How many rak'ahs are there in each of the five daily prayers?
The question as asked, details removedHow many fard and sunnah rak'ahs are there in Fajr, Zuhr, Asr, Maghrib and Isha?More
This is a sample answer written to show how the site works. It follows the standard Hanafi books, but no mufti has reviewed or signed it yet, so it is not a fatwa. For a real answer, ask a question. Ask a mufti
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ اَلْجَوَابُ بِعَوْنِ الْمَلِكِ الْوَهَّابِ اَللّٰهُمَّ هِدَايَةَ الْحَقِّ وَالصَّوَابِ
1Short answer
Fard: Fajr 2, Zuhr 4, Asr 4, Maghrib 3, Isha 4, plus 3 witr (wajib) after Isha. The sunnah muakkadah are 2 before Fajr, 4 before and 2 after Zuhr, 2 after Maghrib and 2 after Isha: twelve a day.
2Detailed answer
The rak'ahs of each prayer:
- Fajr: 2 sunnah muakkadah, then 2 fard.
- Zuhr: 4 sunnah muakkadah, 4 fard, then 2 sunnah muakkadah.
- Asr: 4 sunnah (not muakkadah), then 4 fard.
- Maghrib: 3 fard, then 2 sunnah muakkadah.
- Isha: 4 sunnah (not muakkadah), 4 fard, 2 sunnah muakkadah, then 3 witr, which is wajib.
Missing a fard or the witr is a sin and must be made up. Leaving the sunnah muakkadah as a habit is blameworthy. The sunnah that are not muakkadah carry great reward but no blame for leaving them. Nafl prayers, such as the 2 after Zuhr's sunnah or after witr, are extra.
3Evidence and sources
- Sahih Muslim, Book of the Prayers of Travellers, hadith 728
- Jami' al-Tirmidhi, Book of Prayer
- Bahar-e-Shariat, chapter on sunnah and nafl prayers
Arabic texts, translations and how the ruling was derived
من صلى اثنتي عشرة ركعة في يوم وليلة بني له بهن بيت في الجنة
Meaning: Whoever prays twelve rak'ahs in a day and night, a house is built for him in Paradise because of them.
The number of fard rak'ahs has reached us through the unbroken practice of the Ummah from the Prophet ﷺ. The twelve rak'ahs in this hadith are the sunnah muakkadah; the narration in al-Tirmidhi names them: four before Zuhr and two after it, two after Maghrib, two after Isha, and two before Fajr.
وَاللهُ أَعْلَمُ عَزَّوَجَلَّ وَرَسُوْلُهُ أَعْلَمُ صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ