Salat Al Duha (The Forenoon Prayer)
The forenoon prayer also known as the duha prayer. It is a prayer that has been neglected by most buts its benefits are immense and mentioned by the prophet.
Ishraaq (“ishrak”) prayer is Dhuhaa (“chast”) prayer offered at the beginning of its time. These are not two different prayers. It is called Ishraaq because it is done immediately after sunrise (shurooq) when the sun has risen to a certain height.
The time of Duha prayer is from the time when the sun has risen to a certain height, until just before the time for Dhuhr prayer.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen defined it as being from a quarter of an hour after the sun has risen until ten minutes before Dhuhr prayer.
Al-Sharh al-Mumti’, 4/122
It is highly advisable to pray it after the sun’s heat has become intense, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “It is preferable to offer Dhuhaa prayer when the sun’s heat has become so intense that even the young of the camels feel it.”
حَدَّثَنَا زُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا الْقَاسِمُ الشَّيْبَانِيُّ، عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ أَرْقَمَ، قَالَ خَرَجَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَلَى أَهْلِ قُبَاءٍ وَهُمْ يُصَلُّونَ فَقَالَ “ صَلاَةُ الأَوَّابِينَ إِذَا رَمِضَتِ الْفِصَالُ ” .
Sahih Muslim 748
Zayd ibn Arqam said that the Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wassllam) went out to the people of Quba and they were praying the Forenoon prayer. He said, “The prayer of the penitent is when the weaned camels feel the heat of the sun,” during the forenoon.
Sahih Muslim 368
This Hadeeth also indicates that the best time of Dhuhaa prayer is just before noon.
The minimum number of rak’ahs for the Forenoon prayer is two, based on the hadith just quoted and its maximum is eight. Umm Haani’ narrated that on the day of the Conquest of Makkah, the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihe wassallam) bathed in her house and then prayed eight rak’ahs (Bukhari, Muslim).
Abu Huraira reported: My dear friend the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, advised me to do three deeds and I will never abandon them until I die: to fast three days of every month, to perform forenoon prayer, and to sleep after performing the witr prayer.
أَوْصَانِي خَلِيلِي (النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم) بِثَلَاثٍ لَا أَدَعُهُنَّ حَتَّى أَمُوتَ صَوْمِ ثَلَاثَةِ أَيَّامٍ مِنْ كُلِّ شَهْرٍ وَصَلَاةِ الضُّحَى وَنَوْمٍ عَلَى وِتْرٍ
أَوْصَانِي خَلِيلِي (النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم) بِثَلَاثٍ لَا أَدَعُهُنَّ حَتَّى أَمُوتَ صَوْمِ ثَلَاثَةِ أَيَّامٍ مِنْ كُلِّ شَهْرٍ وَصَلَاةِ الضُّحَى وَنَوْمٍ عَلَى وِتْرٍ
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 1124
To perform witr prayer before sleeping is only recommended for one who is not confident he will wake up at the end of the night. If he is confident he will wake up, it is better to pray it at the end of the night.
وَالإيتَارُ قَبْلَ النَّوْمِ إنَّمَا يُسْتَحَبُّ لِمَنْ لاَ يَثِقُ بِالاسْتِيقَاظِ آخِرَ اللَّيل فإنْ وَثِقَ فَآخِرُ اللَّيل أفْضَلُ
وَالإيتَارُ قَبْلَ النَّوْمِ إنَّمَا يُسْتَحَبُّ لِمَنْ لاَ يَثِقُ بِالاسْتِيقَاظِ آخِرَ اللَّيل فإنْ وَثِقَ فَآخِرُ اللَّيل أفْضَلُ
Al-Nawawi
The duha prayer is a way of being thankful to Allah for he has blessed us with wellness.
Abu Dharr reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
Upon every one of your joints in the morning is charity due. Every glorification of Allah is charity. Every praise of Allah is charity. Every declaration of the oneness of Allah is charity. Every exaltation of Allah is charity. Enjoining good and forbidding evil is charity. It is enough of that to perform two cycles of prayer in the forenoon.
يُصْبِحُ عَلَى كُلِّ سُلَامَى مِنْ أَحَدِكُمْ صَدَقَةٌ فَكُلُّ تَسْبِيحَةٍ صَدَقَةٌ وَكُلُّ تَحْمِيدَةٍ صَدَقَةٌ وَكُلُّ تَهْلِيلَةٍ صَدَقَةٌ وَكُلُّ تَكْبِيرَةٍ صَدَقَةٌ وَأَمْرٌ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ صَدَقَةٌ وَنَهْيٌ عَنْ الْمُنْكَرِ صَدَقَةٌ وَيُجْزِئُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ رَكْعَتَانِ يَرْكَعُهُمَا مِنْ الضُّحَى
Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 755
Abu Buraydah reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
فِي الْإِنْسَانِ ثَلَاثُ مِائَةٍ وَسِتُّونَ مَفْصِلًا فَعَلَيْهِ أَنْ يَتَصَدَّقَ عَنْ كُلِّ مَفْصِلٍ مِنْهُ بِصَدَقَةٍ
Inside the human being are three hundred and sixty joints, upon each of them charity is due.
They said, “Who can do that, O Prophet of Allah?” The Prophet said:
النُّخَاعَةُ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ تَدْفِنُهَا وَالشَّيْءُ تُنَحِّيهِ عَنْ الطَّرِيقِ فَإِنْ لَمْ تَجِدْ فَرَكْعَتَا الضُّحَى تُجْزِئُكَ
It is spittle in the mosque you clean, or something in the road you move to the side. If you cannot find anything, it is enough to perform two cycles of forenoon prayer.
Source: Sunan Abī Dāwūd 5242
Abdullah ibn Amr reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, dispatched a company. They acquired spoils and rushed back to tell people about how close was their battle, how many their spoils, and how quickly they returned. The Prophet said:
أَلَا أَدُلُّكُمْ عَلَى أَقْرَبَ مِنْهُ مَغْزًى وَأَكْثَرَ غَنِيمَةً وَأَوْشَكَ رَجْعَةً مَنْ تَوَضَّأَ ثُمَّ غَدَا إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ لِسُبْحَةِ الضُّحَى فَهُوَ أَقْرَبُ مَغْزًى وَأَكْثَرُ غَنِيمَةً وَأَوْشَكُ رَجْعَةً
Shall I not tell you what is closer than a battle, more plentiful than spoils, and a swifter return? One who performs ablution, then goes to the mosque in the morning to glorify Allah in the forenoon. It is a closer battle, more plentiful spoils, and a swifter return.
Source: Musnad Ahmad 6638
Umar ibn al-Khattab reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, dispatched a company to Najd and they acquired many spoils and rushed back. A man who did not go with them said, “We have not seen a company return more swiftly and with better spoils than this one!” The Prophet said:
أَلاَ أَدُلُّكُمْ عَلَى قَوْمٍ أَفْضَلُ غَنِيمَةً وَأَسْرَعُ رَجْعَةً قَوْمٌ شَهِدُوا صَلاَةَ الصُّبْحِ ثُمَّ جَلَسُوا يَذْكُرُونَ اللَّهَ حَتَّى طَلَعَتِ الشَّمْسُ فَأُولَئِكَ أَسْرَعُ رَجْعَةً وَأَفْضَلُ غَنِيمَةً
Shall I not tell you about a people with better spoils and a swifter return? People who attend the dawn prayer, then sit remembering Allah until the sun rises. These have a swifter return and better spoils.
Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhī 3561
It is a means of protection from Allah
Uqbah ibn ‘Amir reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
إِنَّ اللهَ يَقُولُ يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ اكْفِنِي أَوَّلَ النَّهَارِ بِأَرْبَعِ رَكَعَاتٍ أَكْفِكَ بِهِنَّ آخِرَ يَوْمِكَ
Verily, Allah Almighty says: O son of Adam, suffice Me with four cycles of prayer at the beginning of the morning and by them I will suffice you for the rest of your day.
Source: Musnad Ahmad 17390
Aisha reported:
كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يُصَلِّي الضُّحَى أَرْبَعًا وَيَزِيدُ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, would perform forenoon prayer with four cycles and he would add more as Allah willed.
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 719
Umm Hani’ reported:
ذهَبْتُ إِلى رَسولِ اللَّهِ صَلّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وسَلَّم عامٍ الفَتْحِ فَوجدْتُه يغْتَسِلُ فَلَمَّا فَرَغَ مِنْ غُسْلِهِ صَلَّى ثَمانيَ رَكعاتٍ وَذلكَ ضُحى
I came to the Messenger of Allah, peace blessings be upon him, in the year of the liberation, and I found him performing a ritual bath. When the Prophet finished his bath, he performed eight cycles of prayer and that was in the forenoon.
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 350
Abu Darda reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
قال الله تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى ابْنَ آدَمَ ارْكَعْ لِي أَرْبَعَ رَكَعَاتٍ مِنْ أَوَّلِ النَّهَارِ أَكْفِكَ آخِرَهُ
Allah Almighty said: Son of Adam, bow to Me in four cycles of prayer at the beginning of the day and I will suffice you for the rest of it.
Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhī 475
Nu’aym ibn Hammar reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
يَقُولُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ لَا تُعْجِزْنِي مِنْ أَرْبَعِ رَكَعَاتٍ فِي أَوَّلِ نَهَارِكَ أَكْفِكَ آخِرَهُ
Allah Almighty says: O son of Adam, do not be frustrated to perform four cycles of prayer for me at the beginning of your day. I will suffice you for the rest of it.
Source: Sunan Abī Dāwūd 1289
Abu Umamah reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
مَنْ خَرَجَ مِنْ بَيْتِهِ مُتَطَهِّرًا إِلَى صَلَاةٍ مَكْتُوبَةٍ فَأَجْرُهُ كَأَجْرِ الْحَاجِّ الْمُحْرِمِ وَمَنْ خَرَجَ إِلَى تَسْبِيحِ الضُّحَى لَا يَنْصِبُهُ إِلَّا إِيَّاهُ فَأَجْرُهُ كَأَجْرِ الْمُعْتَمِرِ
Whoever leaves his house with ritual purification for a prescribed prayer, his reward will be like one performing a Hajj pilgrimage in a state of sanctity. Whoever leaves to glorify Allah in the forenoon, laboring only for this purpose, his reward will be like one performing the Umrah pilgrimage.
Source: Sunan Abī Dāwūd 1288
Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
لَا يُحَافِظُ عَلَى صَلَاةِ الضُّحَى إِلَّا أَوَّابٌ وَهِيَ صَلَاةُ الْأَوَّابِينَ
None preserve the forenoon prayer but the penitent. It is the prayer of the penitent.
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Khuzaymah 1224