The Sunnan of Prayer (Salāh): The Acts the Prophet ﷺ Did But Did Not Mandate (UK British Muslim Guide)

Salāh has two layers: the arkān (pillars and obligations) — without which the prayer is invalid — and the sunan (recommended acts of the Prophet ﷺ) — which add light, reward, and depth. This piece walks through the major sunan of salāh, with British Muslim families in mind: the acts that distinguish the sincere worshipper from the technically-valid worshipper.

The categories

Classical fiqh divides the elements of salāh into:

1. Arkān (pillars) — without which the salāh is invalid (qiyām for the able, takbīr al-iḥrām, fātiḥah, rukūʿ, sujūd, etc.)
2. Wājibāt (obligations) — without which a sajdah of forgetfulness is required
3. Sunan — the focus of this article
4. Mustaḥabbāt — the highly recommended but lesser graded acts

The sunan before salāh

• Wuḍūʾ done thoroughly — the Prophet ﷺ said completing wuḍūʾ in full removes sins from the limbs as the water flows.
• Sutrah (a barrier in front of the worshipper) — to mark the prayer space and prevent passers-by from disrupting.
• Calling adhān and iqāmah — even when praying alone, the iqāmah is sunnah.
• Two rakʿah of taḥiyyat al-masjid — when entering a mosque, before sitting.
• Two rakʿah of wuḍūʾ — after completing ablution.

The sunan during salāh

Opening

• Raising the hands at takbīr al-iḥrām — to shoulder height or earlobes.
• Placing right hand over left on the chest — the most authenticated position in the Hanbali, Shāfiʿī and Mālikī schools (Ḥanafī school: below the navel for men).
• The opening du'ā (du'ā al-istiftāḥ) — multiple authentic forms; one famous form: "Subḥānaka allāhumma wa bi-ḥamdik…"
• Saying "Aʿūdhu billāhi…" before al-Fātiḥah
• Saying "Bismillāh" silently at the start of al-Fātiḥah
• Saying "Āmīn" after al-Fātiḥah — congregational and individual

Recitation

• Reciting a sūrah after al-Fātiḥah in the first two rakʿahs of every prayer
• Lengthening Fajr recitation — sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ
• Audible recitation in Fajr, Maghrib (first 2), and ʿIshāʾ (first 2)
• Silent recitation in Ẓuhr, ʿAṣr, and the last rakʿah of Maghrib + last 2 of ʿIshāʾ

Rukūʿ

• Raising hands again at takbīr to rukūʿ (Shāfiʿī, Hanbali, Mālikī)
• Saying "Subḥāna rabbī al-ʿaẓīm" three times or more in rukūʿ
• Tranquillity (ṭuma'nīnah) — pausing fully in rukūʿ; this is actually a pillar in some schools
• "Sami'a Llāhu li-man ḥamidah" on rising from rukūʿ
• "Rabbanā wa laka al-ḥamd" in standing after rukūʿ

Sujūd

• Going down to sajdah on the knees first, then hands (the prevailing classical opinion)
• Saying "Subḥāna rabbī al-aʿlā" three times or more
• Du'ā in sajdah — the closest position the servant comes to Allah
• Sitting between the two sajdahs with the famous du'ā: "Allāhumma ighfir lī, wa-rḥamnī…"

Tashahhud and Salām

• Sitting in tashahhud position (iftirāsh in middle, tawarruk in last)
• Pointing the right index finger from "ash-hadu an lā ilāha…"
• Sending ṣalāh on the Prophet ﷺ in the final tashahhud
• Personal du'ā before salām — multiple authentic prophetic du'ās for this position
• Turning the head right then left for salām

The sunan after salāh

• Istighfār three times
• "Allāhumma anta al-salām, wa minka al-salām…"
• Āyat al-Kursī — recited after every fard salāh; the Prophet ﷺ said it leads to Paradise except for death (al-Nasāʾī)
• Tasbīḥ of Fāṭimah — Subḥān Allāh 33, al-ḥamdu li-llāh 33, Allāhu akbar 33, completing to 100 with the lā ilāha illā Allāh formula
• The morning/evening adhkār after Fajr and ʿAṣr

The regular sunan prayers (sunan al-rawātib)

Twelve rakʿahs daily — voluntary prayers attached to the obligatory ones. The Prophet ﷺ said whoever prays them daily, Allah builds them a house in Paradise (Muslim):

• 2 before Fajr — the Prophet ﷺ said these are better than the world and all it contains
• 4 before Ẓuhr + 2 after
• 2 after Maghrib
• 2 after ʿIshāʾ

British Muslims with workplace constraints can manage at minimum the 2 before Fajr (at home), 2 after Maghrib (at home), 2 after ʿIshāʾ (at home). The Ẓuhr sunan can be attempted if there is a quiet moment.

Why the sunan matter

The sunan are not optional decoration. They are:

1. The completion of the prophetic example. The Prophet ﷺ said: "Pray as you have seen me pray" (Bukhārī).
2. The buffer for our deficiencies. On the Day of Judgement, if a person's obligatory prayers are deficient, the voluntary ones make up the shortfall.
3. The training for inner presence. Sunan acts force the worshipper to slow down, articulate, and attend.
4. The mark of seriousness. The Companions distinguished between Muslims who held to the sunan and those who only met the obligations.

Lessons for British Muslim families

Build the rawātib first — the 12 daily voluntary rakʿahs. Then add the sunan within each prayer (the opening du'ā, the proper recitation lengths, the post-prayer adhkār). Then layer in optional voluntary prayers (taḥajjud, ḍuḥā, salat al-istikhārah).

The Companions used to compete in the sunan more than in the obligations — because the obligations were assumed.

Pair with related pieces

• Voluntary and Optional Prayers (Detailed Guide)
• The Morning and Evening Adhkār
• Salat al-Istikhārah

Closing

The sunan of salāh are how the Muslim moves from "valid prayer" to "beloved-of-Allah prayer". Build them gradually. Book a free Eaalim trial to learn the proper recitation and du'ās of each posture in salāh.