's blessings upon the prophet (peace be upon him), and the best supplication which can be said in this regard is the "as-salawat al ibrahimiah" – as mentioned below. the prophet – peace be upon him – said: (when you hear the mo'athen calling for the prayer, repeat his words then ask allah's blessings upon me, because the one who asks allah's blessings upon me once will be rewarded ten blessings  by allah) narrated by muslim.

The benefit of this sunnah: allah will send ten blessings to the believer i.e. allah will praise such person at heaven.

The text of as-salawat al-ibrahimiah is: (allaahumma salli alaa muhammadin wa alaa aali muhammadin, kamaa sallayta alaa ibraaheema wa alaa aali ibraaheema innaka hameedun majeed. allahumma baarik alaa muhammadin wa alaa aali mohammadin kamaa baarakta alaa ibraaheema wa alaa aali ibraaheema innaka hameedun majeed  - i.e. o allah, bestow your favor on muhammad and on the family of muhammad as you have bestowed your favor on ibrahim and on the family of ibrahim, you are praiseworthy, most glorious. o allah, bless muhammad and the family of mohammad as you have blessed ibrahim and the family of ibrahim, you are praiseworthy, most glorious) narrated by al bukhari.

4-  After asking allah's blessings upon the prophet – peace be upon him – you should say: (allahumma rabba haathihid-dawatit-tammati wassalatil-qaaimati, aati muhammadanil waseelata walfadheelata, wab'ath-hu maqaaman-mahmoodanil-lathee wa'adtahu i.e. o allah, lord of this perfect call and established prayer, grant muhammad the intercession and favor, and raise him to the honored station you have promised him) narrated by al bukhari.

the benefit of this supplication: the one who says this supplication will deserve the intercession of the prophet – peace be upon him.

5-  Finally, you can ask allah the almighty anything for yourself and ask the grace of allah because your supplication will be answered this time; the prophet – peace be upon him – said: (repeat the words of the mo'athen and when you finish, ask allah what you want and you will get it) narrated by abu dawood, advocated by al-hafeth ibn hijr, and authenticated by ibn hibban.

The total number of such sunnah actions if applied upon hearing the athan (the call for prayer) is (25) actions of sunnah.

The Sunnahs of Going to the Masjid

1-  Going early for the prayers: the prophet (pbuh) said: " if people know how much they could benefit from "al athan" (prayer call) and being among those standing in the first row in their prayers, they would even poll or gamble for it if there is no other way. and if they know how much bounty they get in arriving early to the mosque, they would compete for it.  and if they know much beneficence  in al fajr(dawn)  and al 'eshaa(night) prayers they would even go creeping"  (agreed upon as a correct narrative)

2-  The du'aa (supplication) upon going to the masjid: " o allah, lighten my heart, lighten my speech, lighten my audition, lighten my insight and bless me with light from behind, front, above, under and cover me all with light" (narrated by imam muslim)

3- Walking with solemnity : the prophet (pbuh) said: " when you hear the call for the prayers; walk to your prayers quietly with solemnity …" (narrated by al bukhari and imam muslim)

4- Going to the masjid on foot: scholars assured that it is a sunnah to shorten your steps swiftly to get more merits out of the number of steps, as the prophet (pbuh) said: "do you know what can erase your sins and heighten your faith? they replied: no; he then mentioned some points in addition to  " walking to the mosque" …" (narrated by imam muslim)

5-  The du'aa upon entering the masjid: whenever you enter the masjid address salutation for the prophet (pbuh) and say : " o allah, open your gates of mercy for me" (narrated by an nasa'i, ibn majah, ibn khozaimah and ibn hibban).

6-  Entering the masjid with the right leg: anas ibn malek (may allah be pleased with him) said : " it is sunnah to enter the masjid with your right leg and exit with your left leg" (al hakem and ath- thahaby agreed that this narrative is correct according to imam muslim's narrative)

7- Heading for the first row: "if people know how much they could benefit from "al athan" (prayer call) and being among those standing in the first row in their prayers, they would even poll or gamble for it if there is no other way….. " (agreed upon as a correct narrative).

8- The du'aa of exiting the masjid: "when departing say: o allah, i ask your donation" (narrated by imam muslim; and an nasa'i added that a salutation for the prophet (pbuh) is preferred).

9- Exiting with the left leg:  referring to anas ibn malek 's (may allah be pleased with him) above narrative.

10- The masjid salutation prayer : " when you enter the masjid do not sit until you address a two rak'a prayer"  (agreed upon as a correct narrative)

-   imam ash shafe'ie said: salutation prayer is right even in the non-preferred prayer times.

-  Al hafez said: all the scholars agreed that salutation prayer is a true sunnah.

-  the sum of all these sunnahs for a muslim who practice the five prayers at the masjid is fifty sunnahs.