The regular Sunnah prayers connected to the five daily prayers are:
- 1Fajr: 2 rak‘ahs (units) before the obligatory prayer. The Prophet ﷺ consistently observed these two rak‘ahs. (Sahih Muslim, Hadith 1680)
- 2Dhuhr: 2 or 4 rak‘ahs before the obligatory prayer, and 2 after it.
- 3Asr: No regularly emphasized Sunnah prayer, though praying 4 voluntary rak‘ahs before it is recommended by some scholars.
- 4Maghrib: 2 rak‘ahs after the obligatory prayer.
- 5Isha: 2 rak‘ahs after the obligatory prayer, followed by Witr, an odd-numbered prayer that is highly emphasized.
Where the schools differ
The exact classification of some Sunnah prayers—especially the prayers before Dhuhr and before Asr—differs among the recognized schools. The list above reflects the commonly taught majority view; these are voluntary or emphasized Sunnah prayers, while the five obligatory prayers themselves remain fard (obligatory).
Sources
Sahih MuslimHadith 1680sahih
