Sunnah Prayers, Witr and Tahajjud: Extra Prayers for Beginners

Once the five daily prayers start to feel familiar, you may hear people talk about "sunnah", "witr" or "tahajjud". These are extra prayers — not required like the five obligatory ones, but greatly loved by Allah and practised by the Prophet ﷺ.

First, an important note: don't rush into these. If you're still learning the five daily prayers, focus there. Extra prayers are a beautiful next step, not a test you have to pass in your first month.

Why pray extra?

The Prophet ﷺ taught that on the Day of Judgement, if something is lacking in a person's obligatory prayers, Allah will say: see if My servant has any voluntary prayers — and they will complete what is missing. Extra prayers also bring you closer to Allah. In a famous hadith qudsi, Allah says that His servant keeps drawing near to Him with voluntary deeds until He loves him.

The regular sunnah prayers (rawatib)

These are short prayers before or after the obligatory ones that the Prophet ﷺ prayed regularly. A common list, based on a hadith narrated by Umm Habibah and others, is 12 units a day:

• 2 before Fajr — the Prophet ﷺ never left these, even when travelling
• 4 before Dhuhr and 2 after Dhuhr
• 2 after Maghrib
• 2 after Isha

The Prophet ﷺ said that whoever prays these twelve units regularly, Allah builds for them a house in Paradise. Different schools count some of these slightly differently (for example 2 or 4 before Dhuhr), so ask your local mosque what they teach.

How to pray them: exactly like any two-unit prayer, quietly, with the intention for the sunnah. A four-unit sunnah can be prayed as two sets of two.

Witr: the "odd" prayer

Witr is an odd-numbered prayer prayed after Isha and before Fajr. The Prophet ﷺ encouraged it strongly, and in the Hanafi school it is considered wajib (necessary).

• How many units? At least one, and commonly three. You can pray more, up to eleven.
• When? Any time after Isha until Fajr. If you're sure you'll wake before Fajr, it's better to pray it late at night; otherwise pray it before sleeping.
• Du'a al-Qunut: many people recite a special du'a in witr, called qunut. Schools differ on when it is said (before or after bowing in the last unit) and whether it's every night. Follow what your mosque teaches.

The way three units are prayed also varies: some pray two units with a salam and then one unit; others pray three together with one sitting or two. All have a basis in the Sunnah.

Tahajjud: the night prayer

Tahajjud is voluntary prayer at night after sleeping, especially in the last third of the night. Allah praises those who do it:

As-Sajdah 32:16

The Prophet ﷺ said Allah descends to the lowest heaven in the last third of every night and asks: who is calling on Me so I may answer, who is asking so I may give, who is seeking forgiveness so I may forgive?

How to start:

1. 1Set an alarm 15–20 minutes before Fajr.
2. 2Make wudu and pray two units — that's tahajjud.
3. 3Make du'a for whatever is on your heart.
4. 4If you haven't prayed witr, pray it now, then go to Fajr.

Even once a week is a beautiful beginning.

Duha: the morning prayer

Duha is prayed after the sun has risen well above the horizon until shortly before Dhuhr. It's at least two units. The Prophet ﷺ said it counts as charity for every joint in the body. It fits nicely into a mid-morning break.

Building the habit

• Start with the two before Fajr. They're short and among the most emphasised.
• Add one sunnah at a time. Maybe the two after Maghrib next.
• Pray them at home sometimes. The Prophet ﷺ encouraged praying voluntary prayers at home so that houses are filled with prayer.
• Be gentle with yourself. The Prophet ﷺ said the most beloved deeds to Allah are the most consistent, even if small.

For the basics of the five daily prayers, see How to Pray in Islam.

How AskDeen can help

AskDeen shows prayer times for where you are, including the end of Isha and the time before Fajr, so you can plan witr and tahajjud. Set gentle reminders if you want a nudge to wake for the night prayer.

Wondering "Can I pray witr as one unit?" or "What do I say in qunut?" Ask AskDeen and get a clear answer with the hadith behind it, plus a note when schools of thought differ. Take it one prayer at a time — AskDeen is here when you're ready for the next step.