Forgotten Sunnan

Forgotten Sunnan

A Compilation of Some Neglected Sunan, by Shaykh Al-Albaani

here are some abandoned Sunan that are missing among many people of today. consider them carefully and try to practice them in order to get the rewards in this life and the next:

1. Salaatud-Dhuhaa: and especially during the time when the sun is very hot. Allaah’s Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said: The prayer of those who are penitent is observed when your weaned camels feel the heat of the sun.[Muslim]

2. Lengthening the time of uplifting after Rukoo’ and the time of sitting between the two prostrations. This is clear in the hadeeth narrated by Anas (radiAllaahu ‘anhu) who said: “I spare no effort to make the Salaat of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) amongst you and (teach) you (to) offer it as I saw him offering it amongst us.“ He (Anas) said: “The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) did something which is missing amongst you. He used to stand after the bowing for such a long time that one would think that he had forgotten, and he used to sit in between the prostrations so long that one would think that he had forgotten the second prostration.“ [Bukhaaree]

3. Performing the Iq’aa (setting up one’s feet (on the toes) placing the buttocks on the heels) while sitting between the two prostrations. It is narrated from Abee Zubair that he heard Tawoos saying: We asked Ibn ‘Abbaas (radiAllaahu ‘anhumma) about Iq’aa, and he said: “This is the Sunnah.” [Muslim]

This Iq’aa is different from the one warned against, wherein the man sits placing his buttocks on the ground and setting up his feet on the toes.

4. Du’aa after the final Tashahud and before the (Tasleem) salutation ending the prayer. It is desirable to do so, invoking for what one wishes of the good of this life and the next. The Messenger of Allaah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said to his Companions when he taught them how to say the Tashahud: “Then he (the one praying) may choose what pleases him of supplication and offer it.” [Muslim]

5. Offering Salaatun-Nafl at home. This Sunnah is proved by the hadeeth of Ibn ‘Umar (radiAllaahu ‘anhumma) who said: The Messenger of Allaah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said: “Offer some of your prayers (Nawafil) at home, and do not take your houses as graveyards.” [Bukhaaree]

Ibn al-Qayyim (d. 751H, rahimahullaah) said in his book Za’adul-Ma’aad: “And he (the Prophet) would offer all of the Sunan and the voluntary prayers at home, especially the two Rak’at of Maghrib which he was not reported to have done in the mosque.”

6. Offering the voluntary prayers on the horse back (this nowadays includes the car and all the modern means of transportations). ‘Abdullaah Ibn ‘Umar would offer the voluntary prayer during travel on his horseback. Wheresoever it went (in whatever the direction the horse went), he would make an indication with his head (indicating ruku’s, sujood, etc.). He (Ibn ‘Umar) said that the Messenger of Allaah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) did the same.

7. Reciting Soorat al-Ikhlaas and al-Kafiroon in the optional Fajr (the two rak’ahs before the obligatory Fajr prayer). Aboo Hurairah (radiAllaahu ‘anhu) said: “The Prophet would recite during the two rak’ah of Fajr: Say (oh Muhammad to them): Oh disbelievers…(Soorat al-Kafiroon) and Say (oh Muhammad to them): He is Allaah, The One…(Soorat al-Ikhlaas).“

8. Offering two-rak’ah prayer by the one who returns back from a journey and before he meets his family.

Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullaah (radiAllaahu ‘anhumma) reported: “The Messenger of Allaah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) bought a camel from me. When he came back to Madina, he ordered me to come to the mosque and observed two rak’ah of prayer.“

Imaam Nawawee (d. 676H, rahimahullaah), explaining this hadeeth, said: “This hadeeth encourages for offering two rak’ah in the mosque immediately after arriving from a journey.“

9. Offering prayers between Maghrib and ‘Ishaa:

It is narrated from Hudhaifah (radiAllaahu ‘anhu), who said: “I came to the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) and offered the Maghrib prayer with him, and then he continued praying untill ‘Ishaa.” [Saheeh Ibn Hibbaan]

10. Going to bed after making the ablution:

It is narrated from Abu Hurairah (radiAllaahu ‘anhu), who said: The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said: “He who goes to bed Taahiran (pure; purified from ritual impurities by means of wudu` or ghusl) after making ablution, then an angel shall sleep under his quilt invoking Allaah: ‘Oh Allaah: Forgive the sins of your servant so-and-so, for he slept pure.‘ The angel would do so at any moment the sleeping person wakes up during his sleep.“ [The Hadeeth is Hasan, as-Silsilah as-Saheehah no. 2539]

11. Offering prayers with one’s shoes on:

This is a neglected sunnah that can hardly be seen nowadays, and not to mention that if you see someone doing so, you might (sadly, ignorantly) disapprove of what he did.

It was narrated from Shaddaad bin ‘Aws that the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said: Act differently than the Jews, for they do not offer prayers with their shoes and slippers on. [The Hadeeth is Saheeh, Saheehul-Jami' no. 3210]

In this Hadeeth, the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) commanded his Companions and then us to offer prayers with shoes on.

It was also narrated from Sa’eed Ibn Zaid (radiAllaahu ‘anhu) that he said: I said to Anas Ibn Malik (radiAllaahu ‘anhu): Did the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) offer prayers while he had his shoes on? He (Anas) said: “Yes.” [Bukhaaree]

12. Not to offer the nafal (the voluntary prayer) after the obligatory prayer except after he speaks or changes his place.

Mu’aawiyyah (radiAllaahu ‘anhu) narrated: The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) ordered them not to attach a prayer to another until they speak or leave (their place).[Reported by Muslim]

Abu Hurairah (radiAllaahu ‘anhu) narrated: The Messenger of Allaah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said: When it is Friday, the Angels stand at every door of the mosque and write down the names in the order of their arrival. When the Imaam sits on the pulpit for delivering the Khutbah, they fold up their sheets (record book) and listen to the Dhikr. The early comer is like one who offered a she-camel as a sacrifice, the next like one who offered a cow, the next a ram, the next a chicken, the next an egg.[Saheeh Muslim (7/406)]

Source: From an article by Imaam al-Albaanee titled “Sunan Mahjooran,”