A Math Lesson from the Prayer

A Math Lesson from the Prayer

‫ﺑﺴﻢ اﻟﻠﻪ اﻟﺮﺣﻤﻦ اﻟﺮﺣﻴﻢ‬

The purpose of this article to stimulate the mind and at the

same time encourage the average Muslim to give importance to
the sunnan and Rawatib prayers, by evaluating the levels one
can achieve in Jannah by offering more prayers. In an
authentic hadith the Messenger of Allah (‫ )ﷺ‬say: “There is no
one who prostrated once to Allah, the Mighty and Sublime,
except that Allah will raise him one degree in status thereby,
and erase one sin thereby.” [1]

This narration lays the framework for us to look at the

difference of the one who regularly prays Duha, Witr , or even
the Sunnah of Fajr compared to those who don’t do so
regularly, or maybe not at all. This worksheet is based on
the chapter of the voluntary prayers collected by Shiekhul
Islam Abu Yahya Zakariya Al-Ansari (925H) in his book “ The
Guidebook of Hadiths for Islamic verdicts”. What’s more, is,
he explained the narrations he collected which are all
authentic.[2] Therefore throughout the article, his words are
added for Fiqh lessons.
 1. The Messenger of Allah (‫ )ﷺ‬said, “A house will be built
in Jannah for every Muslim who offers twelve Rak’ah of
optional Salat other than the obligatory Salat in a day
and a night (to seek the Pleasure of Allah).” [3]

This hadith mentions there are 12 Rak’ah daily so if a person

offered these prayers for a week apart from earning a house in
Jannah how much higher of a level in Jannah would they attain?

So imagine if a person prayed these 12 Rak’at daily for 30

days how higher of a status could they achieve in this life
and how many sins could they have wiped away ?

Ibn ‘Umar ( ‫)رﺿـﻲ اﻟﻠـﻪ ﻋﻨـﻪ‬: I learned from the Prophet

(‫ )ﷺ‬ten (voluntary) Rak’ at – two Rak’ at before the
Zuhr prayer and two after it; two Rak’at after Maghrib
prayer in his house, and two Rak’at after ‘Isha’ prayer
in his house, and two Rak’ at before the Fajr prayer.[4]

Abu Yahya Az-Zakiriyah ( ‫ )رﺣﻤﻪ اﻟﻠﻪ‬said the voluntary prayers

make up for the deficiencies in the obligatory prayers, by
adding to their appearance similar to how jewelry adds the
beauty of a bride.

This hadith mentioned 10 Rak’at, so if a person didn’t offer

the two before and after Thur how many Rak’at would that be ?

Umm Habibah ( ‫ )رﺿﻲ اﻟﻠﻪ ﻋﻨﻬﺎ‬: “Whoever prays regularly

four Rak’ at before and four Rak’ at after the Zuhr
prayer, Allah will forbid for him (from entering) the
Hellfire.”[5]

Abu Yahya Az-Zakiriyah ( ‫ )رﺣﻤﻪ اﻟﻠﻪ‬said: The regularly prayed

voluntary prayers to complete Thur are 4 before and 4 after
it, the stressed Sunan are 2 before Thur and 2 after.

If a person offered 4 before and 4 Thur for 10 days how many

extra levels could he/she attain in Jannah.

If a muslim offered 2 before Thur and 2 after for the 1st half
of the month and then offered 4 before and 4 Thur for the
other ½ of the month how many Rak’at would that be in total ?
That’s a __________ level increase in Jannah.

The Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬said: May Allah show mercy to a man who

prays four rak’ahs before the afternoon prayer.[6]

Abu Yahya Az-Zakiriyah ( ‫ـﻪ‬

‫ـﻪ اﻟﻠـ‬
‫ )رﺣﻤـ‬said: These 4 Rak’at are
the regularly maintained prayers of Asr, however they aren’t a
stressed Sunnah.
Muhammad offered these prayers (4 Rak’at before Asr) for 6
months without missing a day and his brother offered them for
6 months as well,but during that 6 months he wouldn’t pray
them at the weekend. What is the difference between these two
siblings in rank?

The Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬said: “Pray before Maghrib, pray before

Maghrib” then he said at the third time, “Whoever wishes
(to)”.[7]

Abu Yahya Az-Zakiriyah ( ‫ )رﺣﻤــﻪ اﻟﻠــﻪ‬said: This hadith shows

that there are 2 Rak’ah for the Sunnah of Maghrib, but they
aren’t stressed Sunnah prayers.

Maryam offered these 2 Rak’ah every Friday for 1 year. How

many extra levels did she earn for Jannah?

‘Aishah (‫ )رﺿﻲ اﻟﻠﻪ ﻋﻨﻬﺎ‬reported: When the Prophet (‫)ﷺ‬

had performed two Rak’ah before the Fajr prayer, he
would lie down on his right side.[8]

Abu Yahya Az-Zakiriyah (‫ )رﺣﻤﻪ اﻟﻠﻪ‬said: The wisdom for lying

down on the right side after offering these prayers is to show
that there arent 4 Rak’ at for the Sunnah of Fajr and if a
person doesn’t lie down then he should separate these prayers
by either talking or changing his place in the masjid.

“Ata’ bin Yazid narrated to me that he heard Abu Ayyub

Al-Ansari say: ‘Witr is a duty, so whoever wants to pray
witr with five rak’ahs let him do so, whoever wants to
pray witr with three, let him do so; and whoever wants
 to pray witr with one, let him do so.'”[9]

Abu Yahya Az-Zakiriyah (‫ )رﺣﻤــﻪ اﻟﻠــﻪ‬said: This hadith proves

that Witr is a stressed Sunnah. The majority of scholars hold
this view except the Hanafis. They consider the Witr prayer an
obligation.

In this hadith there is an offer for a person to offer 5,3,or

1 Rak’ah for witr, so we have Umar who prays 5, Adam who prays
3 and Yusef who offers 1. They have all been doing this for 1
year now, so what is the difference amongst the 3 brothers ?

Aishah (‫)رﺿﻲ اﻟﻠﻪ ﻋﻨﻬﺎ‬: Allah’s Messenger (‫ )ﷺ‬entered my

house and prayed eight Rak’ at of Duha prayer.[10]

Abu Yahya Az-Zakiriyah (‫ )رﺣﻤﻪ اﻟﻠﻪ‬said: The Duha prayer is a

stressed Sunnah and the best way to offer it is by praying 8
Rak’ at and the least amount one could pray is 2 and this
based on an authentic hadith in Bukhari and Muslim. The hadith
about offering 12 Rak’ at for Duha prayer is weak. The
closest one could off them in a complete fashion would be to
offer 4 Rak’ at and 6 Rak’ at would be better than 4.

Um Adam offered 8 Rak’at of Duha prayers in 2019 and in 2018

she used to pray 6. What’s the difference between the 2 years?

Has she raised her level in Jannah and if so by how much ?

Allah’s Messenger (‫ )ﷺ‬as saying: When any one of you

observes the Jumu’a prayer (two obligatory rak’ahs in
 congregation), he should observe four (rak’ahs)
afterwards.[11]

Abu Yahya Az-Zakiriyah (‫ )رﺣﻤﻪ اﻟﻠﻪ‬said: The regularly offered

prayers for the Jumu’ah prayer are 4 after, but offering 2 is
a stressed Sunnah.

If a Muslim man prayed maintained these 4 Rak’ at after

Jumu’ah for 2 years what would his possible level in Jannah be
increased by?

1. 10. Abu Salama bin `Abdur Rahman(‫)رﺿﻲ اﻟﻠﻪ ﻋﻨﻪ‬narrated

that he asked `Aisha(l) “How was the prayer of Allah’s
Messenger (‫ )ﷺ‬in Ramadan?” She replied, “He did not pray
more than eleven rak`at in Ramadan or in any other
month.[12]

If you were to offer the night prayer in the same fashion of

the Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬for 30 nights of Ramadhan how higher of a
status could you achieve?

What if you offered them every Ramadan for 10 years of life,

then how much higher of a level could you achieve?

What if you offered them on the Night of Decree, then how much
higher of a level could you attain?

Allah’s Help is sought!!

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Prepared by Abu Aaliyah Abdullah ibn Dwight Battle

Doha, Qatar 1441©

[1] Sunan an-Nasa’i 1139

[2] ‫ ﻓﺘﺢ اﻟﻌﻼم ﺑﺸﺮح اﻹﻋﻼم ﺑﺄﺣﺎدﻳﺚ اﻷﺣﻜﺎم‬/Shiekhul Islam Abu

Yahya Zakiriyah (925H)

[3] Muslim : Book 8, Hadith 1097

[4] Al-Bukhari (1180) Muslim (729)

[5] Abu Dawud (269), At-Tirmithi (427)

[6] Abu Dawud (1271)At-Tirmithi (430)

[7] Al-Bukhari (1183)

[8] Abu Dawud (1261)

[9] Sunan an-Nasa’i (1712)

[10] Al-Bukhari (357) Muslim336)

[11] Muslim (881)

[12] Al-Bukhari (1147) Muslim 738)