Qabliyah and Ba'diyah Prayers: Importance, Virtues, and How to Perform Them

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Qabliyah and Ba'diyah Prayers ~ Greetings, dear readers! In this article, I will explain the Qabliyah and Ba'diyah prayers, along with their virtues. There is an important point I would like to emphasize: there are specific rules for performing these two types of sunnah prayers. This is why I have written this article.

As always, before delving deeper into the Qabliyah and Ba'diyah prayers and their virtues, I will first quote some hadiths that are closely related to our discussion.

Hadith About Qabliyah and Ba'diyah Prayers

The hadiths regarding the Qabliyah and Ba'diyah prayers, as well as their virtues, are as follows:

عَنْ اِبْنِ عُمَرٍ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُمَا قَالَ ؛ حَفِظْتُ مِنَ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَشْرُ رَكَعَاتٍ ؛ رَكْعَتَيْنِ قَبْلَ الظُّهْرِ وَرَكْعَتَيْنِ بَعْدَهَا ، وَرَكْعَتَيْنِ بَعْدَ الْمَغْرِبِ فِيْ بَيْتِهِ ، وَرَكْعَتَيْنِ بَعْدَ الْعِشَاءِ فِيْ بَيْتِهِ ، وَرَكْعَتَيْنِ قَبْلَ الصُّبْحِ . مُتَّفَقٌ عَلَيْهِ . وَفِيْ رِوَايَةٍ ؛ وَرَكْعَتَيْنِ بَعْدَ الْجُمُعَةِ فِيْ بَيْتِهِ . وَلِمُسْلِمٍ ؛ كَانَ إِذَا طَلَعَ الْفَجْرُ لَا يُصَلِّي إِلَّا رَكْعَتَيْنِ خَفِيْفَتَيْنِ

From Ibn Umar radliyallaahu ‘anhumaa, he said, "I memorized ten rak'ahs from the Prophet (Muhammad) sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam: two rak'ahs before Dhuhr and two rak'ahs after, two rak'ahs after Maghrib in his house, two rak'ahs after Isha in his house, and two rak'ahs before Fajr." This hadith is agreed upon by al-Bukhari and Muslim. In another narration, it is stated, "And two rak'ahs after Friday prayers in his house." According to a hadith from Muslim, "When the dawn breaks, he would not pray except two short rak'ahs."

عَنْ أُمِّ حَبِيْبَةَ أُمِّ الْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهَا قَالَتْ ؛ سَمِعْتُ رَسُوْلَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُوْلُ ؛ مَنْ صَلَّى اِثْنَتَي عَشَرَةَ رَكْعَةً فِيْ يَوْمِهِ وَلَيْلَتِهِ بُنِيَ لَهُ بِهِنَّ بَيْتٌ فِيْ الْجَنَّةِ . رَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ وَفِيْ رِوَايَةٍ ، تَطَوُّعًا . وِلِلتِّرْمِذِيِّ نَحْوُهُ وَزَادَ ؛ أَرْبَعًا قَبْلَ الظُّهْرِ وَبَعْدَهَا ، وَرَكْعَتَيْنِ بَعْدَ الْمَغْرِبِ وَرَكْعَتَيْنِ بَعْدَ الْعِشَاءِ ، وَرَكْعَتَيْنِ قَبْلَ صَلَاةِ الْفَجْرِ

From Umm Habibah, Ummul Mukminin, radliyallaahu 'anhaa, she said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam say, 'Whoever prays twelve rak'ahs in the day and night, a house will be built for him in Paradise.'" This hadith is narrated by Muslim. In another narration, it is explained that these are all sunnah prayers. At-Tirmidhi narrated a similar hadith and added, "Four rak'ahs before Dhuhr and after, two rak'ahs after Maghrib, two rak'ahs after Isha, and two rak'ahs before Fajr."

عَنْ اِبْنِ عُمَرٍ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُمَا قَالَ ؛ قَالَ رَسُوْلُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ؛ رَحِمَ اللهُ مَنْ صَلَّى أَرْبَعًا قَبْلَ الْعَصْرِ . رَوَاهُ أَحْمَدُ وَأَبُوْ دَاوُدَ وَالتِّرْمِذِيُّ

From Ibn Umar radliyallaahu ‘anhumaa, he said, "The Messenger of Allah sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said, 'May Allah have mercy on those who pray four rak'ahs before Asr.'" This hadith is narrated by Ahmad, Abu Dawud, and at-Tirmidhi.

The Meaning of Qabliyah and Ba'diyah in Prayer

There are several important points related to some hadiths on Qabliyah and Ba'diyah prayers mentioned above that we need to know:

1. The first hadith encourages performing some sunnah prayers (Qabliyah and Ba'diyah) at home. It also emphasizes the recommendation to perform the sunnah prayer before Fajr (Qabliyah Fajr) briefly, consisting of two rak'ahs.
2. The second and third hadiths highlight the virtue of Qabliyah and Ba'diyah prayers, as they can be a reason for someone to enter Heaven.
3. All three hadiths explain the times to perform Qabliyah and Ba'diyah prayers. Qabliyah prayers are performed before Dhuhr, Asr, and Fajr, while Ba'diyah prayers are performed after Dhuhr, Maghrib, and Isha. The number of rak'ahs is as described above.

Dear readers, there are key points about the meaning of Qabliyah and Ba'diyah prayers that we must remember.

How to Perform Qabliyah and Ba'diyah Prayers?

Some of the hadiths above indeed explain these two types of prayers, but in practice, Qabliyah and Ba'diyah prayers can be performed as follows:

1. Two rak'ahs before Dhuhr — including two rak'ahs before the Friday prayer — (Qabliyah) and two rak'ahs afterward (Ba'diyah).
2. Four rak'ahs before Asr (Qabliyah) — this can also be done as two rak'ahs, and there is no Ba'diyah prayer after Asr.
3. Two rak'ahs before Maghrib (Qabliyah) and two rak'ahs afterward (Ba'diyah).
4. Two rak'ahs before Isha (Qabliyah) and two rak'ahs afterward (Ba'diyah).
5. Two rak'ahs before Fajr (Qabliyah).

Remember! There are no sunnah prayers (Qabliyah) after Asr and Fajr.

The intention to perform the Qabliyah prayer is as follows:

أُصَلِّيْ سُنَّةً قَبْلِيَّةَ الظُّهْرِ رَكْعَتَيْنِ مُسْتَقْبِلَ الْقِبْلَةِ لِلَّهِ تَعَالَى

I intend to perform the sunnah Qabliyah Dhuhr prayer, two rak'ahs, by facing the qiblah, for the sake of Allah Ta'ala.

أُصَلِّيْ سُنَّةً بَعْدِيَّةَ الظُّهْرِ رَكْعَتَيْنِ مُسْتَقْبِلَ الْقِبْلَةِ لِلَّهِ تَعَالَى

I intend to perform the sunnah Ba'diyah Dhuhr prayer, two rak'ahs, by facing the qiblah, for the sake of Allah Ta'ala.

The examples above demonstrate the Qabliyah and Ba'diyah prayers that consist of two rak'ahs. We just need to adjust for the respective prayers, whether it’s Dhuhr, Asr, or others. For four rak'ahs, the word رَكْعَتَيْنِ (two rak'ahs) is replaced with أَرْبَعَ رَكَعَاتٍ (four rak'ahs).

Conclusion

In conclusion, Qabliyah and Ba'diyah prayers hold significant importance in Islamic practice, enhancing our connection with Allah through additional acts of worship. These sunnah prayers, performed before and after the obligatory prayers, not only provide spiritual benefits but also fulfill the prophetic guidance reflected in various hadiths. By adhering to the specified rak'ahs for each prayer time, believers can reap the rewards promised, including the construction of a house in Paradise for those who commit to performing them regularly. Understanding the rules and intentions behind these prayers encourages a more profound dedication to one's faith and daily worship. As we strive to incorporate these practices into our routines, let us remember that consistency in Qabliyah and Ba'diyah prayers enriches our spiritual lives and brings us closer to Allah's mercy and blessings.

May we all benefit from these prayers and continue to seek knowledge and understanding in our faith. Ameen!

See you again in the next article!