The rak'as of each prayer and the sunna prayers

The five obligatory prayers • Fajr (dawn): 2 rak'as, aloud. • Dhuhr (early afternoon): 4 rak'as, quietly. • 'Asr (afternoon): 4 rak'as, quietly. • Maghrib (sunset): 3 rak'as, the first two aloud. • 'Ishaa' (night): 4 rak'as, the first two aloud. In all, 17 rak'as a day: 2-4-4-3-4. "Aloud" mainly concerns the imam; alone, one may recite aloud or quietly in these prayers [À VÉRIFIER : les écoles diffèrent, l'imam tranche].

How the prayer unfolds depending on its rak'as • 2 rak'as (Fajr): rak'a 1, rak'a 2, then the final sitting: tashahhud, prayer upon the Prophet ﷺ, supplication, salaam. • 3 or 4 rak'as: after the second rak'a, sit for the first tashahhud (up to the shahada), then stand with "Allaahu akbar". In the 3rd and 4th rak'as, recite only Al-Faatiḥa (Bukhari 776, Muslim 451). At the end, the complete final sitting and the salaam.

The regular sunnas (as-sunan ar-rawaatib) The Prophet ﷺ said: "Whoever prays twelve rak'as, in addition to the obligatory prayers, every day and night, Allah builds for him a house in Paradise" (Muslim 728). They are detailed as follows (Tirmidhi 415) [À VÉRIFIER : numéro]: • 2 rak'as before Fajr; • 4 rak'as before Dhuhr (two sets of two) and 2 after; • 2 rak'as after Maghrib; • 2 rak'as after 'Ishaa'. Ibn 'Umar reports ten, with 2 rak'as before Dhuhr (Bukhari 1180, Muslim 729). The two rak'as before Fajr are the most emphasised: "better than this world and all it contains" (Muslim 725). The exact number and status [À VÉRIFIER : les écoles diffèrent, l'imam tranche].

Witr A prayer with an odd number of rak'as, after 'Ishaa' and before dawn: "Make witr the last of your prayers at night" (Bukhari 998, Muslim 751). One may pray 1, 3, 5 rak'as or more. Obligatory (waajib, 3 rak'as) for the Hanafis, a strongly emphasised sunna for the other schools; how to pray 3 rak'as (one or two salaams) [À VÉRIFIER : les écoles diffèrent, l'imam tranche].

Other recommended prayers, briefly • Two rak'as on entering the mosque (Bukhari 444, Muslim 714). • The morning prayer (ḍuḥaa), after sunrise (Muslim 720). • The night prayer (qiyaam al-layl), the best after the obligatory prayers (Muslim 1163). There are times when voluntary prayers are avoided without a reason: after Fajr until the sun has risen, when the sun is at its zenith, and after 'Asr until sunset (Bukhari 586, Muslim 827; Muslim 831); the exceptions [À VÉRIFIER : les écoles diffèrent, l'imam tranche].

A missed prayer "Whoever forgets a prayer or sleeps through it, its expiation is to pray it when he remembers it" (Bukhari 597, Muslim 684). Make it up as soon as possible, with the same number of rak'as. Abandoning prayer deliberately is very serious: "Between a man and associationism or disbelief is the abandoning of prayer" (Muslim 82). For someone returning to practice after years, the question of past prayers [À VÉRIFIER : les écoles diffèrent, l'imam tranche].

Exercise: draw a table of your day with the five prayers, their obligatory rak'as (2-4-4-3-4) and the sunnas. This week, tick the ones you pray.

Understanding the lesson

Explanation The sunna prayers are like a fence around a garden: they protect the obligatory prayers and make up for their shortcomings. The Prophet ﷺ explained that on the Day of Judgement, if the obligatory prayer is deficient, Allah will say: "See whether My servant has voluntary prayers, to complete it" (Abu Dawud 864, Tirmidhi 413) [À VÉRIFIER : numéros]. For a beginner, the order of priority is clear: first the five prayers, on time; then the two rak'as before Fajr and witr; then, little by little, the other sunnas. A small regular deed is better than a great effort that stops: "The deed most beloved to Allah is the most regular, even if it is small" (Bukhari 6464, Muslim 783). Praying the sunnas at home is a very good habit: "A man's best prayer is the one he makes at home, except the obligatory prayer" (Bukhari 731, Muslim 781). Someone who missed prayers through forgetfulness or sleep has not sinned: they make them up. Someone who abandoned them deliberately repents sincerely and resumes prayer; for the prayers of past years, the schools do not all say the same thing, and the imam helps to make a realistic plan. Points where the schools differ: reciting aloud when praying alone; the number and status of the regular sunnas; witr (status, how to pray three rak'as, the qunuut supplication); the forbidden times and their exceptions; making up prayers abandoned deliberately [À VÉRIFIER : les écoles diffèrent, l'imam tranche].

Lessons to draw from it • Remember 2-4-4-3-4: 17 obligatory rak'as a day. • Start with the two rak'as before Fajr and witr. • Make up a missed prayer as soon as you remember it, without waiting. • Talk to the imam if you are returning to practice after a long absence.

Key points to remember • Fajr 2, Dhuhr 4, 'Asr 4, Maghrib 3, 'Ishaa' 4. • First tashahhud after the 2nd rak'a; Al-Faatiḥa alone in the 3rd and 4th. • Twelve sunna rak'as: a house in Paradise (Muslim 728). • A forgotten prayer: pray it as soon as you remember (Bukhari 597, Muslim 684).

The main message The five prayers structure a Muslim's day, and the sunnas surround them like a protection: we start with the essentials, then add, regularly, what the Prophet ﷺ loved.