Any ‘Nafl’ or voluntary prayer offered by Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wasallam are known as Sunnah prayers. Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wasallam offered these ‘nafl’ prayers on a regular basis. They include;
Two rakahs before the obligatory Fajr prayers.
Four rakahs before and two rakahs after the obligatory Dhuhr prayers.
Two rakahs after the obligatory Magrib prayers.
Two rakahs after the obligatory Isha prayers.
The tahajjud or late night prayers ending with the ‘witr’ prayer.
The ‘Ishraaq’ prayers after the sun has risen completely.
The ‘Duha’ prayers which are prayed an hour or two after the ‘Ishraaq’ prayers.
The supererogatory morning prayer has many names. Among them include:
Salat al-Duha or Sibhat al-Duha - Sibha meaning a supererogatory prayer in general and Duha meaning morning, mid-morning, or late morning. This is the name that reoccurs the most in the narrations. It is the late morning prayer when the sun is very hot. The reason for this name is that one leaves dunya at that time to return to Allah Most High and makes up for the Night prayer that he missed. Hence Salat al-Duha is even more stressed for those who miss tahajjud and is its replacement.
Salat al-Awwabin - is the "prayer of the Oft-Returning" as specified by Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wasallam and is offered between Maghrib prayer and Isha prayer.
Salat al-Ishraq - is the "sunrise prayer" or the prayer performed very shortly after sunrise.
Salat al-Fath - is the "victory prayer" as it was established that Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wasallam prayed it the morning he entered Makka (in al-Bukhari and Muslim) and this has become the Sunna of military leaders upon entering a newly conquered region.
Here we now arrived at the main article;
In Islam, a nafl prayer (Arabic: صلاة نفل, ṣalāt al-nafl) or supererogatory prayer is a type of optional Muslim salah (formal worship). As with sunnah prayer, they are not considered obligatory but are thought to confer extra benefit on the person performing them. An example is the offering of duha prayers. According to the following hadith, nafl not only draws one closer to God but also helps one attain the better success in the afterworld i.e. Paradise:
"Rabi'ah ibn Malik al-Aslami reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Ask [anything]." Rabi'ah said: "I ask of you to be your companion in paradise." The Prophet said: "Or anything else?" Rabi'ah said: "That is it." The Prophet said to him: "Then help me by making many prostrations [i.e. supererogatory prayers]"." (sahih hadith).
Tahiyatul Wudu:
Tahiyatul wudu is the nafl prayer after doing wudhu.
Abu Hureyrah narrates that once Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wasallam asked Bilal at Fajr salah:
O Bilal! Tell me that deed of yours which is most hopeful (for reward) after embracing Islam, for I heard your footsteps in front of me in Paradise (in my dream).
Bilal replied:
I have not done anything extroadinary except that whenever I perform wudu during the day or night, I salah (tahiyatul wudu) after that, I make nafl as much as was written or granted for me."
Abu Hureyrah narrated that Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wasallam said to Bilal;
Tell me about the most hopeful act (i.e one which you deem the most rewarding with Allah) you have done since your acceptance of Islam because I heard the sound of the steps of your shoes in front of me in paradise.
Bilal said: I do not consider any act more hopeful than that whenever I make ablution (wudu) at any time of night or day, I offer salah (prayer) for as long as was destined for me to offer.
— Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim.
After completion of the wudhu and making two rakats is full of blessings (sawāb). It is related in the Hadith that the performance of two rakaats of Tahiyatul wudhu namaz makes paradise obligatory (wajib) for the performer (ref:Muslim Sharif [according to whom?]). There are also many other benefits.
It should not be performed during the improper (makruh) times. (When the sun rises, when it is at zenith and when it sets.)
Tahajjud prayer is said to be the most rewarding supererogatory prayer. The time begins in the midnight. When anyone wakes up and performs this salah at midnight or any time at night before the Fajr Salah i.e. (obligatory salah). It is said that Allah listens and fulfills every wish an individual does at midnight as He (Allah) comes on the first sky and He is the nearer to one at that time. Tahajjud prayer has 12 Rakats or more or less if one wants but starting from 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, etc.
Ishraq prayer:
The time for the Ishraq prayer begins in the morning ten to twenty minutes after sunrise and consists of two Raka'ahs. Praying ishraq is considered to yield greater rewards than performing the lesser Umrah according to some traditions. “According to majority of scholars of Hadith and Fiqh, Duha Prayer and Al-Ishraq Prayer are all names of the same salah (ritual Prayer). It is a recommended Prayer without any fixed number of raka'ahs, and its time proper starts a little after sun rise (approximately fifteen minutes after sunrise) and extends up to the time of the declining of the sun from the meridian (before Zhur prayer).
Minority of scholars, however, have made a distinction between Al-Ishraq Prayer and Duha Prayer. According to them, Al-Ishraq Prayer is done after sun rise (around fifteen minutes after) while Duha Prayer is done much later. But, bother prayers are to be done a little while after the sunrise and before the Zhur prayer.
Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim has cited the various views about the importance of this prayer. Some says that one should not exaggerate its importance, and therefore do it only sparingly and not consistently, while others insist that it should be performed consistently.
Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wasallam is reported to have said, 'He who performs Fajr salah with Jamaat and remains seated in the same place while engaging in Dhikr until after sunrise and thereafter performs 2 Rakaats Nafil Salah, (Ishraq), he will obtain the thawaab of one Hajj and one Umrah.' (Tirmidhi). In another hadith, Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wasallam also is reported to have said that Allah says, 'O son of Aadam, perform 4 Rakaats of Salah (Ishraq) in the early part of the day. It shall help you in accomplishing all your responsibilities during the rest of the day' (Mishkat). (Mishkat is also called Hasan-chain).
As for the precise intention to be formulated while praying Duha Prayer or Al-Ishraq Prayer, or others, there is no hard and fast rule to follow. Since it is an optional Prayer, it is enough to say in one’s mind that one is praying nafl or sunnah of Duha or Ishraq. One may perform any number of raka`ahs from a minimum of two raka`ahs up to preferably eight raka`ahs.
Duha prayer:
Duha prayer begins after sunrise and ends at meridian, and is generally thought to include at least two raka'ahs, though in some traditions the number is extended from 2 to 4 or 6, or 8 or 10 or 12 (depending on how one has the capacity of supplicating the prayer). It is generally prayed when one-fourth of the day has passed. According to the Sunni thought, performing this prayer is believed to be effective in seeking forgiveness for one's sins.
Two rakahs before the obligatory Fajr prayers:
Four rakahs before and two rakahs after the obligatory Dhuhr prayers.
Four rakahs before and two rakahs after the obligatory Dhuhr prayers.
Two rakahs after the obligatory Magrib prayers.
Two rakahs after the obligatory Isha prayers.
Four Rak'aah Sunnah of Zuhr:
Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wasallam is reported to have said that Whoever performs the four rakaats before and after the Zuhr salah with constancy, Allah Ta'ala makes the fire of Hell haram (forbidden) for him. [Mishkat,(Hasan-Chain) p. 104; Tirmizi, Abu Da'ud, Nisai, Ibn Majah].
Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wasallam is reported to have said that after the worshipper prays the four rakaats of Zuhr salah, the doors of heaven are opened, i.e. the salah becomes accepted by Allah, and the cause of its acceptance comes down on the worshipper as rays of mercy. [Mishkat, p. 104].
Four Rak'aah Sunnah of Asr:
Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wasallam said: "May Allah Ta'ala have Mercy on the one who offers four (rak'ahs) before 'Asr prayer." (Abu Dawud).
Tahiyyatul Masjid (Nafl prayer when entering Masjid):
Abu Qatada narrated that Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wasallam said: “If any one of you enters a mosque, he should pray two raka’ats before sitting.”Narrated by Al-Bukhari and Muslim (Sahih hadeeth).
This is a 2 Rak'aah Nafl prayer which one should perform as one enters the Masjid and on proper times.
Salat Al-Khawf (صلاۃ الخوف):
The word "Khawf" means fear. Khawf is a type of prayer that is prayed during time of fear. This prayer was performed by Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wasallam in the Battle of Uhud. It means praying in the battlefield while the worshipers are in danger of being attacked by the enemy. There are certain procedures to be followed in such a case.
(Taken from Explanation of the Prophet’s Prayer Described pg. 140)
The fear prayer has a number of descriptions; each description is in accordance to the level of the fighting:
The First Description: That the Muslims performs the prayer by gesturing, neither bowing nor prostrating; only gestures.
The Second Description: That he prays with the Takbeer and indications (of his movements) only. This is in the case of engaging in battle with the enemy.
The Third Description: That they (the Muslims together) pray with bowings and prostrations. This is the case in which the rank lines up in front of the enemy without engaging them in the battle and without retreating. For verily Allah’s Messenger ﷺ performed the Fear Prayer with one of the two groups while the other group was facing the enemy. Then they finished and stood in the place of their companions facing the enemy while (the second group) came and the prophet ﷺ led them in prayer for a Rak’ah, then the Prophet ﷺ gave the Tasleem; therefore this group completed a Rak’ah and the other group completed a Rak’ah. The description (of the fear prayer) has come in the Noble Qur’aan. The Most High has said:
وَإِذَا كُنتَ فِيهِمْ فَأَقَمْتَ لَهُمُ الصَّلاَةَ فَلْتَقُمْ طَآئِفَةٌ مِّنْهُم مَّعَكَ وَلْيَأْخُذُواْ أَسْلِحَتَهُمْ فَإِذَا سَجَدُواْ فَلْيَكُونُواْ مِن وَرَآئِكُمْ وَلْتَأْتِ طَآئِفَةٌ أُخْرَى لَمْ يُصَلُّواْ فَلْيُصَلُّواْ مَعَكَ وَلْيَأْخُذُواْ حِذْرَهُمْ وَأَسْلِحَتَهُمْ وَدَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لَوْ تَغْفُلُونَ عَنْ أَسْلِحَتِكُمْ وَأَمْتِعَتِكُمْ فَيَمِيلُونَ عَلَيْكُم مَّيْلَةً وَاحِدَةً وَلاَ جُنَاحَ عَلَيْكُمْ إِن كَانَ بِكُمْ أَذًى مِّن مَّطَرٍ أَوْ كُنتُم مَّرْضَى أَن تَضَعُواْ أَسْلِحَتَكُمْ وَخُذُواْ حِذْرَكُمْ إِنَّ اللّهَ أَعَدَّ لِلْكَافِرِينَ عَذَابًا مُّهِينًا
When you (O Messenger Muhammad ﷺ) are among them, and lead them in As-Salat (the prayer), let one party of them stand up [in Salat (prayer)] with you taking their arms with them; when they finish their prostrations, let them take their positions in the rear and let the other party come up which has not yet prayed, and let them pray with you taking all the precautions and bearing arms. Those who disbelieve wish, if you were negligent of your arms and your baggage, to attack you in a single rush, but there is no sin on you if you put away your arms because of the inconvenience of rain or because you are ill, but take every precaution for yourselves. Verily, Allaah has prepared a humiliating torment for the disbelievers.
(An-Nisa 4:102)
Many descriptions have come for the fear prayer. The People of Hadeeth say that for the fear prayer which has come with an authentic chain, the Muslim may perform it in accordance with the situation of the Jihaad.
(http://mtws.posthaven.com/the-deescription-of-the-fear-prayer-by-shaykh)
Allah Ta'ala knows best!
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