Rawatib Swalah in the Shafi'i Madzhab

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ 

The following is taken from “The Reliance of the Traveler & Tools of the Worshipper”, the chapter on rawathib swalah with regards the sunnah swalah before and after the fardh swalah with regards the Shafi’i madzhab.  I have summarised it below for easy reference. 

It is sunnah to diligently perform the non-obligatory prayers that are offered before and after the prescribed ones.  The optimal number of these is as follows: 

a.       Two raka’at before the swubh;

b.       Four raka’at before and after zhuhr;

c.       Four raka’at before the ‘awsr;

d.       Two raka’at after maghrib; and

e.       Two raka’at after ‘isha. 

The confirmed sunnah swalah, the mu’akkadah, meaning those which the Prophet (s.a.w.) did not omit whether traveling or at home, consist of ten raka’at.  They are as follows: 

a.       Two raka’at before swubh;

b.       Two raka’at before and after zhuhr;

c.       Two raka’at after maghrib; and

d.       Two raka’at after ‘isha. 

It is recommended to pray two raka’at before the maghrib.  The sunnah swalah of the jumu’ah are the same as those of zhuhr.  The time for the non-obligatory raka’at that come before fardh swalah is that of the fardh swalah.  It is adab to pray such a sunnah before the fardh swalah, though if prayed after it, it is still a current performance.  It is not a make-up, and one must intend it, for example, as the sunnah swalah before zhuhr even when performed after zhuhr.  The time for non-obligatory raka’at that come after the fardh swalah begins when one has performed the fardh swalah and ends with the end of the prayer's time.