5. Voluntary Prayers
٥۔ كتاب التطوع
The Prophet ﷺ as saying: In the morning alms are due for every bone in man's body. His salutation to everyone he meets is alms, his enjoining good is alms, his forbidding what is evil is alms, the removal of harmful thing from the way is alms, to have sexual intercourse with one's wife if alms, and two rak'ahs which one prays in the Duha serve instead of that. Abu Dawud said: The tradition narrated by 'Abbad is more perfect (than the version narrated by Musaddad). Musaddad did not mention in his version "the command (of good) and the prohibition (of evil)". Instead, he added in his version saying: "Such and such." Ibn Ma'na added in his version: "They (the people) said: Messenger of Allah, how is that one of us fulfills his desire and still there are alms for him (i.e. is rewarded)? He replied: What do you think if you had unlawful sexual intercourse, would he not have been a sinner ?
عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ يُصْبِحُ عَلَى كُلِّ سُلاَمَى مِنِ ابْنِ آدَمَ صَدَقَةٌ تَسْلِيمُهُ عَلَى مَنْ لَقِيَ صَدَقَةٌ وَأَمْرُهُ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ صَدَقَةٌ وَنَهْيُهُ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ صَدَقَةٌ وَإِمَاطَتُهُ الأَذَى عَنِ الطَّرِيقِ صَدَقَةٌ وَبُضْعَةُ أَهْلِهِ صَدَقَةٌ وَيُجْزِئُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ كُلِّهِ رَكْعَتَانِ مِنَ الضُّحَى
While we were present with Abu Dharr, he said: In the morning, alms are due for him, ever fast is alms, every pilgrimage is alms, every utterance of "Glory to be Allah" is alms, every utterance of "Allah is most great" is alms, every utterance of "Praise be to Allah" is alms. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ recounted all such good works. He then said: Two rak'ahs which one prays in the Duha serve instead of that.
يُصْبِحُ عَلَى كُلِّ سُلاَمَى مِنْ أَحَدِكُمْ فِي كُلِّ يَوْمٍ صَدَقَةٌ فَلَهُ بِكُلِّ صَلاَةٍ صَدَقَةٌ وَصِيَامٍ صَدَقَةٌ وَحَجٍّ صَدَقَةٌ وَتَسْبِيحٍ صَدَقَةٌ وَتَكْبِيرٍ صَدَقَةٌ وَتَحْمِيدٍ صَدَقَةٌ فَعَدَّ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مِنْ هَذِهِ الأَعْمَالِ الصَّالِحَةِ ثُمَّ قَالَ يُجْزِئُ أَحَدَكُمْ مِنْ ذَلِكَ رَكْعَتَا الضُّحَى
The Prophet ﷺ said: If anyone sits in his place of prayer when he finishes the dawn prayer till he prays the two rak'ahs of the forenoon, saying nothing but what is good, his sins will be forgiven even if they are more than the foam of the sea.
أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ مَنْ قَعَدَ فِي مُصَلاَّهُ حِينَ يَنْصَرِفُ مِنْ صَلاَةِ الصُّبْحِ حَتَّى يُسَبِّحَ رَكْعَتَىِ الضُّحَى لاَ يَقُولُ إِلاَّ خَيْرًا غُفِرَ لَهُ خَطَايَاهُ وَإِنْ كَانَتْ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ زَبَدِ الْبَحْرِ
The Prophet ﷺ said: Prayer followed by a prayer with no idle talk between the two is recorded in Illiyyun.
أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ صَلاَةٌ فِي أَثَرِ صَلاَةٍ لاَ لَغْوَ بَيْنَهُمَا كِتَابٌ فِي عِلِّيِّينَ
I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: Allah, the Exalted, says: Son of Adam, do not be helpless in performing four rak'ahs for Me at the beginning of the day: I will supply what you need till the end of it.
سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ يَقُولُ اللَّهُ ﷻ يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ لاَ تُعْجِزْنِي مِنْ أَرْبَعِ رَكَعَاتٍ فِي أَوَّلِ نَهَارِكَ أَكْفِكَ آخِرَهُ
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ prayed on the day of the Conquest (of Mecca) eight rak'ahs saluting after every two rak'ahs. Abu Dawud said: Ahmad b. Salih said that the Messenger of Allah offered prayer in the forenoon on the day of the Conquest of Mecca, and he narrated something similar. Ibn al-Sarh reported that Umm Hani said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ entered upon me. This version does not mention the prayer in the forenoon.
أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَوْمَ الْفَتْحِ صَلَّى سُبْحَةَ الضُّحَى ثَمَانِيَ رَكَعَاتٍ يُسَلِّمُ مِنْ كُلِّ رَكْعَتَيْنِ
No one told us that the Prophet ﷺ had offered Duha prayer except Umm Hani. She said that the Prophet ﷺ had taken bath in her house on the day of the Conquest of Mecca and prayed eight rak'ahs. But no one saw him afterwards praying these rak'ahs.
أَنَّهُ رَأَى النَّبِيَّ ﷺ صَلَّى الضُّحَى غَيْرَ أُمِّ هَانِئٍ فَإِنَّهَا ذَكَرَتْ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ يَوْمَ فَتْحِ مَكَّةَ اغْتَسَلَ فِي بَيْتِهَا وَصَلَّى ثَمَانِيَ رَكَعَاتٍ فَلَمْ يَرَهُ أَحَدٌ صَلاَّهُنَّ بَعْدُ
I asked 'Aishah: Did the Messenger of Allah ﷺ pray in the Duha? She replied: No, except when he returned from his journey. I then asked: Did the Messenger of Allah ﷺ recite the surahs combining each other? She said: He would do so in the mufassal surahs.
سَأَلْتُ عَائِشَةَ هَلْ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يُصَلِّي الضُّحَى فَقَالَتْ لاَ إِلاَّ أَنْ يَجِيءَ مِنْ مَغِيبِهِ قُلْتُ هَلْ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقْرِنُ بَيْنَ السُّورَتَيْنِ قَالَتْ مِنَ الْمُفَصَّلِ
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ never offered prayer in the forenoon, but I offer it. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ would give up an action, though he liked it to do, lest the people should continue it and it is prescribed for them.
عَنْ عَائِشَةَ زَوْجِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ أَنَّهَا قَالَتْ مَا سَبَّحَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ سُبْحَةَ الضُّحَى قَطُّ وَإِنِّي لأُسَبِّحُهَا وَإِنْ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ لَيَدَعُ الْعَمَلَ وَهُوَ يُحِبُّ أَنْ يَعْمَلَ بِهِ خَشْيَةَ أَنْ يَعْمَلَ بِهِ النَّاسُ فَيُفْرَضَ عَلَيْهِمْ
I asked Jabir b. Samurah: Did you sit in the company of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ ? He replied: Yes, very often. He would not stand from the place he prayed the dawn prayer till the sunrise. When the sun rose, he would stand (to pray Duha).
قُلْتُ لِجَابِرِ بْنِ سَمُرَةَ أَكُنْتَ تُجَالِسُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ نَعَمْ كَثِيرًا فَكَانَ لاَ يَقُومُ مِنْ مُصَلاَّهُ الَّذِي صَلَّى فِيهِ الْغَدَاةَ حَتَّى تَطْلُعَ الشَّمْسُ فَإِذَا طَلَعَتْ قَامَ ﷺ