Build a house in Paradise every day of Ramadan by praying the 12 confirmed Rawatib Sunnah prayers with our complete schedule and Tashahhud guide.
What are the 12 Rawatib Sunnah prayers and when are they performed?
Umm Habibah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated in Sahih Muslim (728) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
“Whoever prays twelve voluntary Rak’ahs during the day and night, a house will be built for him in Paradise.”
In a narration recorded by At-Tirmidhi (415), the exact breakdown of these twelve confirmed regular Sunnah prayers (Al-Sunan Al-Rawatib) is specified across the daily prayer schedule.
Maintaining these twelve units protects your obligatory daytime and nighttime prayers throughout our Ramadan daily worship routine while shielding your fast from the deficiencies outlined in our guide to what invalidates and diminishes the Ramadan fast. Just as these twelve units build your eternal home in the Hereafter, you can build life-saving infrastructure in this world when you fund providing iftar meals to impoverished Muslims or donate via our multi-chain Wallet-to-Wallet crypto portal with zero administrative deductions.
| Obligatory Prayer | Sunnah Before Obligatory Prayer | Sunnah After Obligatory Prayer |
| Fajr (Dawn) | 2 Rak’ahs | None |
| Dhuhr (Midday) | 4 Rak’ahs (2 + 2) | 2 Rak’ahs |
| Asr (Afternoon) | None (in the 12 Rawatib) | None |
| Maghrib (Sunset) | None (in the 12 Rawatib) | 2 Rak’ahs |
| Isha (Night) | None (in the 12 Rawatib) | 2 Rak’ahs |
Table explanation: Distribution of the 12 daily Rawatib Sunnah Rak’ahs before and after the five obligatory prayers.
How do you perform the Rawatib prayers and recite the complete Tashahhud stage by stage?
Follow these stages to execute the Rawatib prayers accurately across the four Sunni schools of jurisprudence:
Stage 1: Separate four-Rak’ah prayers into two-Rak’ah pairs (or one four-unit block)
For the four Rak’ahs before Dhuhr, the Shafi’i, Maliki, and Hanbali schools recommend praying them as two separate sets of two Rak’ahs (concluding with Taslim after every second Rak’ah), based on the Hadith in Sunan Abi Dawud (1296): “The prayers of the night and day are two by two.” In the Hanafi school, praying all four Rak’ahs before Dhuhr with a single Taslim at the end (sitting for initial Tashahhud in the second Rak’ah and reciting Surah Al-Fatihah plus a Surah in all four Rak’ahs) is the standard practice. Both methods are valid.
Stage 2: Change your spot between the obligatory prayer and the Sunnah prayer
When praying the Rawatib Sunnah after Dhuhr, Maghrib, or Isha, it is superior to pray them at home (Sahih al-Bukhari 731). If you pray them in the mosque, move slightly forward, backward, or to the side from the spot where you prayed the obligatory prayer, or separate the obligatory and voluntary prayers by reciting the post-prayer Adhkar first (Sahih Muslim 883).
Stage 3: Recite the complete At-Tahiyyat (Tashahhud) in the sitting posture
In the final sitting of every two-Rak’ah unit (and the middle sitting of a four-Rak’ah unit), sit on your left foot with your right foot propped upright and point your right index finger toward the Qiblah while reciting the authentic Tashahhud of Ibn Mas’ud (Sahih al-Bukhari 831):
- Arabic: التَّحِيَّاتُ لِلَّهِ وَالصَّلَوَاتُ وَالطَّيِّبَاتُ، السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكَ أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ، السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْنَا وَعَلَى عِبَادِ اللَّهِ الصَّالِحِينَ، أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ
- Transliteration: At-tahiyyatu lillahi was-salawatu wat-tayyibatu, as-salamu ‘alayka ayyuhan-Nabiyyu wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu, as-salamu ‘alayna wa ‘ala ‘ibadillahis-salihin. Ashhadu an la ilaha illallahu wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa Rasuluhu.
- Translation: “All compliments, prayers, and pure words belong to Allah. Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. Peace be upon us and upon the righteous servants of Allah.These six standalone guides cover every prayer and supplication referenced in our primary Ramadan content pillars. Each article is structured for independent publication with thematic links back to the parent pillar guides, front-loaded donation calls to action within the top 40 percent of the copy, stage-by-stage ritual instructions, and verified Arabic texts with transliteration and original English meanings.
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Frequently Asked Questions
1- How are the 12 daily Rawatib Sunnah prayers distributed across the prayer schedule?
The twelve daily Rawatib Sunnah prayers are distributed across five daily prayers: two Rak'ahs before Fajr, four Rak'ahs before Dhuhr, two Rak'ahs after Dhuhr, two Rak'ahs after Maghrib, and two Rak'ahs after Isha. Asr has no confirmed Rawatib units included within this specific twelve-Rak'ah daily schedule.
2- How should the four Sunnah Rak'ahs before Dhuhr be prayed?
Scholars outline two valid methods for the four Rak'ahs before Dhuhr. The Shafi'i, Maliki, and Hanbali schools recommend performing them as two separate two-Rak'ah prayers, concluding each with Taslim. Alternatively, the Hanafi school permits praying all four consecutive Rak'ahs together with a single final Taslim and a middle Tashahhud sitting.
3- What should you do between finishing an obligatory prayer and starting a Sunnah prayer?
It is recommended to separate obligatory prayers from voluntary prayers. The most virtuous method is praying Sunnah units at home. If praying in the mosque, physically shift your position by moving forward, backward, or to the side, or separate them by reciting the authentic post-prayer supplications (Adhkar) before beginning the Sunnah.
4- How do you sit and recite Tashahhud during Rawatib prayers?
Sit upon your left foot while keeping your right foot upright, pointing your right index finger toward the Qiblah. In this posture, recite the authentic Tashahhud of Ibn Mas'ud: "At-tahiyyatu lillahi was-salawatu wat-tayyibatu, as-salamu 'alayka ayyuhan-Nabiyyu wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu, as-salamu 'alayna wa 'ala 'ibadillahis-salihin. Ashhadu an la ilaha illallahu wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan 'abduhu wa Rasuluhu."