Why Do Hanafis Pray Sunna Before Fard in Some Prayers?

Answered by Shaykh Yusuf Weltch

Question

As a Hanafi, why do we pray the Sunna before the fard for Fajr, Dhuhr, and Isha? Wouldn’t it be better to pray the fard first in case one dies during prayer?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate

Praying the Sunna prayers before the obligatory prayers of Fajr, Zuhr and Isha is not a matter of the Hanafi school, it is the Sunna practice according to all four schools of thought. [Ibn ‘Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar]

One of the pearls of wisdom of the pre-obligatory prayers is that they allow for the heart and mind of the Muslim to calm down and settle thus making it easier to focus during the obligatory prayer. Like this, the Sunna prayers assist one in having a more quality obligatory prayer.

Although the Muslim is encouraged to prepare for death and be ready for its imminent coming, one is only obliged to act according to the Sunna of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace). If they die before the obligatory prayer, they are rewarded according to their intention.

Allah knows best

[Shaykh] Yusuf Weltch
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat 

Shaykh Yusuf Weltch is a teacher of Arabic, Islamic law, and spirituality. After accepting Islam in 2008, he went on to study at Darul Uloom Seminary in New York and completed his studies in Darul Mustafa in Tarim, Yemen. There he completed the memorization of the Qur’an and his study of the Islamic Sciences. Throughout his years of study he was blessed to learn from many great scholars: al-Habib Umar bin Hafiz, al-Habib Kazhim al-Saqqaf, al-Shaykh Umar bin Husayn al-Khatib, and others. Upon returning, he joined the SeekersGuidance faculty in the summer of 2019.