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). 

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 * the arranged sunnahs = the supererogatory prayers performed

with the daily five obligatory prayers and according to their order.