the two supererogatory rakʿahs (units of prayer) of Fajr, two before Ẓuhr—likewise two after it—and two after Maghrib and after ʿIshāʾ. Some held that there is no regular sunnah (rātibah) after ʿIshāʾ; others held that four are prayed before Ẓuhr, or four after it, or four before ʿAṣr. All of these are voluntary acts; the only disagreement concerns which of them are the emphasised rātibah. In addition, two light rakʿahs are prayed before Maghrib.

I say: according to the soundest view these two are sunnah, for al-Bukhārī relates an explicit command to perform them. After Jumuʿah one prays four rakʿahs, and before it whatever is prayed before Ẓuhr; Allah knows best.

Among the regular prayers is Witr: its minimum is one rakʿah and its maximum eleven—some say thirteen. Whoever performs more than one rakʿah may separate them, which is preferable, or combine them, reciting one or two tashahhuds in the final two rakʿahs. Its time extends from the ʿIshāʾ prayer until dawn. One opinion stipulates that the final single rakʿah be preceded by some supererogatory prayer after ʿIshāʾ. It is recommended to make Witr the last prayer of the night; if one has prayed Witr and then rises for additional night worship, he does not repeat it—though another view is that he should add one rakʿah to make an even number and then repeat the Witr. It is recommended to recite qunūt in the last rakʿah of Witr during the second half of Ramaḍān; some say this is recommended the whole year. The qunūt is identical to that of Fajr, and before it one says, “O Allah, we seek Your help, we ask Your forgiveness…,” to the end of the formula.

I say: the sounder position is that praying Witr in congregation immediately after the congregational Tarāwīḥ is recommended; Allah knows best.

Also included is the Ḍuḥā prayer, whose minimum is two rakʿahs and whose maximum is twelve. The prayer of greeting the mosque (taḥiyyat al-masjid) is two rakʿahs; it is fulfilled by any obligatory or other voluntary prayer, but not by a single rakʿah, according to the sounder view.

I say: the same ruling applies to the funeral prayer, and to the prostrations of recitation and of gratitude; they are repeated with each entrance into the mosque in close succession, according to the strongest opinion—Allah knows best.

The time for the rawātib begins, before the obligatory prayer, with the entry of its time, and afterwards with its performance; both end when the time of the obligatory prayer ends. If a time-bound voluntary prayer is missed, making it up is recommended in the more apparent view.

There is a category of voluntary prayers legislated in congregation—such as the ʿĪd, Eclipse, and Rain-Seeking prayers—and these are superior to those not legislated in congregation; yet the sounder view is that the rātibah is preferable to Tarāwīḥ, while congregation itself is sunnah for Tarāwīḥ.

Unrestricted voluntary prayer has no set limit. If one enters prayer intending more than one rakʿah, he may perform the tashahhud after every two rakʿahs—or after each rakʿah, if he so wishes.