Recommendatory (Mustahab) Prayers

764. There are many Mustahab prayers, which are generally caled Nafilah, but more stress has been laid on the daily Mustahab prayers. The number of the Rak’ats everyday excluding Friday, is 34. It is as follows:

8 Rak’ats Nafilah for Zuhr; 8 Rak’ats Nafilah for Asr; 4 Rakats Nafilah for Maghrib; 2 Rak’ats Nafilah for Isha; 11 Rak’ats Nafilah for Tahjjud (Namaz-e-Shab); 2 Rak’ats Nafilah for Fajr.
As a recommendatory precaution, the Nafilah for Isha prayers should be offered while sitting, and therefore its 2 Rak’ats are counted as one. But on Friday, 4 Rak’ats are added to the 16 Rak’ats of the Zuhr and the Asr Nafilah.

765. Out of the 11 Rak’ats of the night Nafilah, 8 Rak’ats should be offered with the Niyyat of the Nafilah, 2 Rak’ats with the Niyyat of Shaf’a, and 1 Rak’at with the Niyyat of Witr. Complete instructions regarding Namaz-e-Shab are given in the books of prayers.

766. Al Nafilah prayers can be offered while sitting, but then, 2 Rak’ats prayed sitting should be counted as one Rak’at. For example, if a person wishes to offer Zuhr Nafilah which consists of 8 Rak’ats, in a sitting posture, he should offer 16 Rak’ats. And if he wishes to offer Witr prayers while sitting, he should offer two prayers of 1 Rak’at each.

767. Zuhr Nafilah and Asr Nafilah should not be offered when one is on a journey, and one may offer Isha Nafilah with the good intention.