Salah al-Nafilah (Supererogatory Ritual Prayers)

Supererogatory ritual prayers –i.e. ritual prayers other than the fardh and wajib salahs- are called nafilah. Prophet Muhammad (saw) says in a hadith qudsi that Allah (swt) says “And the most beloved things with which My slave comes nearer to Me, is what I have enjoined upon him; and My slave keeps on coming closer to Me through performing Nawafil (praying or doing extra deeds besides what is obligatory) till 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 (Refuge), I will protect him; (i.e. give him My Refuge)” (Sahih Bukhari, Riqaq, 38).  Nafilah ritual prayers enable us to get closer to Allah (swt), His love, mercy and blessings. In another hadith, it is stated that nafilah prayers complete the deficiencies in fardh prayers: “The first thing a person will have to account for is his prayer. If it is sound (then he will succeed). If anything (of the fardh prayers) is lacking, Allah (swt) will say: “Look at the nafilah prayers of my slave”. If he has performed those, He will say, “complete the fardh prayers with them”.  (Sunan an-Nasai, Salah, 9)