A Sunnah Many Overlook: The Blessings of Salat al-Duha

Assalamu alaikum, dear brothers and sisters. I wanted to remind you of a beautiful sunnah that often slips our minds – the Duha prayer, also known as the forenoon prayer. It’s such a simple act but carries immense reward. Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that our beloved Prophet ﷺ said: "Every morning, charity is due on every joint of yours. Saying SubhanAllah is charity, Alhamdulillah is charity, La ilaha illAllah is charity, Allahu Akbar is charity, encouraging good is charity, forbidding evil is charity, and praying two rak’ahs of Duha suffices for all of this." [Muslim] Imam An-Nawawi commented that this hadith shows the great virtue and significance of Duha, even if it’s just two rak’ahs. Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "My close friend ﷺ advised me to do three things I’ll never abandon until I die: fast three days each month, pray Duha, and pray Witr before sleeping." [Bukhari] A similar narration also comes from Abud Darda [Muslim]. Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) mentioned that the Prophet ﷺ used to pray four rak’ahs of Duha, sometimes more. [Muslim] And Umm Hani narrated that one day, after ghusl, he prayed eight rak’ahs of Duha. [Muslim] Now, some fiqh points (Hanafi): - The minimum is 2 rak’ahs, maximum 12. - The best is 8 rak’ahs, and the optimal minimum is 4. - Its time is from sunrise until just before the sun reaches its peak (zawal). - The preferred time is after a quarter of the day has passed. - It’s recommended to recite Surah Ash-Shams and Surah Ad-Duha in the prayer. Let’s revive this sunnah in our homes, with our families. Imagine teaching your spouse and children to pray even two rak’ahs together – it’s a simple way to earn great reward and strengthen our bond as a family. May Allah accept our efforts and grant us consistency. Jazakum Allahu khayran.