What is the rationale behind offering Sunnah al Muakkada prayers
Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,
As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa
Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)
One of our brothers/sisters has asked
this question:
What is
the rationale behind offering Sunnah al Muakkada prayers? I know they are
prayers offered regularly by our Prohet (saw) and therefore we are commanded to
do the same.
However, my husband though he offers all 5 prayers and reads Quran daily, he
refuses to offer the Sunnah.
I would
like to know how may I convince him in offering the Sunnah prayers? Jazak
Allah
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Answer:
Refuses to offer sunnah prayers
In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask
for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever
He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that
there is no one (no idol, no person, no
grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai,
nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that
Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.
Firstly, please allow us to clarify the difference between
Fard, Sunnah and Nafl prayers.
Fard prayers: These are
the five obligatory prayers at their appointed times of the day. If one prays them, he will earn a huge reward
from Allah Subhanah; and if one does not pray them, there will be a severe
accounting and punishment.
Nafl prayers: These are
the voluntary prayers. If one prays
them, he will earn a huge reward from Allah Subhanah; and if one does not pray
them, there is no sin.
Sunnah prayers:
These are the Nafl or voluntary prayers which were prayed by the
Messenger of Allah (saws), and thus they become his (saw’s) Sunnah for us. If one prays them, he will earn a huge
reward from Allah Subhanah; and if one
does not pray them, there is no sin.
The most that can be said of one who does not pray the Sunnah prayers is
that he lost a great opportunity to earn huge rewards from Allah Subhanah.
The ‘Sunnah-al-Muaqqeda’ are those ‘nafl’ or voluntary
prayers which the Messenger of Allah (saws) offered regularly and the believers
were encouraged to do the same.
Your Statement:
However, my husband though he offers all 5 prayers and reads Quran daily, he
refuses to offer the Sunnah.
Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 1.44 Narrated by Talha bin Ubaidullah
A man from
Dear and beloved sister in Islam, Allah Subhanah has made
obligatory only the five prayers upon the believers; and if one offers them
sincerely and perfectly as a duty towards their Lord, he will be free of blame
in the Court of Allah Subhanah.
Your Statement: I
would like to know how may I convince him in offering the Sunnah prayers? Jazak
Allah
Sunan of Abu-DawoodHadith 863 Narrated byAbuHurayrah
The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: “The
first thing about which the people will
be called to account out of their actions on the Day of Judgment is prayer. Our
Lord, the Exalted, will say to the Angels - though He knows better: “Look into
the prayer of My servant and see whether he has offered it perfectly or
imperfectly.” If it is perfect, that will be recorded perfect. If it is
defective, He will say: “See there are some optional prayers offered by My
servant.” If there are optional prayer to his credit, He will say: “Compensate
the obligatory prayer by the optional prayer for My servant.” Then all the
actions will be considered similarly.
The significance of the voluntary prayers is that not only
will Allah Subhanah reward the believer, but if there is any deficiency in
one’s obligatory prayers, Allah Subhanah, through His Sublime and Infinite
Mercy and Grace, will compensate that deficiency through the voluntary
prayers.
Without an iota of a doubt, the voluntary prayers one
offers will be very useful when one is brought to account on the Day of
Judgment in the Presence of the Lord Most High.
Allah forbid, if one has been negligent of one’s voluntary prayers and
finds some deficiency in the offering of one’s obligatory prayers on that
Tumultuous Day of Accounting, one would have nothing but regrets for not having
offered some voluntary prayers when one had the opportunity to do so.
Dear and Beloved Sister, you have stated that your husband
Maa-Shaa-Allah recites the Glorious Quran daily….that is indeed very good, very
beneficial and very encouraging, Alhamdolillah.
Beloved Sister, if only you could convince your husband that in addition
to the recitation of the Quran, if he would read the translation of the
Glorious Quran in a language he understands best, (even if only one page a
day), you will see a stark difference in his efforts towards attaining those
Promised Gardens of Eternal Bliss, Insha Allah.
Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to
Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only
Source of Strength.
Your brother and well wisher in
Islam,
Burhan
Wister