Subject: The Duha Prayer: A Recommended Sunna Sun Jul 03, 2011 4:33 am
There are many Hadiths which encourage us to offer the Duha prayer:
Sayyiduna Abu Hurayra (Allah have mercy on him) narrates that my beloved companion (the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him & give him peace) advised me three things:
- To fast three days of every month, - to perform the two rakats of Duha, - and that I perform my Witr before retiring to bed.�
(Sahih al-Bukhari: no: 1981)
[NB: "Three days'' can be any three days of a month, but it is better if one opts 13th, 14th and 15th of every lunar month because the Prophet (PBUH) used to observe fasting on these days.]
Sayyida A�isha (Allah be pleased with her) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) would offer four rakats at the time of Duha, and increase on it whatever Allah wished.� (Sahih Muslim, no: 719)
Umm Hani, daughter of Abu Talib (May Allah be pleased with her) reported: I went to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) on the day of the conquest of Makkah. He was taking a bath at that time. When he finished the bath, he performed eight Rak`ah (of optional) prayers. This was during the Duha (forenoon) [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
Its minimum is two rakats, and its maximum is twelve rakats.
Its time is from after sunrise to when the sun is at its zenith (zawal).� (al-Fatawa al-Hindiyya, 1/112)
One may perform it after the sun rises up until it is above the horizon by the length of a spear, meaning when the sun becomes bright and it is difficult to look directly at the sun with the naked eye. This can take approximately fifteen to twenty minutes after sunrise.
It is mentioned by Imam al-Haskafi (and confirmed by Imam Ibn Abidin) that while its minimum is two rakats, the minimum optimal amount is four rakats, as this was the general practice of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace). (See: Radd al-Muhtar, 2/22-23)
Sun Jul 03, 2011 4:33 am