Praying Supererogatory (nafl) Prayers Sitting Down

Answered by Ustadha Sulma Badrudduja

Question: Do we pray all nafl prayers sitting down?

Answer: Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah,

I hope you are doing well inshaAllah.

The default for praying (salah) is that it is done standing. Standing is obligatory for fard and wajib prayers. It can be left only if one has a valid excuse.

For prayers other than the fard and wajib (such as general sunnas and nafl), it is permissible in the Hanafi madhhab to perform them sitting down, without dislike, even if one does not have an excuse. An exception is the sunna of fajr, for which one must stand unless they have an excuse, since it has the highest of the confirmed sunnas.

Although sitting is permissible in the sunna and nafl prayers, the Prophet (may Allah blessing him and grant him peace) informed us that the prayer offered sitting has half the reward of the one offered standing.

[Shurunbulali, Maraqi al-Falah; Tahtawi, Hashiyat Tahtawi `ala al-Maraqi]

And Allah knows best.

Wassalam,
Sulma

Checked & Approved by Faraz Rabbani

Ustadha Sulma Badrudduja began her Arabic and Quranic studies privately in Kentucky when in high school. She furthered her studies in these fields and in other Islamic Sciences for several years in Amman, Jordan. She has a masters in Math Education and currently resides in Michigan where she is continuing her Islamic studies.