Nawafil is praying or doing extra deeds besides what is obligatory.It means to sustain or upgrade oneself with optional worship and prayer or deeds.It strengthens faith,complements the fard (obligatory act); it is restitution to and improves flawed fard.It confers additional reward on the doer; paves way for forgiveness and leads to spiritual growth.It guides and protects against evils;and removes life problems. Nawafil is composite of righteousness that makes it definition in Islam different from the ones found in other religions and do not allow it to be a wasted effort but invaluable act that attracts Allah’s pleasure and forgiveness and leads to salvation. Nawafil is thus an integral part of Islam and any Muslim who does not give it deserved attention,may be losing a great deal of benefit and at the same time not have respected Allah’s order which states:“O you who believe! Enter completely into Islam (observing all rules and regulations) and follow not the footstep of Satan.Verily he is to you a plain enemy” surah Al-Baqarah 2: 208.

CALL FOR NAWAFIL:
Allah says in surah Al-Maidah 5:35-“O you who believe! Do your duty to Allah and fear Him.And seek the means of approach to Him and strive hard in His cause,so that you may be successful “.

The Prophet(SAW) said,“O you who believe! Take to works such as you are able to perform regularly,for verily Allah is not tired of rewarding you until you are tired of working.And the most beloved of all works in sight of Allah is that which continue regularly although it be little” (Bukhari). Apart from Iman,other pillars of Islam have their nawafil (optional),which with the fard (obligatory) strengthen Iman and at the same time serve to prove and improve the state of one’s Iman.

NAWAFIL SOLAT:
5 daily Solat is obligatory for every Muslim but there are nawafil of 12 rakaat recommended by the Prophet (SAW) and distributed on the daily obligatory Salat as follows:2 rakaat before Subhi (morning solat) otherwise known as rakateni fajri;4 rakaat before Zuhr solat and 2 rakaat after it;2 rakaat after Maghrib Solat;and 2 after Solat Isha.Observance or fulfilling these optional nawafil is a mean for attaining salvation.
The Prophet (SAW) said:“Whoever prays optionally twelve rakaat every day and night,Allah will reward him by an established dwelling in the paradise” (Bukhari).
Indeed Muslims have wide opportunity to observe other nawafil in salat such as: 4 rakaat before Asr,2 rakaat before Moghrib; 2 rakaat before Isha and 3,5,7,9 or 11 rakaat as Witr during midnight as Tahajjud – optional but encouraged.Solat Duha and Istikhara are also traditions of the Prophet(SAW) and he strongly recommended salat Tasbih to seek forgiveness even if it is once in one’s life time!
Allah says in Surah Al-Isra 17;79-“And in some parts of the night keep awake a part of it as nafilat for you. Soon will your Lord raise you to a station of praise and glory”.
All nawafil Solat are best perfomed at home,while 2 rakaat of Tahiyyatul Mosjid is encouraged by the Prophet upon entering mosque at any time.


NAWAFIL ZAKAT:
Zakat which is the third obligatory pillar of Islam has Sadaqah (alms) as its nawafil. Just as Zakat is paid with cash,crop and animal likewise its nawafil sadaqah can be paid by any even by kind.But while Zakat is measurable and paid on special calculation (Nisab) and purely for Muslims and Islamic cause,sadaqah is not measurable and one can voluntarily give his money or material to any person and beneficent cause as sadaqah! And unlike zakat which is annually,the Prophet(SAW) said sadaqah is obligatory everyday on every joint of a human being… (Bukhari).
Allah attributes numerous qualities and acts to sadaqah in the Quran,these include; purity purpose (Surah Taubah 9:103);good advice and beautiful talk (Surah An-Nisa 4:114);showing gratitude (Surah Taubah 9: 25); and forgiveness among others!

Allah says in Surah Taubah 9:104- Know they not that Allah accepts repentance from His slaves and takes the sadaqah. And that Allah alone is the One who forgives and accepts repentance...”.
Zakatul-fitri and meat of the slaughtered animal at Eid-Adha given out are sadaqah. The Prophet(SAW) said When a Muslim plants a tree,then whatever is eaten from it by others is sadaqah on his part and whatever is stolen from it is sadaqah and whatever is subtracted from it is sadaqah” (Muslim).

He also said:“On every Muslim there is enjoined sadaqah”The people asked, ‘If one has nothing to spend?’ He said “He should work with his hands so that he may benefit himself and give in charity”.They said,‘if he cannot work or does not work?’ He said “Then he should help the oppressed, unhappy person by word or action or both” They said, ‘If he does not do it?’ He said “Then He should enjoin what is good”. They said, ‘If he does not do that?’ He said, ‘Then he should refrain from doing evil, for that will be considered from him as a sadaqah” (Bukhari).

Allah says in Surah Al-Hadid 57:18-Verily those who give sadaqah,men and women,and lend Allah a goodly loan,it shall be increased manifold to their credit and theirs shall be an honourable reward”

NAWAFIL RAMADAN FAST:
To fast for the whole month of Ramadan the ninth month of Islamic calendar is the fourth obligation of every Muslim.Yet,it also has nawafil- optional fasting observed and encouraged by the Prophet(SAW).Allah says in Surah Al-Baqarah 2:183 “O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you,that you may become pious.”.

The Prophet(SAW) used to fast in the following days and encouraged Muslims to follow suit.Thus nawafil fast can be observed on: The Day of Arafat i.e. ninth day of the 12th month – Dhul-Hijjah; the Tasua and Ashura days,which is the ninth and tenth days of the 1st month – Muharram; the first ninth days of the 12th month- Dhul-Hijjah;the 13th,14th and 15th days of every Islamic lunar month;every yaom Ithnain (Monday) and yaom Khamis (Thursday) of the week;any six days in the 10th month – Shawwal.A Muslim may fast any other day of the week or month in a year as a form of seeking guidance or Allah’s pleasure or supplication or thanksgiving to Allah. It is a matter of discretion for a Muslim to fast voluntarily.
The Prophet(SAW) said:“Whoever fasts Ramadan,then follows it up with six days in Shawwal,it is as if he fasted the whole year” (Muslim).

He also said Fasting on the day of Arafah expiates two years of sins,last year’s and next year’s and fasting on the tenth of Muharram expiates the previous year’s of sins(Muslim).
However the Prophet(SAW) forbade Muslims to set aside Fridays for observing voluntary fast on a permanent basis.It is also forbidden to fast on festival days of Eid-Fitr and Eid-Adha and the subsequent two days of Eid- Adha.
The Prophet(SAW) said:There is almsgiving for everything and the almsgiving for the body is fasting (Bukhari).“Fasting is a shield against Hell…” (Bukhari).

Allah says in Surah Al-Baqarah 2:184:-“... And that you fast is better for you if only you know”..

NAWAFIL HAJJ:
Umra is the nawafil of Hajj.Allah says in Surah Al-Baqarah 2:196:“And perform the Hajj and Umra for Allah ...”.

Hajj is the complete pilgrimage of which the chief rites are performed during the first twelve or thirteen days of the 12th month – Dhul Hijjah while Umra is a less formal pilgrimage at any time of the year. Among the rites of Hajj which are not mandatory in Umra are:spending the night at mina;staying at Arafat;spending the night at Muzdahlifah;casting pebbles;and sacrificing an animal.
Abu Huraira narrated that the Prophet(SAW) said:“The performance of Umra is an expiation for the sins committed between it and the previous one.And the reward of Al-Hajj al-Mabrur (one correctly performed and accepted by Allah) is nothing but Paradise” (Bukhari).

He also said:Umra in Ramadan is equal to a Hajj (in reward) (Bukhari).
Performing them separately is significant like matching them together and attracts immense rewards as the Prophet(SAW) said:A Salat in my mosque is better than 1000 Salat anywhere else except in the Al-Haram mosque (i.e. Kaaba)” (Bukhari).

And Ahmad reported him to have said,And Salat in Al-Masjid Al-Haram is better than 100 salat in my mosque” (Ahmad).

This confirms Allah’s declaration in Surah Al-Imran 3:96-97[b]-“…surely the first House of worship founded for mankind is that at Mecca,abounding in blessings and guidance for all people.In it are manifest signs.It is the place of Abraham and whoso enters it enters peace…”[/b]– Achievable through Umra or Hajj.

Aside from these,there are other nawafil acts which serve the same purpose and of great value like those discussed above.This includes:
Regular Recitation and Reflecting upon verses of the Holy Quran and Hadith of the Prophet(SAW) as well as reading the books of rightly guided Islamic scholars that analyzed them and listen to sermon/tafsir of righteous Imams.

The Prophet(SAW) said:verily I am leaving among you that which,if you hold fast to it,you will never go astray.These are the Book of Allah (Al-Quran) and His Prophet’s sunnah” (Bukhari).

These serve many purposes such as admonition and guidance (Surah Al-Kahf 18:2),reminder and impacting wisdom and knowledge (Surah Yasin 36:2),refreshing soul and body and improving spiritual status (Surah An-Nahl 16:102) and encouraging good deeds and fixing evil forces (Surah Al-Isra 17: 45).

Abu Dharr reported the Prophet(SAW) to have said: ...I enjoin upon you the reading of the Quran and remembering of Allah,for that will be a course of your mention in heaven and a light for you in the earth.

Allah says in Surah Al-Isra 17;78:“…And the recitation of the Quran at dawn,verily,the recitation of Quran at dawn is specially acceptable to Allah”

DHIKR (Remembering Allah by glorifying and praising Him)
Dhikr are weighty and sacred words found in the Quran and taught by the Prophet(SAW) by which Muslims achieve nearness to Allah,receive bounty reward,attain forgiveness, record answer to their requests,protected from evils and sickness and secure salvation.

Allah says in Surah Ar-Rad 13:28- Those who believe and whose hearts found comfort in the Dhikr of Allah. Surely in the Dhikr of Allah that hearts can find comfort

There are many recommended dhikr by the Prophet(SAW) among which are his sayings:

There are two words which are dear to Allah and very easy for the tongue to say, but very heavy in the balance.They are, “subhana lahi wabihamdihi, subhana lahi–l-azim” (Bukhari).

He also said whoever says: “La ilaha illa lahu wahdahu lasharika lahu,lahu-Mulku walahu-l-hamdu wahuwa alakuli sha-in Qadir” 0ne hundred times,will get the reward of he who free ten slaves;and are hundred good deeds will be written in his record and one hundred sins will be deducted from his record and this words will be a shield for him from Satan on that day till night,and nobody will be able to do a better deed except the one who does more than he” (Bukhari).

And Baihaqi reported him to have said “whoever says “Lailaha illa Allahu’ sincerely,it will be his salvation some day, no matter what befalls him before that”.

Indeed there is superiority for Allah dhikr as Allah orders in Surah Al-Baqarah 2;152:“Therefore remember Me and I will remember you and be thankful to Me and do not be ungrateful to Me”


Summarily,the Prophet(SAW) said to one of his companions – Muadh bin Jabal.--
“May I show you the gates of goodness? They are:‘fasting which is a screen from Hell;As-sadaqah which extinguishes the sins as water extinguishes the fire and standing in salat during the middle part of a night” (Abu Dawud).

On another occasion Abu Huraira said that the Prophet(SAW) advised him to observe three things which he shall not leave till he die! “To observe fast three days every lunar month;to offer the salat Duha and to offer witr before sleeping” (Bukhari).
These are nawafil Allah’s blessing which add spiritual value to your life andactively upgrade your living with forgiveness of Allah and His pleasure and deny Satan and his forces every chance of assailing you. Adopting them into your life will confer many blessings and salvation upon you.


This is confirmed as the Prophet(SAW) said:“Allah says “My servant continues to draw near to Me by performing nawafil till I love him,And when I love him,I become his hearing whereby he hears,and his sight whereby he sees,and his hands wherewith he grips,and his feet wherewith he walks. And if he asks of Me,I give him and if he ask My protection,I give him refuge” (Bukhari).


Is there anything above this? So be serious with your nawafil!

*

yat@11:
Can shafuhi stand as d 2 nawafil after ishai prayer?

Yeah

*

Excellent thread. May Allah bless OP for his efforts.

hop der wil learn something from dis fasting nd stop all dis nonsense.

But i want 2 ask a qstn! Is killing of other ppl permited in islam?

oga lanrelax!
salam alekunwaramotullahi wabarakatuhu
i doff my hat.
long time o

Jazakalahu khairan

A beautiful reminder for bounty rewards InshaAllah

Reading all these everyday unwaranted comments of some of these xtians shows they really should be nothing really other than xtians....

Just ignore them InshaAllah

paddybrown: But i want 2 ask a qstn! Is killing of other ppl permited in islam?

Killing of innocent human beings is forbidden in Islam,be it muslims or non-muslims[Surah Al-Maidah 5:32]......Peace

paddybrown: But i want 2 ask a qstn! Is killing of other ppl permited in islam?

It's evident, so i guess it's so...

talk2me006: oga lanrelax!
salam alekunwaramotullahi wabarakatuhu
i doff my hat.
long time o

Walaikum Salam my brother,long time indeed.Ramadan mubarak.

lanrexlan: Killing of innocent human beings is forbidden in Islam,be it muslims or non-muslims[Surah Al-Maidah 5:32]......Peace

But it's allowed to kill infidel during 'Holy Jihad' i guess
And the reward for such service would be what if i might ask

joe4christ:

But it's allowed to kill infidel during 'Holy Jihad' i guess
And the reward for such service would be what if i might ask

Allah says in Surah Al-Baqarah 2:190-192 that muslims should fight the people who fight them first.If there is oppression and tyranny,muslims should fight people like that.But if they want peace,muslims should also incline to Peace[Surah AL-anfal 8:61].Muslims mustn't kill those Allah has forbidden to kill.The reward of a person being killed in the way of Allah is paradise.....Peace

May allah accp our prayers ameen..ax 4 xtian comment plz d bst u cn do x 2ignore den@Op

Jazakallahu aikhran op.

May Allah increase your knowledge and accept this as an act of good deeds(ibadah) from you.
May Allah increase his mercies on the ummah of rosulullah, and ease the stress of our brothers and sisters in distress.