I would like to ask you 3 questions in regards to prayers. Someone in an earlier fatwa asked you about the five daily prayers and the recommended Sunnah that go along with them. I am really concerned with the fact that you stated Thuhr prayer consisted of 4 Raka'h Sunnah before the Fard, and 2 after. I have always been taught that it was 2 Sunnah, 4 Fard, 2 Sunnah. Everyone I know prays this way, are we wrong? I would really like to get the most out of my prayers and if adding 2 Raka'h to my Thuhr prayers would mean a house being built for me in paradise than I would really like to know. My second question is in regards to 'Ishaa' prayer. I have always known 'Ishaa' to consist of 4 Fard, 2 Sunnah, and then any odd amount of Witr Raka'h. Is it obligatory to pray at least 3? Someone recently told me that 2 of those 3 Raka'h are for something else, I believe it is called Shafah. Can you clarify the appropriate way to pray 'Ishaa' please. And finally I would like to know if there is any punishment associated with only praying Fard?

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. We ask Allaah to exalt his mention as well as that of his family and all his companions.

It has been reported that the optional prayer before the obligatory Thuhr prayer is 2 Raka'h. Ibn 'Umar narrated: "We observed and preserved from the Prophet ten Raka'h (optional prayers): "2 before Thuhr, and 2 after it, 2 after Maghrib in his house, 2 after 'I'shaa' in his house, and 2 Raka'h before Fajr." [Al-Bukhari]

It is also reported that the Prophet stated that optional prayers before Thuhr are 4 Raka'h in the narration that you pointed to in your question and which was published in our website. Thus, both ways of performing optional prayers before Thuhr are confirmed, and there is no harm to comply with one of them. We think that it is more desirable for you to pray 4 Raka'h so that a house will be built for you in Paradise, Allaah willing. As regards 'Ishaa' prayer, it is desirable to pray 2 optional Raka'h after it, as stated in the narration, after which you can pray Witr. Witr prayer can be performed either one Raka'h, 3 Raka'h, 5 Raka'h, 7 Raka'h, 9 Raka'h or 11 Raka'h, all of these are confirmed from the Prophet . If you pray 3 Raka'h, you can either perform them with one Tashahhud, and one Salaam, or 2 Raka'h after which you say Salaam (end the prayer) [and these are called Shaf'] and then pray one Raka'h and say Salaam.

Nevertheless, there is no punishment for not praying optional prayers because they are not obligatory. However, the person who does not perform them is considered negligent and looses a big reward he would be most in need of on the Day of Judgment. In addition to this, the person who does not perform optional prayers is more likely to neglect obligatory prayers.

Allaah knows best.