Prayer (Salat).....Types and number of Rakaats

Prayer (Salat), in Islam is regarded as the pivot on which rests man’s Communion with God. God prescribed prayer as the second pillar of His everlasting religion ISLAM.
 
 
There are four types of Prayers:
  1. Fardh
  2. Wajib
  3. Sunnat
  4. Nafl
 
FARDH PRAYERS
Fardh is an Arabic word which means compulsory or obligatory. There are five obligatory Prayers everyday:

Prayer No. of Raka at
Fajr/Subhi
2
Zhuhr
4
Asr
4
Maghrib
3
Isha’a
4
It is sinful to leave out a Fardh(compulsory) Prayers intentionally, but if such a Prayer is missed through forgetfulness or due to unavoidable circumstances, then this mistake can be rectified by offering the missed Prayer as soon as one remembers, or whenever possible.

WAJIB PRAYERS
The following Prayers are regarded as Wajib (necessary) Prayers:
  1. Three Raka’at of Vitr.
  2. Two Raka’at of Eid-ul-Fitr (after 30days of fasting)and two Raka’at of Eid-ul-Adha (after the Arafat day).
  3. Two Raka’at offered while performing the Tawaaf of the Ka’aba during Hajj.
If a person misses these Prayers intentionally, he is deemed to have committed a sin. However, if he misses a Wajib Prayer unintentionally, e.g., through forgetfulness, he is not required to offer it as a Qada Prayer. Qada means offering of a missed Prayer.

SUNNAH PRAYERS
The Holy Prophet of Islam, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, offered extra Raka’at of Prayer in addition to those of Fardh (compulsory) Prayers. These Prayers are called Sunnah Prayers. Offering Sunnah Prayers is considered to be necessary by all jurists. The wilful neglect of Sunnah Prayers is censurable in the sight of Allah. Sunnah Prayers are:
  1. Two Raka’at before the Fardh Prayer of Fajr; but if a person joins the congregation without having offered two Raka’at of Sunnah due to some unavoidable circumstances, he can offer them after the congregational lead Prayer.
  2. Four Raka’at before Fardh and two Raka’at after Fardh in Zhuhr Prayer. In case one has not performed the four Raka’ats of Sunnah before the congregational four Raka’at due to unavoidable circumstances, one should do so after the congregational Prayer.
  3. Two Raka’at of Sunnah after the Fardh of Maghrib Prayer.
  4. Two Raka’at of Sunnah after the Fardh Raka’at of Isha’a Prayer.
NAWAFIL PRAYERS
Muslims also offer additional Raka’at of Prayer apart from Fardh and Sunnah Raka’at. These are called Nawafil Prayers or Nafl.
These are optional Prayers. Those who voluntarily offer Nawafil Prayers reap the benefits of Allah’s favours. Nawafil Prayers are as follows:
  1. Eight Raka’at of Tahajjud.
  2. Two Rak’ats after the two Raka’at of Sunnah at the end of Zhuhr Prayer.
  3. Four Raka’at before Fardh of ‘Asr Prayer.
  4. Two Raka’at after the two Raka’at of Sunnah in Maghrib Prayer.
  5. Four Raka’at of Ishraq Prayer.
  6. Two Raka’at offered when one enters a mosque.
  7. Two Raka’at offered when seeking blessings from God Almighty.
  8. Two Raka’at offered as Salaat-i-Hajaat.
  9. Two Raka’at offered as a Thanksgiving Prayer.

One may offer as many Nawafil Prayers as one wishes. However, Nawafil should not be offered during the forbidden times for Prayers. For example, they should not be offered between ‘Asr Prayer and Maghrib Prayer. It is preferable to offer NawafilPrayers at home rather than in a mosque except for those which have been mentioned to be offered in a mosque. However, it is a matter of personal choice and there is no compulsion in this matter.

Credit:The Institute of Islam International Publications Ltd

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