I would like to know are there 17 rakahs for the Isha prayer? Can they be performed in any order or one has to perform them in a set order?
Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,
As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa
Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)
One of our brothers/sisters has asked
this question:
A/A
Brother I would like to know are there 17 rakahs for the Isha prayer? Can they
be performed in any order or one has to perform them in a set order?
How did the Prophet (SAW) perform the Isha prayers?
I have
came to learn that you perform them in the order: 4sunna-mukkayda, 4fard, 2sunna-mukkayda,
2nafl. 3witr and 2nafl is this the correct order and rakahs?
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Answer:
17
In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask
for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever
He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that
there is no one (no idol, no person, no
grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai,
nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that
Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.
Firstly, please
allow us to clarify the difference between Fard, Sunnah and Nafl prayers.
Fard prayers: These are
the five obligatory prayers at their appointed times of the day. If one prays them, he will earn a huge reward
from Allah Subhanah; and if one does not
pray them, it will be considered a grave
sin.
Nafl prayers: These are
the voluntary prayers. If one prays
them, he will earn a huge reward from
Allah Subhanah; and if one does not pray
them, there is no sin.
Sunnah prayers:
These are the Nafl or voluntary prayers which were prayed by the
Messenger of Allah (saws), and thus they
become his (saw’s) Sunnah for us. If
one prays them, he will earn a huge
reward from Allah Subhanah; and if one
does not pray them, there is no
sin. The most that can be said of one
who does not pray the Sunnah prayers is that he lost a great opportunity to
earn huge rewards from Allah Subhanah.
Your
Question: Brother I would like to know are there 17 rakahs for the Isha prayer?
The ‘Isha’ or obligatory night prayer does not consist of
17 rakahs, but the Lord Most Gracious has Commanded and made obligatory on the
believers only the four rakahs of Isha prayers.
It was the practice of the Messenger of Allah (saws) that
he would offer an additional two rakah voluntary prayers after the obligatory
four rakah of Isha prayers, thus it would be preferred and considered Sunnah
for the believers to offer an additional two-rakah prayer after their Isha
prayers, if they wish to do so.
There is absolutely no limit to the number of rakahs one
may pray as ‘nafl’ or superrogatory prayers in Islam. If one wishes not to pray any number of
‘nafl’ prayers for any reason, there is absolutely no sin upon him; and if one wishes to offer the ‘nafl’
prayers, he will earn extra rewards from
the Merciful Lord.
Thus we reiterate again that the obligatory Isha prayers
consists of only four-rakahs; and if one wishes to follow the Sunnah of the
Messenger of Allah (saws) one may offer an additional two rakah voluntary
prayer after their obligatory Isha prayers.
If one wishes to further offer prayers, one may pray any number of
supererogatory (nafl) prayers as one may wish, or is easy for them.
Your
Question: Can they be performed in any order or one has to perform them in a
set order?
Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah
Nisaa verse 103:
Indeed the Salaat is a prescribed duty that
should be performed by the believers at (their) appointed times.
It is an obligatory duty upon the believers to offer their
obligatory prayers at their fixed and appointed times.
There is absolutely no harm if one wishes to offer any
number of ‘nafl’ or supererogatory prayers before and after their obligatory
four-rakah Isha prayers. The Sunnah of
the Messenger of Allah (saws) was that he (saws) would almost always offer a
two-rakah voluntary prayer after the completion of his four-rakah obligatory
Isha prayer, and the believers who wish to follow his (saws) Sunnah should
strive to do the same.
Your
Question: How did the Prophet (SAW) perform the Isha prayers?
Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 2.275B Narrated by Ibn Umar
I remember
The general tradition and practice of the Messenger of
Allah (saws) was that he (saws) would lead the believers in congregation for
the four-rakah obligatory Isha prayers in his Mosque, and then pray a two-rakah
voluntary prayer when he reached home.
Then if he (saws) wished he would offer extra
supererogatory prayers, and if he wished, he would abstain. Then he (saws) would sleep and rest, and wake
up in the last third part of the night and offer his ‘tahajjud’ or night
prayers and end it with the ‘witr’ prayer; and that would complete the night
prayers of the Prophet (saws).
Once a person asked Allah's Messenger (saws)
about the night (tahajjud) prayer.
Allah's Messenger (saws) replied,
"The night (tahajjud) prayer is
offered as two Rakah, followed by two Rakah, and so on; and if anyone is afraid
of the approaching dawn (Fajr prayer) he should pray one Rakah, and this will be a ‘Witr’ for all the Rakahs
which he has prayed before."
Your
Statement: I have came to learn that you perform them in the order:
4sunna-mukkayda, 4fard, 2sunna-mukkayda, 2nafl. 3witr and 2nafl is this the
correct order and rakahs?
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 33 Surah
Ahzab verse 21:
There is indeed the best example for you
to follow in the Messenger of Allah, for every such person looks forward to Allah
and the Last Day, and remembers Allah much.
The Messenger of Allah (saws) would offer the four-rakah
obligatory Isha prayer in congregation in his mosque, and pray a two-rakah
voluntary prayer after it when he (saws) reached home; and that would complete
his prayers during the ‘Isha’ hours. If
the Prophet (saws) wished he would offer more supererogatory (nafl) prayers
after it, and if he willed, he would abstain. Then he (saws) would go to sleep
and wake up in the last third of the night to offer his ‘tahajjud’ or late night
prayers and end it with the ‘witr’ prayer.
If one wishes to follow the Sunnah of the Prophet (saws)
he may do as the Prophet (saws) did; for indeed in him (saws) is the best
example to follow for every such person who looks forward to Allah and the Last
Day and Remembers Allah much. And if one
wishes to follow what one has heard or learnt from any other source other than
the Messenger of Allah (saws), then his accounting is with Allah Subhanah.
If one trusts, obeys, and follows the guidance and
commands of Allah and His Messenger (saws),
one can be assured of never ever being misled; but if one believes, obeys and follows any
other guidance, other than that of Allah and His Messenger (saws), one can be
assured of being led astray.
Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to
Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only
Source of Strength.
Your brother and well wisher in
Islam,
Burhan
Wister