We learned that voluntary actions come to our aid on a day when we most need support. We also learned about the importance of prioritizing in our worship. Hence, based on these two principles, we'll study today about the two highly recommended voluntary Salaah after the obligatory ones.
1. The Witr prayer
Abu Ayyub reported: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "The witr prayer is a duty upon every Muslim. Whoever likes to pray it with five Raka'ahs, let him do so. Whoever likes to pray it with three Raka'ahs, let him do so. Whoever likes to pray it with one Raka'ah, let him do so."
(Sunan Abi Dawud 1422, authenticated by Al Albani)
Ali ibn Abi Talib reported: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Verily, Allah is odd and he loves what is odd, so perform the witr prayer, O people of the Quran!"
Ali said, "The witr prayer is not required like your prescribed prayers, but it is the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ."
(Sunan al-Tirmidhi 453, authenticated by Al Albani)
Narrated 'A'isha: The Prophet ﷺ used to offer his night prayer while I was sleeping across in his bed. Whenever he intended to offer the witr prayer, he used to wake me up and I would offer the witr prayer too.
(Saheeh Bukhari 997)
Narrated Kharijah ibn Hudhaifah that Allah's Messenger ﷺ came their way and said, "Surely, Allah has helped you with a salah that is better for you than red camels: the witr! Allah has assigned it for you between the salah of isha and the rise of dawn."
(Abu Dawud 1418, authenticated by Imam Adh Dhahabi)
Red camels were the most expensive commodity to Arabs. So, if witr prayer is more valuable than that, you can imagine its significance.
Abu Huraira reported: My dear friend the Prophet ﷺ 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.
(Sahih al Bukhari 1124, Sahih Muslim 721)
Most of all, the witr prayer was held in such high esteem by our pious predecessors that they considered the person who deliberately skipped it as someone bad to the point that he couldn't be trusted in his testimony.
Imam Ahmad said: Whoever omits to pray Witr deliberately is a bad man, whose testimony should not be accepted. (Al Mughni, 1/827)
2. The two Sunnah before Fajr Salaah
Aisha reported: The Prophet ﷺ said, "Two Raka'ahs of prayer before the dawn prayer are better than the world and everything in it."
In another narration, the Prophet said, "They are both more beloved to me than the entire world."
(Sahih Muslim 725, authenticated by Muslim)
Imagine everything that your heart wants and desires from this world. These two raka'ahs are better than all of it combined. Need one say more about its importance, Subhaan Allah.