Sunnah Prayers: How Many Rakats Before and After Each Prayer
The confirmed daily sunnah prayers (rawatib) are 12 rakats: 2 before Fajr, 4 before and 2 after Dhuhr, 2 after Maghrib and 2 after Isha.
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The 12 Confirmed Sunnah Rakats
The Prophet ﷺ said: whoever prays 12 rakats a day and night other than the obligatory prayers, Allah builds for him a house in Paradise (Sahih Muslim). Tirmidhi lists them as follows.
| Prayer | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Fajr | 2 | none |
| Dhuhr | 4 | 2 |
| Asr | none (4 recommended) | none |
| Maghrib | none (2 recommended) | 2 |
| Isha | none | 2 |
| Total | 6 | 6 |
12 rakats in the Hanafi count. The Shafi’i and Hanbali schools count 10 as confirmed (2 before Dhuhr instead of 4) and add the others as recommended.
Other Recommended Sunnah Rakats
Beyond the confirmed rakats, scholars recommend 2 more before Dhuhr and 2 more after it (Shafi’i), 4 before Asr (“may Allah have mercy on one who prays four before Asr”, Abu Dawud and Tirmidhi), 2 light rakats before Maghrib (Bukhari), and 2 before Isha. See each prayer: Fajr, Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib, Isha.
Pray the Sunnah at Home
The Prophet ﷺ said the best prayer of a person is in his house, except the obligatory prayer (Bukhari, Muslim), and Ibn Umar reported that he prayed the sunnah after Maghrib and Isha at home. When you travel, the Prophet ﷺ generally left the rawatib but kept the two before Fajr and Witr.
Sources
- General guidance from widely cited hadith. The schools differ on some details, so follow a scholar you trust for your own case.
- Sahih Muslim: a house in Paradise for 12 rakats; Tirmidhi: the list of the 12.
- Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim: Ibn Umar on the rawatib; the best prayer is in the house.
Frequently Asked Questions
The confirmed daily sunnah prayers are 12 rakats in the Hanafi count: 2 before Fajr, 4 before and 2 after Dhuhr, 2 after Maghrib and 2 after Isha. The Shafi’i and Hanbali schools count 10.
No. They are voluntary, but the confirmed ones are strongly recommended and carry great reward.
The Prophet ﷺ said Allah builds a house in Paradise for whoever prays 12 rakats a day and night other than the obligatory prayers (Sahih Muslim).
There is no confirmed sunnah for Asr, but praying 4 rakats before it is recommended.
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