In short: The Prophet ﷺ said that whoever prays twelve rak’ahs in a day and night, a house will be built for him in Paradise (Sahih Muslim 728). They are: 2 before Fajr, 4 before Dhuhr and 2 after, 2 after Maghrib and 2 after Isha (Jami‘ at-Tirmidhi 415, graded sahih).
Which 12 rak’ahs?
| Prayer | Sunnah rak’ahs |
|---|---|
| Fajr | 2 before |
| Dhuhr | 4 before, 2 after |
| Asr | none in this list |
| Maghrib | 2 after |
| Isha | 2 after |
| Total | 12 |
This breakdown is from Umm Habibah’s narration in Tirmidhi 415. Umm Habibah said she never left them from the time she heard it (Muslim 728).
Start small
- Begin with the 2 before Fajr: they are better than the world and what it contains.
- Add one prayer at a time until all twelve are a habit.
- Pray them at home if you can; the mosque is for the obligatory prayer. Check today’s prayer times.