The Prophet صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم as saying: If anyone prays in a day and a night twelve rak'ahs voluntarily (supererogatory prayer), a house will be built from him in Paradise on account of these (rak'ahs).

I asked Aishah رضی اللہ عنہا about the voluntary prayers offered by the Messenger of Allah صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم. She replied: Before the noon prayer he would pray four rak'ahs in my house, then go out and lead the people in prayer, then return to my house and pray two rak'ahs. He would lead the people in the sunset prayer, then return to my house and pray two rak'ahs. Then he would lead the people in the night prayer, and enter my house and pray two rak'ahs. He would pray nine rak'ahs during the night, including witr (prayer). At night he would pray for a long time standing and for a long time sitting. When he recited the Quran while standing, he would bow and prostrate himself from the standing position, and when he recited while sitting, he would bow and prostrate himself from the sitting position, and when dawn came he prayed two rak'ahs, then he would come out and lead the people in the dawn prayer.

The Messenger of Allah صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم would pray two rak'ahs before and two after the noon prayer, two after the sunset prayer in his house, and two after the night prayer. He would not pray afte the Friday prayer till he departed. He would then pray two rak'ahs.

The Prophet صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم never omitted four rak'ahs before the noon prayer, and two rak'ahs before the dawn prayer.

The Messenger of Allah صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم was more particular about observing the supererogatory rak'ahs before the dawn prayer than about observing any of the other supererogatory prayers.

The Prophet صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم would pray two rak'ahs before the dawn prayer lightly so much so that I would say: Did he recite Surah al-Fatihah in them.

The Prophet صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم would recite in both rak'ahs of the dawn prayer: Say, O unbelievers and Say: He is Allah, the one

He (Bilal) came to the Messenger of Allah صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم to inform him about the dawn prayer. Aishah رضی اللہ عنہا kept Bilal engaged in a matter which she asked him till the day was bright and it became fairly light. Bilal then stood up and called him to prayer and called him repeatedly. The Messenger of Allah صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم did not yet come out. When he came out, he led the people in prayer and he (Bilal) informed him that Aishah رضی اللہ عنہا had kept him engaged in a matter which she asked him till it became fairly light; hence he became late in reaching him (in time). He (Bilal) said: Messenger of Allah, the dawn became fairly bright. He said: If the dawn became brighter than it is now, I would pray them (the two rak'ahs of the sunnah prayer), offer them well and in a more beautiful manner.

The Prophet صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم said: Do not omit them (the two rak'ahs before the dawn prayer) even if you are driven away by the horses.

The Messenger of Allah صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم used to recite in both rak'ahs of the dawn prayer: Say: We believe in Allah and in the revelation given to us (3: 84). This is in the first rak'ah and in the second rak'ah (he recited): We believe in Allah and bear witness that we submit ourself (to Him). (3: 52).

He heard the Prophet صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم recite in both rak'ahs of the dawn: Say: We believe in Allah, and in the revelation given to us (3: 84). This is in the first rak'ah. In the second rak'ah he recited this verse: Our Lord, we have believed in what You have sent down, and we follow the Messenger, so write us down among those who bear witness. or he recited: Surely, we have sent you with the truth as a bringer of glad tidings, and a warner. And you will not be asked about the inhabitants of the Blazing Fire (2: 119). Al-Darawardi doubted (which of the verse he recited).

The Prophet صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم said: If any of you prays two rak'ahs before the dawn prayer, he should lie at his right side. Marwan ibn al-Hakam said to him: Is it not enough that one of us walks to the mosque until he lies at his right side? According to the version of Ubaydullah, he (Abu Hurairah رضی اللہ عنہ ) replied: No. This statement (of Abu Hurairah) reached Ibn Umar. He said: Abu Hurairah exceed limits on himself. He was asked: Do you look askance at what he says? He replied: No, but he dared and we showed cowardice. This (criticism of Ibn Umar) reached Abu Hurairah. He said: What is my sin if I remembered and they forgot?

When the Messenger of Allah صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم finished his prayer late in the night, he would see. If I was awake, he would talk to me. If I was sleeping, he would awaken me, and pray two rak'ahs, then he would lie down as long as the muadhdhin came to him and call him for the dawn prayer. Then he would pray two rak'ahs lightly and come out for prayer.

When the Prophet صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم prayed the two rak'ahs of the dawn prayer, he would lie down if I was asleep; in case I was awake, he would talk to me.

I came out with the Prophet صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم to offer the dawn prayer. When he passed by a sleeping man he called him for prayer or moved him with his foot. The narrator Ziyad said: This tradition has been reported to us by Abul Fadl.

A man came while the Prophet صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم was leading the people in the dawn prayer. He prayed the two rak'ahs and then joined the congregational prayer led by the Prophet صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم. When he finished the prayer, the Prophet صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم said: So-and-so, which was your real prayer, the one you prayed alone or the one offered with us ?

The Messenger of Allah صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم as saying: When the iqamah is pronounced for prayer, no prayer is valid except the obligatory prayer.

The Messenger of Allah صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم saw a person praying after the congregational prayer at dawn was over. The Messenger of Allah صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم said: There are two rak'ahs of the dawn prayer (i.e. the prescribed rak'ahs). The man replied: I did not pray the two rak'ahs before the dawn prayer. Hence I offered them now. The Messenger of Allah kept silent.

Abu Dawud said: Abd Rabbihi and Yahya bin Saeed also narrated this tradition from the Prophet صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم omitting the name of the Companion (mursal). Their grandfather Zaid prayed along with the Prophet صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم.

The Prophet صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم said: If anyone keeps on praying regularly four rak'ahs before and four after the noon prayer, he will not enter the Hell-fire. Abu Dawud said: Al-'Ala bin Al-Harith and Sulaiman bin Musa reported it from Makhul with his chain, similarly.

The Prophet صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم said: The gates of heaven are opened for four rak'ahs containing no taslim (salutation) before the noon prayer. Abu Dawud said: Yahya bin Saeed al-Qattan said: If I were to narrate any tradition from Ubaidah, I would narrate this tradition. Abu Dawud said: Ubaidah is weak. Abu Dawud said: The name of the narrator Ibn Minjab is Sahm.

The Prophet صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم said: May Allah show mercy to a man who prays four rak'ahs before the afternoon prayer.

That the Prophet صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم used to pray two rak'ahs before the Asr prayer.

Abdullah bin Abbas, Abdur-Rahman bin Azhar رضی اللہ عنہ and al-Miswar bin Makhramah رضی اللہ عنہ sent him to Aishah, wife of the Prophet صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم . They said: Convey our regards to her from all of us and ask her about the two rak'ahs after the Asr prayer, and tell her that we have been informed that she prays them, and we are told that the Messenger of Allah صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم prohibited them. I entered upon her and told her that for which they had sent me to her. She said: Ask Umm Salamah رضی اللہ عنہا . I returned to them (Ibn Abbas and others) and informed them about her opinion. They sent me back to Umm Salamah رضی اللہ عنہا with the same mission for which they had sent me to Aishah. Umm Salamah رضی اللہ عنہا said: I heard the Messenger of Allah صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم prohibiting them, but later on I saw him praying them. When he prayed them, he had offered the Asr prayer. He then came to me while a number of women from Banu Haram from the Ansar were sitting with me. He prayed these two rak'ahs. I sent a slave girl to him and I told her: Stand beside him and tell him that Umm Salamah رضی اللہ عنہا has asked: Messenger of Allah صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم, I heard you prohibiting these two rak'ahs (after the afternoon prayer) but I see you praying them yourself. If he makes a sign with his hand, step backward from him. The slave girl did so. When he finished prayer, he said: O daughter of Abu Umayyah, you asked about the praying of two rak'ahs after the Asr prayer, in fact, some people of Abdul-Qais has come to me with the news that their people had embraced Islam. They hindered me from praying the two rak'ahs after Zuhr prayer. It is those two rak'ahs (which I offered after the Asr prayer)

The Prophet صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم prohibited to offer prayer after the afternoon prayer except at the time when the sun is high up in the sky.