Sunnah Muakkadah is an Arabic term meaning “emphasized Sunnah” – the highly recommended practices that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) consistently performed.
These are not obligations (fard) but are given great importance in Islamic teaching.
In this article, we explain the meaning of Sunnah Muakkadah, share examples of these practices in daily worship, clarify the difference between Sunnah Muakkadah and ghair Muakkadah (non-emphasized Sunnah), and discuss why they are important for Muslims.
Understanding the Meaning of Sunnah Muakkadah
In Islamic terminology, Sunnah refers to the traditions and practices of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ). Sunnah Mu’akkadah, literally “confirmed” or “emphasized Sunnah”, refers to those practices which the Prophet continuously performed and almost never abandoned. In other words, these are acts of worship that he upheld regularly out of devotion, not just as personal habits.
Examples include certain extra prayers and devotional acts that complemented the obligatory duties. Scholars explain that Sunnah Muakkadah acts are known not to be obligatory, yet they are “legally considered to complete the obligatory acts” – meaning they perfect and round out one’s required worship.
Sunnah Muakkadah in the Hanafi School of Thought
Importantly, Sunnah Muakkadah carries a strong emphasis. In the Hanafi school, these practices are given such weight that neglecting them without a valid excuse is considered blameworthy and can even be sinful if done habitually. Some Hanafi jurists describe the confirmed Sunnah as almost at the level of a wajib (necessary act).
For example, regular Sunnah prayers surrounding the fard salah (like the two raka’ats before Fajr, discussed later) are expected to be performed – a person who consistently skips them is seen as leaving the Prophet’s way.
Other Sunni schools also highly encourage Sunnah Muakkadah, though they generally do not deem one sinful for occasionally omitting them. The Prophet’s practice, however, set a clear precedent that these acts were of great importance in daily worship.
(Note: In contrast, less-emphasized Sunnah are termed Sunnah Ghair Mu’akkadah, which we will discuss later. These were practices the Prophet did at times and omitted at times, thus carrying a lighter recommendation.)
Examples of Sunnah Muakkadah in Daily Worship
Many daily worship practices fall under Sunnah Muakkadah – especially the extra rak’ahs of prayer associated with the five daily salah. These regular sunnah prayers are often called sunnah al-rawatib (established routine sunnahs). The Prophet (ﷺ) maintained them diligently, and Muslims are strongly encouraged to perform them.
Key examples of Sunnah Muakkadah include:
- Two rak’ahs before Fajr (dawn prayer): This is perhaps the most emphasized of the sunnah prayers. The Prophet never left the two raka’ahs Sunnah of Fajr, even when traveling. He said, “The two rak’ahs before the dawn (Fajr) prayer are better than this world and all it contains” – highlighting their tremendous value. This is prayed just before the Fajr fard and is a Sunnah Muakkadah for all adults.
- Four rak’ahs before and two after Dhuhr (noon prayer): Around the midday Dhuhr prayer, the Prophet regularly prayed additional units. In the Hanafi tradition, his constant practice was four raka’ahs of Sunnah before Dhuhr and two raka’ahs after the fard Dhuhr.
- Other schools similarly emphasize sunnah prayers for Dhuhr, though some count two before and two after as the confirmed Sunnah (with the additional two considered extra but recommended).
- These surrounding prayers – known as the Dhuhr rawatib – were habitually performed by the Prophet.
- In a hadith, Umm Habiba (RA) narrates that the Prophet promised a great reward for those who uphold all these daily sunnah prayers: “Whoever prays twelve rak‘ahs (of Sunnah) in a day besides the obligatory prayers, Allah will build for him a house in Paradise” . These twelve include the Sunnah of Dhuhr among others.
- Two rak’ahs after Maghrib (sunset prayer): The Prophet (ﷺ) would consistently perform two voluntary rak’ahs after the Maghrib fard prayer . This Sunnah Muakkadah after Maghrib is a short prayer often done at home or in the mosque shortly after the obligatory prayer.
- Two rak’ahs after ‘Isha (night prayer): Similarly, two sunnah raka’ahs after the obligatory ‘Isha prayer were regularly observed by the Prophet . He would pray these two units as a confirmed Sunnah in the late evening, completing the day’s cycle of prayers. These are easy to perform and carry reward for following the Prophet's sunnah (practice).
- Witr prayer (odd-numbered night prayer): Witr is a special prayer performed after ‘Isha (often as the last prayer of the night). It is technically a nafl prayer, but with very strong emphasis.
- In fact, the Hanafi madhab classifies Witr as wajib (required) due to the imperative tone of certain hadiths about it.
- The other three Sunni schools regard Witr as a Sunnah Muakkadah – highly important but not obligatory.
- The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) never abandoned Witr prayer; authentic hadiths indicate that he did not neglect the night prayer or Witr, nor the two rak’ahs before Fajr, whether at home or during travel . This shows how crucial Witr was in his practice. Typically, Witr is one or three raka’ahs (Hanafis pray it as three).
- Witr is the closing prayer of the night, and the Prophet advised, “Make your last prayer at night Witr”. Because of its emphasized status, many scholars say a person should make up a missed Witr prayer later if it was skipped.
These examples cover the core daily Sunnah Muakkadah prayers. In total, a person who follows the Prophet’s routine would perform 12 extra rak’ahs of Sunnah Muakkadah each day around the five fard prayers (2 before Fajr; 4 before + 2 after Dhuhr; 2 after Maghrib; 2 after ‘Isha). Performing all of these regularly is highly meritorious – as mentioned, the hadith promises a house in Jannah for whoever continuously prays these twelve sunnah rak’ahs daily.
In addition to the prayers listed above, there are other Sunnah Muakkadah practices in daily life. For example (in Hanafi teachings):
- The Adhan (call to prayer) and Iqamah (call right before congregational prayer) are considered Sunnah Muakkadah for the one leading prayers.
- Praying the fard salah in congregation (jama’ah), especially for men, is also deemed a confirmed Sunnah in the Hanafi school – the Prophet (ﷺ) almost never missed congregational prayer.
- Certain aspects of purification are emphasized Sunnah, such as using the miswak (tooth-stick) for oral hygiene and washing each limb three times in wudu (ablution) as the Prophet consistently did.
All these daily habits – from prayer routines to personal hygiene – form part of the Prophet’s Sunnah that he stressed through his own example.
Importance of Sunnah Muakkadah in Islam
Although Sunnah Muakkadah practices are not fard (obligatory), they hold immense significance in Islam. They carry spiritual benefits and rewards that help a believer draw closer to Allah and His Messenger (PBUH).
Here are some key reasons why these emphasized Sunnahs are so important:
- Completing and perfecting our worship: The Sunnah Muakkadah acts “complete” the obligatory acts. On the Day of Judgment, the first thing we will be accounted for is our prayers. If a person’s fard (obligatory) prayers are lacking, Allah in His mercy will ask the angels to see if the person has any voluntary prayers to make up the shortfall.
- In a hadith, the Prophet (ﷺ) said: “The first thing for which a person will be brought to account on the Day of Resurrection will be his prayer. If it is complete, [he succeeds]. If it is not complete then Allah will say… ‘Look and see whether you find any voluntary prayers for My slave, and complete with them what is lacking from his obligatory prayers.’”.
- This means the extra Sunnah and Nafl prayers can compensate for deficiencies in our mandatory prayers. By regularly performing Sunnah Muakkadah, we are effectively “patching up” and strengthening our obligatory worship.
- Scholars like Imam Ibn Abidin note that these Sunnahs act as a buffer or insurance for our fard duties – they are the best way to beautify and safeguard our prayer.
- Immense reward and closeness to the Prophet: Practicing Sunnah Muakkadah brings great reward from Allah. We have already mentioned the promise of a house in Paradise for maintaining the 12 Sunnah rak’ahs each day.
- In another narration, the Prophet (ﷺ) said Allah will “build for him a house in Paradise” for the one steadfast on these sunnah prayers.
- Moreover, following the Prophet’s Sunnah earns a special closeness to him. As one hadith states, “The greatest reward for adhering to the Sunnah is nearness to Rasulullah (peace be upon him)." In fact, scholars mention that consistently observing the confirmed Sunnah is a sign of one’s love for the Prophet, and it will grant the believer the Prophet’s companionship in the Hereafter by Allah’s permission.
- Those who love and emulate the Prophet will be near him in Paradise. Thus, these acts are a way to express that love and gain that honor.
- Beloved by Allah and a means of Allah’s love: The Qur’an tells us that following the Prophet’s way is a proof of loving Allah and a cause for Allah to love us in return. “Say (O Prophet), ‘If you love Allah, follow me; Allah will love you and forgive you your sins’” . By performing Sunnah Muakkadah, we are actively following the Prophet’s path. This is a means to attain the love of Allah, which is the ultimate success. The Sunnah practices make our day-to-day life aligned with the prophetic example, which Allah instructed us to follow. Each Sunnah Muakkadah we do is a step toward earning Allah’s pleasure.
- Consistency and discipline in faith: Because Sunnah Muakkadah are performed regularly, they instil consistency and discipline in a Muslim’s worship. The Prophet (ﷺ) taught that “the most beloved deeds to Allah are those done regularly, even if small.” Establishing the habit of Sunnah prayers around the fard prayers structures our day and keeps us constantly in remembrance of Allah. This consistent devotion has a profound effect on one’s faith (iman) and character over time. The confirmed Sunnahs anchor the day’s worship and ensure that a Muslim is frequently engaging in prayer and reflection beyond the bare minimum. This helps prevent one’s heart from becoming heedless.
- Protection from spiritual loss: Scholars have warned that habitually abandoning Sunnah Muakkadah can have negative consequences spiritually. While a one-time miss is not a sin in most views, intentionally ignoring these Sunnahs as a habit can make one devoid of the Prophet’s intercession or other blessings.
- For example, some scholars (like Imam Abd al-Hayy al-Lakhnawi) mentioned that a person who persistently leaves confirmed Sunnahs (Muakkadah) may be deprived of the Prophet’s intercession (shafa’ah) in some respects. This opinion underscores how critical the early scholars considered these practices for one’s salvation.
- At the very least, skipping Sunnah Muakkadah means losing out on a great amount of reward and barakah (blessing). Conversely, being devoted to the Sunnah brings countless blessings into one’s life – from increased focus in prayer to the spiritual joy of following Rasulullah’s example.
In summary, Sunnah Muakkadah acts are not “just extra” – they are an integral part of the Prophet’s guidance for us. They enrich our worship, compensate for our shortcomings, and elevate our standing with Allah. In the Hanafi perspective, they are so important that one should feel genuine remorse if they are missed without excuse. Even in the other schools, these Sunnahs are among the best deeds a Muslim can do after fulfilling the obligations. They are a practical way of showing gratitude to Allah and love for His Messenger. By performing them, we follow the footsteps of the Prophet (ﷺ) as closely as possible, which is the surest path to success in this life and the hereafter.
Difference Between Sunnah Muakkadah and Ghair Muakkadah
Islamic scholars differentiate between Sunnah Mu’akkadah (emphasized/confirmed Sunnah) and Sunnah Ghair Mu’akkadah (non-emphasized Sunnah) based on the Prophet’s consistency in performing them and the degree of emphasis attached. The differences can be understood as follows:
- Frequency of the Prophet’s practice:
- Sunnah Muakkadah are those acts which the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) performed regularly and with almost no omission. He was very steadfast in these practices.
- For example, the sunnah prayers mentioned earlier (Fajr, Dhuhr, etc.) or acts like congregational prayer.
- In contrast, Sunnah Ghair Muakkadah are those Sunnah acts which the Prophet sometimes did and sometimes left. He might have performed them often, but there were occasions when he omitted them, indicating that they are recommended but with less emphasis. In short, a non-emphasized Sunnah is a prophetic practice that was not maintained every single time.
- For example, reports indicate the Prophet would sometimes pray an additional four raka’ahs before ‘Asr (late afternoon) or two extra raka’ahs after the two sunnah of Dhuhr, but also sometimes skip them.
- Level of recommendation and ruling for omission: Because of the above distinction, the rulings differ. Performing either type of Sunnah earns reward; however, leaving a Sunnah Muakkadah is taken more seriously than leaving a Ghair Muakkadah.
- Sunnah Muakkadah – if omitted without excuse – incurs reproach. The person is not punished like for skipping a fard, but it is blameworthy to neglect such an important Sunnah. Especially in the Hanafi view, one who habitually skips a Sunnah Muakkadah could even be sinful, as it reflects disregard for the Prophet’s guidance.
- By contrast, Sunnah Ghair Muakkadah is truly voluntary in the sense that the one who leaves it is not sinful or blameworthy . These are in the category of mustahab (recommended) or nafl acts – doing them is meritorious and loved by Allah, but not doing them carries no blame.
- For example, praying Tahajjud (night vigil prayer) or the two extra raka’ahs before Maghrib that some narrations mention are recommended; a Muslim is rewarded for doing them, and if they don’t, there is no sin.
- In summary, neglecting a non-confirmed Sunnah means one simply misses out on extra reward, whereas neglecting a confirmed Sunnah (especially persistently) is viewed as something one should remedy and feel concern about .
- Examples to illustrate: We can list a few examples of non-emphasized Sunnah to clarify.
- The two raka’ahs before ‘Isha (night prayer) are often cited as a Sunnah Ghair Muakkadah – the Prophet sometimes prayed them in addition to the two after Maghrib and two after ‘Isha, but sometimes did not.
- Another example is additional raka’ahs after the confirmed Sunnah of Dhuhr – beyond the 4 before and 2 after, praying another 2 after Dhuhr would be considered extra (many Hanafi Muslims do pray 4 after Dhuhr, counting 2 as Sunnah Muakkadah and 2 as Ghair Muakkadah).
- Four raka’ahs before ‘Asr is also a well-known non-emphasized Sunnah – the Prophet encouraged praying before Asr (“between every adhan and iqamah there is a prayer” and other narrations), but he didn’t do it absolutely every day. Thus it’s a Sunnah without the emphatic status. Performing these is “acting on the Sunnah” and is commendable, but they do not carry the weight of an emphasized Sunnah that the Prophet never omitted.
Views of the Four Sunni Madhabs on Sunnah Muakkadah
All four Sunni schools of law recognize the concept of Sunnah Muakkadah, though they sometimes use different terminology or classifications. Here’s a brief look at how each madhab (school) views these emphasized Sunnah practices:
- Hanafi: The Hanafi school places the strongest emphasis on Sunnah Muakkadah. Hanafis treat these Sunnahs almost like obligations – indeed, Hanafi jurists introduced a category of duties called wajib (necessary) which is between fard and sunnah.
- Certain acts that are Sunnah Muakkadah in other schools are considered wajib in Hanafi fiqh. For example, the Witr prayer and the ‘Eid prayers are deemed wajib according to Hanafis, whereas the majority call them Sunnah Muakkadah.
- The daily sunnah rawatib (like the ones around the five prayers) are not labeled wajib, but are still taken very seriously. A person who regularly skips Sunnah Muakkadah without excuse is regarded as sinful or at least very blameworthy in the Hanafi view.
- Scholars such as Imam Ibn Abidin have stated that the confirmed Sunnah “almost equates to the level of necessary (wajib)” in the Hanafi school. Thus, leaving them habitually could incur sin, and one should make them up if missed.
- In practical terms, a conscientious Hanafi will strive never to omit the sunnah of Fajr, the sunnah of Dhuhr, etc. – much as one would guard the obligatory prayers. This emphasis is a hallmark of Hanafi practice. (It’s often observed that a Hanafi mosque has people performing all the sunnah prayers very regularly.) The Hanafi stance underlines the idea that these Sunnahs were part of the Prophet’s prescribed way to perform the prayers completely, so ignoring them is not a trivial matter.
- Shafi‘i: The Shafi‘i school also highly encourages all the Sunnah Muakkadah, but it uses a slightly different framework. In Shafi‘i usul (principles), there isn’t a separate wajib vs. fard distinction like in Hanafi – anything that is not fard is generally termed sunnah or mandub (recommended). So all extra prayers and prophetic practices are technically “nafl” in obligation status. However, Shafi‘i scholars certainly differentiate between a strongly established sunnah and a less emphasized one in practice.
- They refer to the regular sunnah prayers as rawatib and acknowledge which of them the Prophet emphasized. According to Shafi‘i fiqh, the confirmed sunnah prayers number ten (or twelve) rak’ahs per day, very similar to what Hanafis observe.
- These include two before Fajr, four before and two after Dhuhr, two after Maghrib, two after ‘Isha, and Witr (Shafi‘is generally pray Witr as one rak‘ah, or three with two sittings).
- A Shafi‘i earns reward for all of these but is not sinful for leaving them.
- The concept of sunnah mu’akkadah in Shafi‘i terms is often implicit – they might just say something is an affirmed sunnah.
- For instance, Witr in Shafi‘i (and Maliki and Hanbali) is an emphasized Sunnah (not obligatory), proven by the hadith where the Prophet clarified only the five daily prayers are strictly required. The Shafi‘i scholars emphasize the great merit in these acts: they often mention that voluntary prayers make up for any mistakes in the fard, echoing the hadith about “insurance” for the obligatory prayers.
- In summary, Shafi‘i practice encourages all the same Sunnah Muakkadah (commonly calling them sunnah ratiba or sunnah rawatib), without assigning a sinful status to omission. They view all sunnah and nafl acts as part of drawing nearer to Allah, and the more one does (consistently), the better. There is no concept of being sinful for missing a sunnah in Shafi‘i fiqh – but it is considered a loss of great benefit.
- Maliki: The Maliki school’s categorization of Sunnah acts is somewhat unique. Maliki jurists have a concept of Sunnah Huda (guiding Sunnah) and Mandub (recommended) that structures obligations differently.
- In the daily prayers, the only prayer that Malikis classify as a confirmed Sunnah (sunnah muakkadah) is Witr. The other routine extra prayers (before/after Dhuhr, after Maghrib, etc.) are recommended but are often termed Nawafil or nafila mu’akkada (emphasized nafils) rather than “sunnah” per se .
- For example, Malikis highly encourage 4 rak’ahs before Dhuhr and 2 after, but they consider them nafilah (voluntary) that is emphasized, not a Sunnah of the caliber of Witr.
- An interesting Maliki term is “Raghibah” – this is applied exclusively to the two rak’ahs before Fajr in the Maliki school. They hold the Fajr sunnah in very high regard (as the Prophet did), but they don’t call it Sunnah Muakkadah; instead they call it al-raghibah (the “desired” prayer) – a category between Sunnah and nafl.
- So in Maliki fiqh: Witr is the confirmed daily Sunnah; the 2 before Fajr is raghibah (highly desired); and the rest of the rawatib (like Dhuhr sunnahs, Maghrib sunnah, etc.) are nafila muakkada (strong voluntary prayers) but not on the level of Witr.
- Despite these terminological differences, Malikis too stress doing these prayers. Historically, Imam Malik was very strict about Witr in particular – it’s said that he would not accept the testimony of a man who habitually abandoned Witr prayer, implying that consistently missing such an important Sunnah shows a lack of religious reliability. This is a very strong stance, underlining the emphasis on Witr.
- For the other sunnah prayers, Maliki sources often mention that there is a confirmed recommendation after most obligatory prayers (like 4 or 6 after Maghrib, etc.), but they allow flexibility in how much one prays.
- The bottom line: Maliki scholars encourage performing extra prayers, but they reserve the term “confirmed Sunnah” mainly for Witr (and some also count the Eid prayer as sunnah muakkadah since it’s not obligatory in Maliki view). A Maliki following the sunnah will still pray the rawatib, just without the belief that they are individually binding.
- Hanbali: The Hanbali school’s approach is quite similar to the Shafi‘i in that they classify all non-obligatory acts broadly as sunnah or nafl without an intermediate “wajib” category (except they do use fard and mustahabb terms in usul).
- Hanbalis fully acknowledge the Sunnah Muakkadah practices of the Prophet and strongly encourage them. They list the same set of regular Sunnah prayers (often calling them sunan al-rawatib) around the five daily prayers.
- In Hanbali fiqh, Witr is considered Sunnah Muakkadah, not obligatory – again referencing the hadith that only five prayers were enjoined strictly. At the same time, early Hanbali scholars were very keen on Witr and other sunnahs.
- It is reported that Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal held the view that a person who neglects Witr prayer is a person of flawed character – he said such a person’s testimony in court should be questioned or not accepted. This statement shows that, practically, Hanbalis view regularly abandoning an emphasized Sunnah as a serious lapse (even if they won’t term it a sin in the jurisprudential sense).
- The Hanbali attitude is that one should perform all the sunnah prayers (and other Sunnah Muakkadah like eating with the right hand, etc.) unless one has an excuse. However, since they do not distinguish fard vs wajib, they would count those who miss Sunnah as not sinful but perhaps lacking in piety.
- In Hanbali texts, you’ll find that the 10 or 12 rak’ahs of rawatib are recommended, and praying them is the way of the Prophet and brings great reward.
- Like all schools, Hanbalis also consider the Eid prayers a communal Sunnah Muakkadah (some say fard kifayah). They consider praying in congregation for men a highly emphasized Sunnah too (some even said it’s wajib, but the mainstream says sunnah muakkadah).
- So across the board, the four schools agree on what the Sunnah Muakkadah acts are; they mainly differ on how strongly worded the obligation is. The Hanbali school, being close to Shafi‘i in this, says: do not habitually leave Sunnah Muakkadah because you’d be leaving the Prophet’s path, but if you did occasionally, there’s no sin – only a loss that should be avoided.
In summary, all four Sunni madhabs urge Muslims to follow the Sunnah Muakkadah as part of completing one’s faith and love for the Prophet. The Hanafi school is distinctive in treating these Sunnahs almost like required acts (and labeling some as wajib), while the other schools keep them in the recommended category but still strongly encourage them. The differences come from each school’s usul (legal principles) – for instance, Hanafis differentiate between fard and wajib based on evidence strength, whereas Shafi‘i/Maliki/Hanbali merge those terms.
Despite technical differences, a pious follower of any school will be eager to perform the Sunnah Muakkadah. Historically, great imams like Imam Malik and Imam Ahmad showed immense respect for these practices (as seen in their stance on Witr ). The Shafi‘i and Hanafi imams compiled hadiths emphasizing these Sunnahs and their benefits (like the hadiths of Umm Habiba about 12 rak’ahs a day, etc.). Therefore, the concept of Sunnah Muakkadah is universal in Sunni Islam – it reflects what the Prophet persistently did and wanted his followers to do, even though not mandated as fard.
Every Sunni madhab teaches that adhering to Sunnah Muakkadah is part of the Sunnah of the Prophet that completes one’s practice of Islam.
Conclusion: Following the Sunnah in Practice
In conclusion, incorporating Sunnah Muakkadah into daily life should be approached with sincerity and balance, rather than as a burden. Even new Muslims or those gradually increasing worship can easily integrate these practices step-by-step, beginning with the most accessible Sunnahs. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) emphasized that consistent small deeds are more beloved to Allah than occasional large acts. Over time, these Sunnahs naturally become a cherished and fulfilling part of one’s routine, enhancing spiritual connection and bringing the Prophetic example vividly into daily life.
