What are the sunnah rawatib prayers?
Usually, they are the regular voluntary prayers the Prophet ﷺ prayed before and after the five daily fard prayers. The best known set is 12 rak'ahs a day: two before Fajr, four before Zuhr, two after Zuhr, two after Maghrib and two after Isha. They are not obligatory, but they are strongly encouraged and carry great reward.
What "rawatib" means
Rawatib (singular: ratiba) means "regular" or "fixed". These are voluntary prayers tied to a particular fard prayer. A rak'ah is one unit of prayer (standing, bowing and prostrating). Skipping a sunnah prayer is not a sin, but your fard prayers always come first. For the difference between the two, see What is the difference between fard and sunnah prayers?
The 12 rak'ahs
The Prophet ﷺ listed them when he spoke of the reward of keeping them up (Jami at-Tirmidhi 415):
- Fajr: 2 rak'ahs before the fard
- Zuhr: 4 rak'ahs before and 2 after
- Maghrib: 2 rak'ahs after
- Isha: 2 rak'ahs after
- Asr: none in this set
The schools of Islamic law count them slightly differently. Some stress two rak'ahs before Zuhr, others four, and some add extra recommended prayers before Asr or Isha. All of them agree these prayers are a sunnah, not a duty.
Why they are worth it
Umm Habiba, a wife of the Prophet ﷺ, reported that he said a house will be built in Paradise for anyone who prays twelve rak'ahs in a day and night, and she added that she never stopped praying them after she heard it (Sahih Muslim 728). The two rak'ahs before Fajr are especially loved. The Prophet ﷺ said they are better than this world and everything in it (Sahih Muslim 725).
They also act like a safety net. If your fard prayer was rushed or distracted, extra prayers help make up for it. See What is witr prayer? for another sunnah prayer worth knowing.
How to start adding them
Don't try to pray all 12 in your first week. Build up slowly:
- Start with the two rak'ahs before Fajr. They are short and carry the most reward.
- Add the two after Maghrib, which are easy to pray at home right after the fard.
- Then add the two after Zuhr and the two after Isha.
- Finally, add the four before Zuhr.
Pray them in pairs, saying the salam after every two rak'ahs. There is no special wording for the intention; simply decide in your heart which prayer you are praying. You can pray them at home, which is often easier at work or school, or in the mosque. If you want to go beyond them, see What is Duha prayer?
- The sunnah rawatib are regular voluntary prayers before and after the fard prayers.
- The well-known set is 12 rak'ahs a day (Jami at-Tirmidhi 415).
- Keeping them earns a house in Paradise (Sahih Muslim 728).
- They are not obligatory, and missing one is not a sin.
- Add them gradually, starting with the two before Fajr.
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