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IslamQA: Difference Between Sunnah Muakkadah and Ghair Muakkadah

Salaam could you please explain what is sunnah mu'akkadah and sunnah ghair mu'akkadah?

Sunnah mu’akkadah refers to any voluntary act of worship (such as the Eid prayer, or the two rakat after the maghrib prayer) which the Prophet continuously performed and almost never abandoned. These are not obligatory, but a person who abandons them is considered blameworthy.

As for the ghair mu’akkadah ones, they are those which the Prophet sometimes performed and sometimes abandoned, such as two rakat before the Isha prayer.

The different schools of thought have different terminology and rulings regarding the precise nature of these acts of worship.

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Khurram
Khurram
5 years ago

There are four rakaat before Isha prayer.

Leena
Leena
2 years ago
Reply to  Khurram

Thats what some scholars say, most scholars say 2 rakat.

Anonymous
Anonymous
5 years ago

Sunnah mu’akkadah is not obligatory Allah will never ask for it

Anonymous
Anonymous
4 years ago
Reply to  Anonymous

No that’s false u must pray sunbath muakkadah if u don’t have an excuse the prophet prayed them daily

Daniyal
Daniyal
2 years ago
Reply to  Anonymous

It is obligatory!

Anonymous
Anonymous
2 years ago
Reply to  Daniyal

How can it be obligatory, that would mean its a fard

Dawud
Dawud
1 year ago
Reply to  Anonymous

It is obligatory because that means you are acknowlegding the fact that you love the Rasool so much that you are praying sunnah soley for him. If you do so then you will be qualified as a true believer. Allah will also grant you lots of barakah and you will be saved from the hell fire in other words, Jahannam

Arman
Arman
1 year ago
Reply to  Dawud

sunnah muakaddah are not obligatory my friend you are going to an extreme, they’re “sunnah” which means they’re voluntory prayers, not praying these rakahs won’t void your prayer or anything and they’re still valid if you only pray the fard prayers which are obligatory, the Prophet ﷺ said that whoever prayers 12 Rakahs Sunnah which are the muakaddah one’s, Allah will build him/her a house in Jannah (Paradise). On the other hand it’s up to you.

Anonymous
Anonymous
5 years ago

There are 4 rakaat sunnat -e- ghair Muakkadah in Salaatul Asr and Esha. If one is late for Salah one can leave out and read the 4 fardh salah immediately .

MD. BELAL HOSSEN
MD. BELAL HOSSEN
4 years ago
Reply to  Anonymous

There are 4 rakaat sunnat -e- ghair Muakkadah in Salaatul Asr . I had no enough time to read 4 rakaat sunnat -e- ghair Muakkadah because Mr.Imam already stared to read 4 rakaat farz. In this situation i read 4 rakaat farz with Mr. Imam. After completing 4 rakaat farz, can i read 4 rakaat sunnat -e- ghair Muakkadah ? . if i read, is there any harm ? Please reply this comment.

Morwan
Morwan
4 years ago

No there isn’t

Mohd Sadiq Zargar
Mohd Sadiq Zargar
17 days ago
Reply to  Morwan

It is on your choice you can read these or not, because sunnat -e-ghair muakidah is not mandatory you can quit it also, some times our Prophet PBUH also hasn’t performed these.
This is the difference between ghai muakidah and muakidah
Muakidah is mandatory our Prophet PBUH has never abandoned these sunnah.

Asad Akhtar
Asad Akhtar
4 years ago

Where does it say that it’s a sin to leave sunnah muakkada?

Anonymous
Anonymous
3 years ago
Reply to  Asad Akhtar

Jaakr pehle Imam se puchho kaha likha hai, jis cheez ko HUZOOR SALLALLAHU ALAIHI WASALLAM NE KAHA KRO BILA WAJAH NA CHHODO TO TU HOTA KON HAI BOLNE WAALA

MK
MK
3 years ago

One should not pray Nafl Salah after having prayed asar Salah. Sunnah ghair muakkadah are equivalent to nafl Salah, therefore, should not pray after asar. If they were missed; there is no blame 🙂

Anonymous
Anonymous
3 years ago

Its prohibited to offer any salah after praying 4 rakahs farz in asr till the sunsets.

Anonymous
Anonymous
2 years ago
Reply to  Anonymous

Can u please give 1 hadees tha say this please I want you now this where did u get things

Ahtasham
Ahtasham
3 years ago

After salatul asar…
Any paryer may not perform which contains sajda…
For example:
There is no sunnah or nawafil after 4 rakat Farz in the Asr prayer…
So if you want to perform 4 rakat sunnah in asr prayer…you must perform that, before the 4 rakkat Farz…
Anyway you may not.

Qatra ali
Qatra ali
4 years ago

Could you please tell me examples of Sunnah prayers of their muak
kadah

Qatra ali
Qatra ali
4 years ago

I mean examples of prayers that come under Sunnah kheir muakkadah

Riyad Yusuf Harun
Riyad Yusuf Harun
4 years ago

There’s so much confusion on this and in general on questions in Islam. So many answers, yet no reference to a hadith. Muhammad (s.a.w.) never used these words, he simply instructed us to always do something, said doing something is better for us, discouraged us from doing something, or prohibited us from doing something, etc.

This is one of the main hadith regarding sunnah rakat. This however does not cover what people call “sunnat-e-ghair muakadah (SGM)” as SGM has four rakat for asr.

Aishah narrated that Allah’s Messenger (S) said:
“Whoever is regular with twelve Rak’ah of Sunnah (prayer), Allah will build a house for him in Paradise: Four Rak’ah before Zuhr, two Rak’ah after it, two Rak’ah after Maghrib, two Rak’ah after Isha, and two Rak’ah before Fajr.”
Grade : Hasan (Darussalam)
Reference : Jami` at-Tirmidhi 414
In-book reference : Book 2, Hadith 267
English translation : Vol. 1, Book 2, Hadith 414

Lastly, I’m fairly certain that these word pairings being used are a very late creation in islam. The “-e-” thing is exclusively a South East Asian thing (pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan) as I believe it comes from Urdu; Arabic doesn’t use “-e-” it uses “-ul-” such as laylat-ul-Qadr where as Bengali and Pakistanis say something like Shab-e-Qadr.

Not trying to be offensive, but that’s why the concept of these terms are meaningless; they just simply don’t exist in the Deen. Someone of knowledge (may Allah give them jannah) at one point classified these practices into terms to make it easier for Muslims to understand; likely during the 1400’s or 1700’s with the deobandi movements. Don’t get confused by the terms, just follow the hadith as you read them.

Anonymous
Anonymous
3 years ago

Thank you so much it was so helpful

Mohd Sadiq Zargar
Mohd Sadiq Zargar
17 days ago
Reply to  Anonymous

Shukriya Bhai (thankyou)
So helpful .

Md Atiquz Zaman
Md Atiquz Zaman
3 years ago

Your point is totally wrong something which has passed we may not have the record . But we can see what the salaf and salafin doing what they teach because we know all good what the salaf had started and all the innovation what the khalaf has started acording to sheikh al bani .May be the Sunnath e Mokkadah may be written in hadith but we dont have the record now a days but our past generation have the record of the hadith so it unfare to say that ghair mokkadah is innovation . If it was innovation our earlier scolors and immams would rejected . So that’s my answers reply if you like.

Muhammad Ahmad Aman khattak
Muhammad Ahmad Aman khattak
4 years ago

its nice conversation but one Thing i not no one is proving their Argument with Proper reference so kindly who ever comments he must give reference so other one can crass check to assure who is right in case if any one is wrong so we can politely explain him and the one who are right we should appreciate him over the good deeds and who every prove wrongs ignore the ego and accept the true knowledge with love which is teaching of Islam

Alih Bint jamal
Alih Bint jamal
4 years ago

How to perform sunnah muakaddah? Give us the proper guidance in perporming these sunnah that this can perform in house or how it is being perform?

Ishteyaque Ahmad
Ishteyaque Ahmad
3 years ago

What are the parameter to decide on Sunnah Moakkada (SM) or Sunnah Ghair Mokkada (SGM). If one consideres that Prophet Sallallahualaihewassalam(PBUH), practised with punctuality (SM) and with non punctuality(SGM) , then why fasting of every months( dated 13, 14, &15 Hijri) not categorized as SM which Prophet(PBUH) practised regulaly with great emphasis.
Moreover how to make niyat before commencing pray ie SM or SGM, because there is no any reference in Bukhari or Muslim of such terminology.
Ishteyaque Ahmad 27 April 2020

Anonymous
Anonymous
3 years ago

Your answer is very practical and true

A. Rahim
A. Rahim
3 years ago

We are discussing so much about the significance of Sunnah. While opinions differ, one thing that is eluded is that we don’t elaborate its values as explained by People (SAW).

My opinion is that all sunnah is done to train our body and soul to focus on Allah’s benevolence. The master of the universe will know why we sometimes give Sunnah a miss, with valid reason. May Allah forgive me if I am wrong.

I think Sunnah prayers promote devotion.

Anonymous
Anonymous
3 years ago

Praise be to Allah.

The word Sunnah has two meanings:

the path of guidance, which is the meaning in many ahaadeeth, such as the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): Whoever turns away from my Sunnah has nothing to do with me.

What the scholars of usool and fiqh call mustahabb (encouraged), which are deeds for which the one who does them will be rewarded, but the one who does not do them will not deserve to be punished for that. Examples include al-Sunan al-Rawaatib (Sunnah prayers which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did regularly), Salaat al-Duhaa and so on.

Therefore, a person will not be punished for not doing things which are Sunnah in the second sense. With regard to the first definition, this is not the case, for these are divided into things which are obligatory (waajib) and things which are supererogatory (naafil).

Sunnat al-Fajr and al-Witr are Sunnah Muakkadah, prayer which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) never omitted to do, whether he was travelling or not.

Letting the beard grow is an obligation (waajib); it does not come under the category of Sunnah as defined by the fuqahaa. Whoever shaves his beard is imitating the Majoos (Zoroastrians), going against the Fitrah (natural disposition of man), and changing the creation of Allaah.

The one who neglects an act that is an obligatory Sunnah will be punished; the one who neglects a mustahabb Sunnah will not be punished, but he is missing out on a great reward and the chance to make up any shortfall in his obligations (waajibaat), because on the Day of Resurrection, any shortfall in his obligations will be made up from his Sunnah actions, if he has any to his credit. Doing Sunnah actions is also a means of maintaining the practice of waajib actions.

The scholars also use the word Sunnah in contrast to bidah (reprehensible innovation) and say Ahl al-Sunnah (the people or followers of Sunnah) to distinguish them from the followers of misguided kaafir sects such as the Jahamiyyah, or innovators who are not kaafirs, such as the Asharis and others. The Sunnah in this sense has to be followed. Following the way of Ahl al-Sunnah is obligatory, and whoever departs from their way is doomed. Imaam Maalik (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: the Sunnah is like the ship of Nooh: whoever boards it will be saved and whoever stays behind will be drowned.

Md. Amer Bin Rashid
Md. Amer Bin Rashid
1 year ago

If Rasulallah SAW pray Taraweeh for 8 rikaats, then if it is said to be Sunnat Maukedah, then Taraweeh should be 8 rikaats only, if Sunnat Maukedah ?

Secondly, Rasulallah SAW, at times skipped this namaaz for few days in between, then how is it Sunnat Maukedah? It should be Ghair Maukedah.

Gulzar ahmad
Gulzar ahmad
5 months ago

Is sunnat in prayer mentioned inhadith