SAEDNEWS: Daily Recommended Acts of Worship and How to Perform Them
According to Saednews, Daily Recommended Islamic Practices
The Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said:
“Whoever neglects their prayers is not one of us. By God, they will not meet me on the Day of Resurrection.”
There are many recommended prayers, known as Nawafil. Among them, special emphasis has been placed on the daily recommended prayers. Their order is as follows:
A. Recommended prayer before Dhuhr: Eight rak‘ahs, performed before the noon prayer.
B. Recommended prayer before Asr: Eight rak‘ahs, performed before the afternoon prayer.
C. Recommended prayer after Maghrib: Four rak‘ahs, performed after the sunset prayer.
D. Recommended prayer after Isha: Two rak‘ahs, performed while sitting after the night prayer.
E. Recommended prayer before Fajr: Two rak‘ahs, performed before the dawn prayer.
F. Friday prayers: On Fridays, two additional rak‘ahs are added to each of the recommended prayers before Dhuhr and Asr.
It is worth noting that these prayers are performed in sets of two rak‘ahs, in the same manner as the Fajr prayer.
It is narrated from Imam Ja‘far al-Sadiq (peace be upon him):
“Reciting the Tasbihat of Fatimah (peace be upon her) after every prayer is dearer to me than performing one thousand rak‘ahs of prayer.”
This remembrance consists of:
Saying Allahu Akbar (God is the Greatest) 34 times.
Saying Alhamdulillah (All praise belongs to God) 33 times.
Saying Subhanallah (Glory be to God) 33 times.
Recite the specific supplications and remembrances prescribed for after each prayer. These can be found at the beginning of the book Mafatih al-Jinan.
Abu Hamzah al-Thumali (may God have mercy on him) narrates from Imam Zayn al-Abidin (peace be upon him) regarding sleeping between dawn and sunrise:
“I do not like sleeping during these hours, because God distributes the sustenance of His servants during this time, and it is through us that this sustenance reaches them.”
Imam Ja‘far al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said:
“The Quran is God's covenant with His servants. Every Muslim should look into this covenant and recite fifty verses of it each day.”
How beautiful it is for a Muslim to illuminate their home every morning by reciting the Divine Book and to invite blessings into their household.
A. Recite the following ten times:
Subhanallah, walhamdulillah, wa la ilaha illallah, wallahu akbar.
Glory be to God, all praise belongs to God, there is no god but God, and God is the Greatest.
B. Before sunrise and sunset, recite the following ten times:
A‘udhu billah al-sami‘ al-‘alim min hamazat al-shayatin, wa a‘udhu billah min an yahdurun. Innallaha huwa al-sami‘ al-‘alim.
“I seek refuge in God, the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing, from the promptings of the devils, and I seek refuge in God from their presence. Indeed, God is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.”
Recite the following supplication:
Allahumma balligh mawlaya Sahib al-Zaman, salawatullahi ‘alayhi, ‘an jami‘ al-mu’minina wal-mu’minat, fi mashariq al-ardi wa magharibihā, wa barriha wa bahriha, wa sahliha wa jabaliha, hayyihim wa mayyitihim...
“O God, convey my greetings to my Master, the Master of the Age, may God's blessings be upon him, on behalf of all believing men and women in the east and west of the earth, on its land and sea, its plains and mountains, both the living and the dead…”
Imam Ja‘far al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said:
“Whoever gives charity in the morning, God will avert the misfortunes of that day from them.”
Another narration states:
“Give charity early in the morning, for calamities do not pass beyond it.”
The Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said:
“Whoever begins the morning without caring about the affairs of Muslims or thinking about their concerns is not a Muslim.”
It is also narrated from him that he said:
“Muslims should give charity every day.”
Some people objected, saying that not everyone could afford to give charity. The Prophet replied:
“Removing an obstacle from a public path is charity. Showing someone the way is charity. Visiting a sick person is charity.”
After teaching this visitation prayer to Alqamah, Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (peace be upon him) said:
“If you can, visit Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) every day using these words.”
Socrates ate very little. One philosopher wrote to him:
“You believe that every living creature deserves compassion. You yourself are a living creature, yet you show yourself no compassion.”
Socrates replied:
“I eat to live, but you live to eat!”
It is narrated from Imam Ali (peace be upon him) that he said:
“Whoever exercises moderation in eating will enjoy better health and sounder judgment.”
The Noble Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) advised:
“Remain in a state of purity as much as possible, and your life will be prolonged. If you can remain in a state of purity throughout the night and day, then do so. For if you die while in a state of purity, you will die as a martyr.”
A. Self-accountability before sleep
Imam Ja‘far al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said:
“When you go to bed, reflect on what you have accomplished during the day. Remember that you will die and that resurrection and the Hereafter exist.”
The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said:
“He is not one of us who does not hold himself accountable every day.”
B. Washing the hands and face before sleeping
The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said:
“Do not sleep at night while your hands are contaminated with grease. Otherwise, if something harmful happens to you, blame no one but yourself.”
C. Sleeping in a state of Wudu
Imam Ja‘far al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said:
“Whoever goes to bed in a state of Wudu, their bed becomes like a place of worship for them.”
Another narration states:
“Whoever sleeps in a state of Wudu is as though they have spent the night in the worship of God.”
D. Relieving oneself before sleeping
Imam Ali (peace be upon him) advised Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) to relieve himself before going to bed, so that he would not need medical treatment.
E. Brushing the teeth
The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) used to brush his teeth before sleeping.
Another narration states that he would keep his tooth-stick near his head so that he could brush his teeth first upon waking up.
F. Reciting Surah Al-Ikhlas and Surah Al-Takathur before sleeping
It is recommended to recite these two chapters of the Holy Quran before going to sleep.
The hours before dawn are among the best times for supplication and purification of the heart.
The more fruitful one's nights are in worship, the more fruitful one's days become. Whoever is deprived of this blessing is like a tree without roots.
God says in the Holy Quran:
“Indeed, rising at night is more effective for controlling oneself and more suitable for recitation.” (Quran 73:6)
The night prayer is one of the greatest signs of sincerity, purity of heart, and genuine faith.
The lives of the righteous and God-conscious have also been characterized by the following:
“They used to sleep but little at night, and in the hours before dawn, they would seek forgiveness.” (Quran 51:17–18)
In a divine conversation with Prophet Moses (peace be upon him), God said:
“He lies who claims to love Me, yet when night falls, he allows sleep to replace his intimate prayers and communion with Me.”
Another narration relates that a man came to Imam Ali (peace be upon him) and said:
“I am unable to succeed in performing the night prayer.”
The Imam replied:
“Your sins have chained you down.”
These recommended acts of worship (Mustahabbat) can help Muslims strengthen their relationship with God, cultivate discipline, and develop spiritual awareness throughout the day. The best approach is to begin with a few practices and gradually incorporate more into one's daily routine, according to one's ability.
