Nawafil Prayers and their Signficance

Nawafil (voluntary) Acts of Worship

The most common nawafil acts of worship are the sunnah prayers. In this following Hadith Qudsi[1], the importance of Nawafil deeds has been explained.

Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah's Apostle (saas) said,

"ALLAH said, 'I will declare war against him who shows hostility to a pious worshipper of Mine. And the most beloved things with which My slave comes nearer to Me, is what I have enjoined upon him; (obligatory deeds)....

...and My slave keeps on coming closer to Me through performing Nawafil (voluntary deeds) until I love him, so I become his sense of hearing with which he hears, and his sense of sight with which he sees, and his hand with which he grips, and his leg with which he walks; and if he asks Me, I will give him, and if he asks My protection, I will protect him..."

~Bukhari, Hadith Qudsi 25 in Imam Nawawi Forty Hadith

Their Signficance (Nawafil Salat)

·        Makes up for any deficiencies in the obligatory prayers

Abu Hurairah reports that the Prophet said: "The first thing that the people will be called to account for on the Day of Resurrection will be the prayers. Our Lord will say to the angels although He knows better: 'Look into the salah of my servant to see if he observed it perfectly or been negligent in it. So if he observed it perfectly it will be recorded to his credit, but if he had been negligent in it in any way, Allah would say: See if My servant has any supererogatory prayers. Then if he has any supererogatory prayers, Allah would say: Make up the deficiency in My servant's obligatory prayer with his supererogatory prayers.' Thereafter all his actions will be examined in like manner" [Abu Dawood]

·        A source of elevation for you

The Prophet (saas) said: "Ask (anything)." Rabi'ah said: "I ask of you to be your companion in paradise." The Prophet said: “Anything else?" Rabi'ah said: "That is it." The Prophet (saas) said to him: "Then help me by making many prostrations (i.e., supererogatory prayers)."  [Muslim]

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[1] The Hadith Qudsi, or sacred hadith, have a particularly important status because their meaning is entirely from Allah (swt) while the wording is that of the Prophet Muhammad (s) himself.