“My father sent word to ‘Aishah, asking which prayer the Prophet ﷺ most liked to perform regularly. She said: ‘He used to perform four Rak’ah before the Zuhr, in which he would stand for a long time and bow and prostrate perfectly.’”  

أَرْسَلَ أَبِي إِلَى عَائِشَةَ أَىُّ صَلاَةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ كَانَ أَحَبَّ إِلَيْهِ أَنْ يُوَاظِبَ عَلَيْهَا؟ قَالَتْ كَانَ يُصَلِّي أَرْبَعًا قَبْلَ الظُّهْرِ يُطِيلُ فِيهِنَّ الْقِيَامَ وَيُحْسِنُ فِيهِنَّ الرُّكُوعَ وَالسُّجُودَ  

It was narrated from Abu Ayyub that the Prophet ﷺ used to perform four Rak’ah before the Zuhr when the sun had passed its zenith, and he did not separate them with a Taslim. He said, “The gates of heaven are opened when the sun passes its zenith.”  

أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ كَانَ يُصَلِّي قَبْلَ الظُّهْرِ أَرْبَعًا إِذَا زَالَتِ الشَّمْسُ لاَ يَفْصِلُ بَيْنَهُنَّ بِتَسْلِيمٍ وَقَالَ إِنَّ أَبْوَابَ السَّمَاءِ تُفْتَحُ إِذَا زَالَتِ الشَّمْسُ