Is It Sinful to Pray Only the Fard Prayer and Not the Sunnas?

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Answered by Ustada Shazia Ahmad

Question

I am a university student. Due to my tight routine, I find it difficult to offer my dhuhr salah. I manage to offer only the fard prayer of dhuhr. I have to skip the sunnah prayers. Again, sometimes out of laziness, I don’t offer the sunna at all. Am I sinful for leaving the sunna intentionally? Please answer according to Shafi`i fiqh.

Answer

Thank you for your question. May Allah reward you for educating yourself and for striving to fulfill your duties in the most excellent way despite your busy schedule. One is obliged to pray the five fard prayers and missing the sunna prayers is not sinful in our school. However, sunna prayers complete the fard prayers and carry a tremendous reward. I urge you to do your best to pray your sunna prayers always unless you are in dire circumstances.
Consider some of these hadith:

The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “The two rak`as before the dawn (Fajr) prayer are better than this world and all it contains.” [Muslim]

The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace)  never omitted four Rak`as of supererogatory prayer before Dhuhr prayer. [Bukhari]

And the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Whoever prays twelve rak’as in a day, a house will be built for him in Paradise.” [Nasa’i]

Please see these links as well:
May Allah give you the best of this world and the next.
[Ustada] Shazia Ahmad
Checked and approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria for two years where she studied aqida, fiqh, tajweed, tafsir, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she completed her Masters in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She later moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.

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