Liaison office of Grand Ayatullah Sayyid Ali Al Sistani (L.M.H.L) in London, Europe, North and South America.
772. There are many Mustahab prayers which are generally called
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 an follows:
8 Rak'ats Nafilah for Zuhr
8 Rak'ats Nafilah for Asr
4 Rak'ats Nafilah for Maghrib
2 Rak'ats Nafilah for Isha
11 Rak'ats Nafilah for Tahajjud (Namaz-e-Shab)
2 Rak'ats Nafilah for Fajr
As an obligatory 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, and it is
preferable that all these 20 Rak'ats are offered before the Zuhr sets in.
773. 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 book of prayers.
774. All Nafilah prayers can be offered while sitting, but then,
certain Fuqaha say that 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.
This later preference is not known from any sources; however, they may be
followed with the hope of earning divine pleasure.
775. Zuhr Nafilah and Asr Nafilah should not be offered when one is on
a journey, and one may offer Isha Nafilah with the intention of Raja'.