The 12 daily Sunnah rakats: a house in Paradise
The confirmed Sunnah prayers (rawatib) are prayed with the five daily prayers. Together they are twelve rakats a day, with a promise from the Prophet ﷺ.
The promise
No Muslim servant prays twelve rakats of voluntary prayer to Allah every day, other than the obligatory, except that Allah builds for him a house in Paradise.
Sahih Muslim, narrated by Umm Habibah
Which prayers are they?
- Fajr: 2 rakats before
- Dhuhr: 4 rakats before and 2 after
- Maghrib: 2 rakats after
- Isha: 2 rakats after
That makes twelve (at-Tirmidhi). The two before Fajr are the most emphasised:
The two rakats of Fajr are better than the world and everything in it.
Sahih Muslim
Why they matter
The Sunnah prayers make up for shortcomings in the obligatory prayers on the Day of Judgement (Abu Dawud, at-Tirmidhi). They also help you arrive at the prayer calmly and focused.
Build the habit
- Start with the two before Fajr.
- Add the two after Maghrib and the two after Isha, which are easy to attach.
- Then the Dhuhr Sunnah.
- Pray them at home when you can: the Prophet ﷺ said the best prayer of a person is in his house, except the obligatory prayer (al-Bukhari, Muslim).
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Frequently asked questions
Are the Sunnah prayers obligatory?
No, they are voluntary. But they are confirmed Sunnah that the Prophet ﷺ kept regularly, and their reward is great.
Do I pray the Sunnah when travelling?
The Prophet ﷺ kept the two rakats before Fajr and witr when travelling, and usually left the other rawatib.