Voluntary acts of worship means:
They are Sunnah (Prophetic tradition), recommended and voluntary acts of worship.
An example of the first category is the “Fixed voluntary prayers”:
They are ten Rak‘ahs (units of prayer) if the person is not travelling. It is narrated that the Messenger of Allah, used to observe them. ‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, said, “I remember ten Rak‘ahs (of voluntary prayers) from the Prophet, two Rak‘ahs before the Thuhr (Noon) prayer and two after it; two Rak‘ahs after Maghrib (Sunset) prayer in his house, and two Rak‘ahs after ‘Ishaa’ (Night) prayer in his house, and two Rak‘ahs before the Fajr (Dawn) prayer.” [Al-Bukhari]
The Prophet, , used to pray four Rak‘ahs before Thuhr. ‘Aa’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, narrated that the Messenger of Allah, , did not leave the four Rak‘ahs before Thuhr.
The Prophet, , said: “Whoever observes twelve voluntary Rak‘ahs in a day and night, a house will be built for him in Paradise.” [Muslim]
One of the voluntary prayers that the Prophet, used to observe is Al-Witr. He did not use to miss it and the voluntary Fajr prayer either when traveling or residing at home. He commanded and said: “Let the Witr be the last prayer you offer (at night).”[Al-Bukhari]
The second category (recommended acts of worship):
This is like the Dhuha (forenoon) prayer. About its virtue, Abu Tharr, may Allah be pleased with him, said that the Prophet, , said: “When you get up in the morning, charity is due from every one of your joints. There is charity in every ascription of glory to Allah (saying Subhaan Allah); there is charity in every declaration of His Greatness (saying Allahu Akbar); there is charity in every utterance of His praise (saying Alhamdulillaah); there is charity in every declaration that none is truly worthy of worship but Him (saying Laa Ilaaha illa Allah); there is charity in enjoining good; there is charity in forbidding evil; and two Rak‘ahs of Dhuha (Forenoon prayer) is equal to all this (in reward).” [Muslim]
The third category (voluntary acts of worship):
It is the voluntary and extra acts of worship like offering two Rak‘ahs before Maghrib prayer. ‘Abdullaah Al-Muzani, may Allah be pleased with him, said that the Prophet, , said: “Perform two Rak‘ahs before Maghrib prayer.” He repeated it twice; when repeating it for the third time he added: “Whoever may so wish.” [Al-Bukhari] He concluded this order with this sentence out of fearing that people may take it as a fixed voluntary prayer.
Taraaweeh prayer wherein we perceive the fragrance of the blessed month of Ramadan is under this category. It is offered in Ramadan, the month of mercy which is full with spirituality that makes the person ready to live in the atmosphere of this prayer.
A moment with Qiyaam Al-Layl prayer:
It is, by Allah, the precious moments where tears fall. It is purity for the self and its ascension to its Lord. It diffuses tranquility and peacefulness in the heart. Through it, you renew the custom of the righteous predecessors. Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {They used to sleep but little of the night} [Quran 51:17] Through it, you will share with the firm young believers of today the sweetness of this worship.
The preoccupations of life and its luring temptations push many young people towards the spring of clarity where they drink sweet water refining their souls and easing their minds and bodies. This spring can be found in the dead of night, in the depths of silence where the calls of Athaan are raised filling us with longing to stand up to pray at night with strong determination.
You should seize the chance and train yourself to perform voluntary night prayer in order to revive your night.
Come to virtue!
To talk about the virtues of these Sunan and recommended acts of worship, we need many pages. However, I will bring you a bunch of flowers and ripe fruits from its delightful garden to stir you and rekindle your faith:
Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, said that the Prophet, , said: “The most excellent fasting after the month of Ramadan is the fasting of the month of Allah Al-Muharram. The most excellent prayer after the obligatory prayer is the voluntary night prayer.” [Muslim]
‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, said that the Prophet, , said: “Let Witr be your last prayer to be offered at night.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
‘Aa’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said, “The Messenger of Allah used to pray eleven Rak‘ahs at night in the period between ‘Ishaa’ prayer and Fajr prayer. He used to end the prayer after every two Rak‘ahs observing the Witr with a single Rak‘ah.” [Muslim]
If you, young people, continue to establish your lives by observing obligatory acts of worship and then enrich your lives with performing voluntary acts of worship, you will move from the rank and degree of loving to the degree of being loved and will become youth that are beloved by Allah The Almighty. How excellent is a young man who walks on the earth while he is beloved by Allah above the heavens. It is a real joy and pleasure indeed on the day of much grief and many regrets. So, hasten to do good deeds with a sound pure heart because hastiness is praised in this regard and it is a sign of those who are guided. Ibn Al-Qayyim indicated this in his book Tareeq Al-Hijratayn:
The concern of the one who is foremost in good deeds is to gain profits and to load items of trade because of his knowledge with the profits to be. He sees that it is loss to save something he has without trading with it. He finds his profits on the day when traders are joyful with their profits. As a trader, he knows that there is a country before him where one dirham can gain ten dirhams up to seven hundred and more. He knows well the road to this land and its traders. If he can sell his clothes and all that he owns to prepare himself to trade in this country, he will do so. This is the example of the person who is foremost in good deeds by the permission of his Lord. He sees that it is a true loss to let time pass without trading.