Which Sunnah Prayer is Best? Priority Guide Shafi’i School (Asna al-Matalib)

Have you ever felt that time is so limited, while the desire to increase prayer (ṣalāt) is very strong? In the busyness of daily life, we are often faced with choices. For example, during the month of Ramadan, which should we pursue: Tarawih prayers or perfecting the Rawatib after Isha? Or in the morning, which holds more weight: Dhuḥā prayer or Qabliyah Subḥ?

Fiqh scholars, particularly within the Shafi’i school of thought, have systematically arranged the levels of voluntary prayers (tatawwu’). The purpose is simple: to know which ones should be prioritized when times conflict.

This time, we will dissect a classic reference, namely Asna al-Matalib Sharh Rawd at-Talib by Shaykh al-Islam Zakariya al-Ansari, to understand the hierarchy of this worship clearly.

Division of Sunnah Prayers: Congregational vs. Individual

Sheikh Zakariya al-Ansari began his explanation by dividing Sunnah prayers into two major groups. This division serves as the foundation for determining which are more virtuous.

قوله : ( وَهُوَ ) أَيْ التَّطَوُّعُ ( قِسْمَانِ قِسْمٌ تُسَنُّ لَهُ الْجَمَاعَةُ ، وَهُوَ أَفْضَلُ ) مِمَّا لَا تُسَنُّ لَهُ جَمَاعَةٌ لِتَأَكُّدِهِ بِسَنِّهَا لَهُ

Meaning: “And this (supererogatory prayer) is divided into two parts. The first part is the one recommended to be performed in congregation, and this is more preferable (than not performing it in congregation)…”

Why does the recommended prayer in congregation hold the highest position? The reason is its public symbol (Syi’ar). Worship involving many people and showcasing the symbols of Islam is considered to have greater weight than individual worship.

Highest Rank: Recommended Prayers in Congregation

In this category of sunnah (supererogatory) prayers considered “heavyweight,” there is a rather interesting order of priority, and it may differ from the common assumption of some people.

1. The Prayer for the Two Eids (Adha & Fitri)

Eid Prayers (Salat al-Idain) occupy the top position. Both are very similar to obligatory prayers (fardhu): they have a specific time, are performed in congregation, and even some scholars consider them Fardhu Kifayah.

However, which is superior between Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Fitr?

قَالَ الزَّرْكَشِيُّ , لَكِنَّ الْأَرْجَحَ فِي النَّظَرِ تَرْجِيحُ عِيدِ الْأَضْحَى ; لِأَنَّهُ فِي شَهْرٍ حَرَامٍ وَفِيهِ نُسُكَانِ الْحَجُّ , وَالْأُضْحِيَّةُ

According to Imam Al-Zarkashi, as quoted in this book, Eid al-Adha is more virtuous. The reasoning is logical: Eid al-Adha falls within the sacred month (Dzulhijjah) and encompasses two major acts of worship simultaneously, namely Hajj and the sacrifice of ‘Udhiyah. Although there is another opinion that favors Eid al-Fitr due to the glory of Ramadan, the evidence supporting the superiority of Eid al-Adha is considered stronger.

2. Eclipse Prayer (Kusuf & Khusuf)

After the Eid prayer, the next priority is the eclipse prayer.

قوله : ( ثُمَّ الْكُسُوفُ ) لِلشَّمْسِ ( ثُمَّ الْخُسُوفُ ) لِلْقَمَرِ لِخَوْفِ فَوْتِهِمَا بِالِانْجِلَاءِ

The second is the Solar Eclipse (Kusuf), followed by the Lunar Eclipse (Khusuf). Why? Because the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ  never missed this prayer during an eclipse. Furthermore, there is a factor of “pressing time.” If the eclipse ends, the time for prayer also expires. We cannot postpone it.

3. Istisqa Prayer (Requesting Rain)

In third place in the category of congregational prayers is the rain prayer. The need for water relates to the life needs of many people, so this prayer has a very strong emphasis on congregation.

4. Tarawih Prayer (An Interesting Note)

This is a section that is often questioned. Where is the position of Tarawih Prayer? In the category of congregational prayers, it is ranked last after Istisqa (Rain Prayer).

However, there’s an interesting discussion here. Is Tarawih more virtuous than Rawatib prayers (Ba’diyah/Qabliyah)?

In the book Asna al-Matalib, the author follows the rather surprising opinion of Imam Ar-Rafi’i:

قوله : ( وَغَيْرُ الضُّحَى مِنْ الرَّوَاتِبِ ) … ( أَفْضَلُ مِنْ التَّرَاوِيحِ )

Meaning: “And besides Dhuha from the Rawatib prayers… it is more preferable than Tarawih.”

The reason for this is that the Prophet ﷺ  was very diligent in observing the Rawatib prayers, while Tarawih he sometimes performed at home to avoid it being considered obligatory for his ummah. Nevertheless, the majority of Shafi’i scholars (Jumhur) still maintain that Tarawih is superior to Rawatib due to the factor of congregation, except for two special Rawatib prayers: Witir and Qabliyah Subuh.

The King of Sunnah Prayers Performed Individually (Alone)

Now we move on to the second category: prayers that are typically performed individually. Don’t get me wrong, some prayers in this category have extraordinarily high merit, even surpassing the reward of some congregational prayers.

1. Witir Prayer: The Night Closer

If you only have the energy for one sunnah prayer at night, choose Witr.

قوله : ( وَأَفْضَلُهَا الْوِتْرُ ) … وَلِوُجُوبِهِ عِنْدَ أَبِي حَنِيفَةَ

The Witir prayer is the most important of all individual Sunnah prayers. Its virtue is so high that Imam Abu Hanifah argued that Witir is Obligatory.

In the principles of Fiqh, acts of worship whose status is disputed – “whether obligatory or sunnah” (like Witir) – hold a higher value than acts of worship that are agreed upon as “merely sunnah” (like Dhuha). We are encouraged to resolve differences of opinion (khuruj minal khilaf) by performing them.

2. Two Rakaats of Fajr (Before Dawn Prayer)

In second position are two rak’ahs before Subuh (dawn prayer).

« رَكْعَتَا الْفَجْرِ خَيْرٌ مِنْ الدُّنْيَا وَمَا فِيهَا »

The ḥadīth is very popular: “Two rakʿahs of Fajr (dawn prayer) are better than the world and all it contains.” Indeed, this book mentions that Qabliyah Subḥ (pre-dawn sunnah prayers) are superior to sunnah prayers in the middle of the night (tahajjud) according to some opinions, due to their status as Rawātib (regular sunnah prayers) that the Prophet diligently observed. Although Imam Nawawi in Ar-Raudhah tends to favor Tahajjud as being superior due to the evidence concerning the virtues of the night.

3. Other Rawatib Prayers

After Witr and the Qabliyah of Subuh (dawn prayer), the next priority is the Rawatib prayers that accompany the obligatory prayers (Qabliyah of Zuhur, Ba’diyah of Maghrib, Ba’diyah of Isya, etc.). This routine is a “fence” that protects our obligatory prayers.

4. Dhuha Prayer

The Dhuha prayer holds the next position because it is bound by a specific time, not by an event. This makes it more disciplined than an absolute sunnah prayer.

5. Prayers with a Cause (Dzatul Asbab)

At the last rank of this hierarchy is prayer performed due to a triggering cause. The order is as follows:

1. Shalat Thawaf: Because some scholars deem it obligatory.
2. Shalat Tahiyatul Masjid: Because the reason has occurred (entering the mosque).
3. Shalat Ihram: Because the reason (the pilgrimage/Umrah) is about to begin.

Summary Table of Sunnah Prayer Levels

To make it easier to understand, here is a summary table of the order of priority of sunnah prayers based on the discussion in Asna al-Matalib:

FAQ: Questions About the Priority of Sunnah Prayers

Here are some practical questions that frequently arise regarding this topic:

Understanding this order does not mean we belittle worships that are lower in position. Rather, this knowledge helps us strategize our daily worship. Let us not be so busy chasing ordinary sunnah practices that we neglect the highly recommended (muakkad) sunnah or even obligatory ones.

Hopefully, the explanation from the book Asna al-Matalib will help us prioritize our worship better.

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