Introduction

All praise is due to Allah. We praise Him, seek His help and forgiveness, and seek refuge in Allah from the evils within ourselves and from our wicked deeds. Whomever Allah guides, none can lead astray; and whomever He leads astray, none can guide.

I bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah alone, without partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger.

To proceed:

Voluntary prayers form part of the guidance of the Messenger—may Allah’s praise and peace be upon him—concerning whom Allah, Glorified and Exalted, said: “Indeed, in the Messenger of Allah you have an excellent example for whoever hopes in Allah and the Last Day” [al-Ahzāb: 21]. Since searching for their rulings and descriptions in the books of hadith and their commentaries requires effort and time, I decided to compile a selection of what has been authentically established, arranging it systematically and adding brief comments on the jurisprudential implications of each hadith relevant to the purpose for which I cited it. My aim was to make the Messenger’s guidance—may Allah’s praise and peace be upon him—regarding voluntary prayers more accessible to myself and to Muslims generally, and to facilitate finding it all in one place.

I have sought to be concise without compromising the substance and have avoided excessive detail, generally contenting myself with brief indications rather than lengthy explanations. I have entitled it: “The Voluntary Worshipper’s Quest Regarding Voluntary Prayer.”