What are sunnah prayers, and do I have to pray them?
Sunnah prayers are extra prayers the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to pray besides the five obligatory ones. They are rewarded but not required. The most emphasised are the two rakat before Fajr and the Witr at night. As a new Muslim, start with the five obligatory prayers and add sunnah prayers later.
Pray along with it, step by step: Witr
By Benjamin · Last updated
Step by step
- First, the five obligatory prayers. Build them until they are steady. They come before everything else.
- Add the two rakat before Fajr. Two short rakat between the start of Fajr time and the obligatory Fajr. All schools stress them.
- Add Witr. An odd-numbered prayer after Isha, usually 3 rakat or 1. The Hanafi school counts it as wajib (required), the other schools as a strong sunnah.
- Then the others, when you are ready. Short prayers before or after Dhuhr, after Maghrib and after Isha. The schools count them slightly differently; your mosque can tell you the usual practice.
Voluntary prayers at other times
- Dhuha: after sunrise until before Dhuhr, at least 2 rakat.
- Tahajjud: at night, best in the last third, in sets of 2 rakat.
- Taraweeh: after Isha during Ramadan, in sets of 2 rakat. Mosques pray 8 or 20, and both are valid.
How a sunnah prayer is prayed
Exactly like an obligatory prayer of the same length: the same positions and the same words. Only the intention is different.
Prayer times today: London · Birmingham · Manchester · Bradford · All UK towns
Common questions
Is it a sin to skip sunnah prayers?
No, they are not obligatory, with one exception: the Hanafi school counts Witr as wajib, so it should not be left. Sunnah prayers bring extra reward and make up for shortcomings in the obligatory prayers.
Should a new Muslim pray sunnah prayers?
Start with the five obligatory prayers. When they feel steady, add the two rakat before Fajr and the Witr.
Can I pray sunnah prayers at home?
Yes. Praying sunnah prayers at home is actually encouraged.
Practise it with audio
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