THE SUPEREROGATORY PRAYERS (NAWAFIL PRAYERS)

Salam alaikum,
Having discussed the Obligatory salat, we would continue with the Nawafil Salat. We mentioned all the nawafil related to the obligatory prayers when we discussed the obligatory prayers.
So today we would discuss the Witr, tahajjud  and Tarawih nawafil Prayers. Please feel free to contribute @ the comment session.

 The Witr Prayer

Though not an obligatory prayer the prophet (SAW) encourage us to say it religiously.
Time: The time for the witr prayer begins after Ishaa prayer and continues until the time of Fajr Prayer. It is preferred to pray it early if one suspects that one will not wake during the later portion of the night, but it is advisable to delay it if otherwise.
It is prohibited to say two witr prayers in one night and one can make up for the witr prayer anytime of the day but it is advisable to say it within its time.

Number of Rakat: The witr prayer is an odd number rakak it can be thirteen, nine, seven, five, three or one rakat. However the three rakat is the most common.

It is permissible to perform the witr by praying two rakah, recite the tashahud and teslim and then pray one rakah with another tashahud and teslim. Likewise it is allowed to pray all the rakat with two tashahud i.e one after the first two rakat and another after say the one rakah and then one teslim. One may also make only one tashahud and the taslim in the last rakah of the witr. 

 Recitation in the Witr

It is compulsory  to recite suratul Fatihah in all the rakat, in addition, it is preferred to recite Al- A’la(Q87) in the first of the three rakat, Al- Kafirun(Q109) in the second rakat and in the third rakat one should recite the last three surah of the Quran ie Al- Ikhlas(Q112) Al- Falaq(Q113) and Al-Nas(Q114).

It is also Sunnah to supplicate with Qunut in the witr prayer, it is permissible to make the qunut before going into ruku in the last prayer or when one stand up straight after the ruku.

Here is the Qunut prayer:

"اللَّهُمَّ اهْدِنِي فِيمَنْ هَدَيْتَ، وَعَافِنِي فِيمَنْ عَافَيْتَ، وَتَوَلَّنِي فِيمَنْ تَوَلَّيْتَ، وَبَارِكْ لِي فِيمَا أَعطَيْتَ، وَقِنِي شَرَّ مَا قَضَيْتَ، فَإِنَّكَ تَقْضِي وَلَا يُقْضَى عَلَيْكَ، إِنَّهُ لَا يَذِلُّ مَنْ وَالَيْتَ، [وَلَا يَعِزُّ مَنْ عَادَيْتَ]، تَبَارَكْتَ رَبَّنَا وَتَعَالَيْتَ"

Allaahum-mahdinee feeman hadayta, wa 'aafinee feeman 'aafayta, wa tawallanee feeman tawallayta, wa baarik lee feemaa 'a'atayta, wa qinee sharra maa qadhayta, fa'innaka taqdhee wa laa yuqdhaa 'alayka, 'innahu laa yathillu man waalayta, [wa laa ya 'izzu man 'aadayta] , tabaarakta Rabbanaa wa ta'aalayta.

O Allah , guide me with those whom You have guided , and strengthen me with those whom You have given strength. Take me to Your care with those whom You have taken to Your care. Bless me in what You have given me. Protect me from the evil You have ordained. Surely, You command and are not commanded, and none whom You have committed to Your care shall be humiliated [and none whom You have taken as an enemy shall taste glory] . You are Blessed , Our Lord , and Exalted.

"اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِرِضَاكَ مِنْ سَخَطِكَ، وَبِمُعَافَاتِكَ مِنْ عُقُوبَتِكَ، وأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْكَ، لَا أُحْصِي ثَنَاءً عَلَيْكَ، أَنْتَ كَمَا أَثْنَيْتَ عَلَى نَفْسِكَ".

Allaahumma 'innee 'a'oothu biridhaaka min sakhatika, wa bimu'aafaatika min 'uqoobatika, wa 'a'oothu bika minka, laa 'uhsee thanaa'an 'alayka, 'Anta kamaa 'athnayta 'alaa nafsika.

O Allah , I seek refuge with Your Pleasure from Your anger . I seek refuge in Your forgiveness from Your punishment . I seek refuge in You from You . I cannot count Your praises , You are as You have praised Yourself.

"اللَّهُمَّ إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ، وَلَكَ نُصَلِّي وَنَسْجُدُ، وَإِلَيْكَ نَسْعَى وَنَحْفِدُ، نَرْجُو رَحْمَتَكَ، وَنَخْشَى عَذَابَكَ، إِنَّ عَذَابَكَ بِالْكَافِرِينَ مُلْحَقٌ. اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّا نَسْتَعِينُكَ، وَنَسْتَغْفِرُكَ، وَنُثْنِي عَلَيْكَ الْخَيْرَ، وَلَا نَكْفُرُكَ، وَنُؤْمِنُ بِكَ وَنَخْضَعُ لَكَ، وَنَخْلَعُ مَنْ يَكْفُرُكَ".

Allaahumma 'iyyaaka na'budu, wa laka nusallee wa nasjudu, wa 'ilayka nas'aa wa nahfidu, narjoo rahmataka, wa nakhshaa 'athaabaka, 'inna 'athaabaka bilkaafireena mulhaq. Allaahumma 'innaa nasta'eenuka, wa nastaghfiruka, wa nuthnee 'alaykal-khayr, wa laa nakfuruka, wa nu'minu bika, wa nakhdha'u laka, wa nakhla'u man yakfuruka.

O Allah, You alone do we worship and to You we pray and bow down prostrate. To You we hasten to worship and to serve. Our hope is for Your mercy and we fear Your punishment. Surely, Your punishment of the disbelievers is at hand. O Allah, we seek Your help and Your forgiveness, and we praise You beneficently. We do not deny You and we believe in You. We surrender to You and renounce whoever disbelieves in You.

  Tahajjud

This is one of the nawafil prayer that was ordered by Allah (SWT). It can be made during the early, middle or later part of the night. It does not have any specific no of rakat that must be performed, it would be fulfilled even if it’s just one rakah of witr prayer.

 Sunnah act of the Tahajjud.

• Upon going to sleep one should make intention to perform tahajjud.
• Upon waking up one should wipe one face and make supplication, which is: 

للَّهُمَّ لَكَ الْحَمْدُ أَنْتَ قَيِّمُ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ

وَمَنْ فِيهِنَّ وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ لَكَ مُلْكُ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ

وَمَنْ فِيهِنَّ وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ أَنْتَ نُورُ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ

وَمَنْ فِيهِنَّ وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ أَنْتَ مَلِكُ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ

وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ أَنْتَ الْحَقُّ وَوَعْدُكَ الْحَقُّ وَلِقَاؤُكَ حَقٌّ

وَقَوْلُكَ حَقٌّ وَالْجَنَّةُ حَقٌّ وَالنَّارُ حَقٌّ وَالنَّبِيُّونَ حَقٌّ

وَمُحَمَّدٌ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ حَقٌّ وَالسَّاعَةُ حَقٌّ

اللَّهُمَّ لَكَ أَسْلَمْتُ وَبِكَ آمَنْتُ وَعَلَيْكَ تَوَكَّلْتُ

وَإِلَيْكَ أَنَبْتُ وَبِكَ خَاصَمْتُ وَإِلَيْكَ حَاكَمْتُ

فَاغْفِرْ لِي مَا قَدَّمْتُ وَمَا أَخَّرْتُ وَمَا أَسْرَرْتُ وَمَا أَعْلَنْتُ

أَنْتَ الْمُقَدِّمُ وَأَنْتَ الْمُؤَخِّرُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ أَوْ لَا إِلَهَ غَيْرُكَ

Allahumma lakal-hamd. Anta qaiyimus-samawati wal-ard wa man fihinna. Walakal-hamd, Laka mulkus-samawati wal-ard wa man fihinna. Walakal-hamd, anta nurus-samawati wal-ard. Walakalhamd, anta-l-haq wa wa’duka-l-haq, wa liqa’uka Haq, wa qualuka Haq, wal-jannatu Han wan-naru Haq wannabiyuna Haq. Wa Muhammadun, sallal-lahu’alaihi wasallam, Haq, was-sa’atu Haq. Allahumma aslamtu Laka wabika amantu, wa ‘Alaika tawakkaltu, wa ilaika anabtu wa bika khasamtu, wa ilaika hakamtu faghfir li ma qaddamtu wama akh-khartu wama as-rartu wama’a lantu, anta-l-muqaddim wa anta-l-mu akh-khir, la ilaha illa anta (or la ilaha ghairuka).

(O Allah! All the praises are for you, You are the Holder of the Heavens and the Earth, And whatever is in them. All the praises are for You; You have the possession of the Heavens and the Earth And whatever is in them. All the praises are for You; You are the Light of the Heavens and the Earth And all the praises are for You; You are the King of the Heavens and the Earth; And all the praises are for You; You are the Truth and Your Promise is the truth, And to meet You is true, Your Word is the truth And Paradise is true And Hell is true And all the Prophets (Peace be upon them) are true; And Muhammad is true, And the Day of Resurrection is true. O Allah ! I surrender (my will) to You; I believe in You and depend on You. And repent to You, And with Your help I argue (with my opponents, the non-believers) And I take You as a judge (to judge between us). Please forgive me my previous And future sins; And whatever I concealed or revealed And You are the One who make (some people) forward And (some) backward. There is none to be worshipped but you.

• One should recite the last ten ayah of Al-Imran
• One should begin the tahajjud with two quick rakat then one may pray whatever one wishes after that
• One should stop praying and sleep if one becomes sleepy
• One should not overburden one’s self with the night prayer and should only pray it to the extent that is reasonable.
• One should make it a constant act.

The Tarawih Prayer (Special prayer during the month of Ramadan)

This is the Sunnah prayer during the month of Ramadan, it is performed after the ishaa prayer and before the witr prayer. It waz reported that the prophet(SAW) used to make twenty rakat, buh reduced it for the fear that it could become obligatory on the ummah. Hence, It was confirmed that he only said eleven rakat including the witr prayer and the rest of the rakat is only preferred. It is allowed to pray it in congregation and also individually.
There is also no particular Sunnah regarding the recitation during the tarawih. One can make make it long or short depending condition of the person or the people in the congregation as the case may be.
Final Post.
We would continue on other types of nawafil prayers Next week in sha Allah. We are just discussing all these nawafil prayers briefly.
We advise you read up on them.

Ma salam