The excellence of Dhuha prayer

The Prophet (SAW) said: “In a human (body) there are 360 joints and man
must perform an act of charity for each one.” The people said: “Who can
do that, O Messenger of Allah?” He responded: “One may cover the mucus
that one finds in the mosque or remove something harmful from the road.
If one cannot do that, he can pray two rak’ahs of Dhuha and that will be
sufficient for him.”



The above hadith points to the greatness, excellence and importance of
the Dhuha prayer, tressing its legality as two rak’ahs of it are, in a
way, equivalent to three hundred and sixty acts of charity. Something
like this should be performed regularly and persistently.
Abu Hurairah said: “My friend (Muhammad) advised me to do three things:
fast three days of every month, pray the Dhuha prayer, and pray the witr
prayer before I sleep.” (Bukhari and Muslim)

Dhuha is a prized prayer and whoever wishes to earn a reward should pray
it, while there is no blame upon the one who does not do so. Abu Sa’id
reported: “The Prophet (SAW) would pray Dhuha until we thought he would
never abandon it. And he would abandon it to the point that we thought
he would no longer perform it.” (Tirmidhi)

The time of Dhuha begins when the sun is about a spear’s length above
the horizon and it continues until the sun reaches its meridian. It is
preferred to delay it until the sun has risen high and the day has
become hot. Zaid ibn Arqam related: “The Messenger of Allah (SAW) went
to the people of Quba, and they were performing Dhuha, and he said: The
prayer of devotion should be observed when the young weaned camels feel
the heat of the sun.” (Ahmad, Muslim and Tirmidhi).

The minimum number of rak’ahs to be prayed is two. The most that the
Prophet (SAW) performed was eight rak’ahs. Umm Hani narrated that the
Prophet (SAW) prayed eight rak’ahs of Dhuha and made the taslim after
every two rak’ahs. (Abu Dawud)

After the completion of the prayer, one is recommended to recite the
following du’a:

“Allahumma inna dhuha-a-dhuhauka, wal baha-a-bahauka, waljamala
jamaluka, walquwwata quwwatuka, walqudrata qudratuka, wal ismata
ismatuka. Allahumma inkana rizqi fissamai fa anzilhu, wainkana fil ardhi
fa akhrijhu, wainkana mu’assaron fayassirhu, wainkana haraman
fatahhirhu, wainkana ba’idan faqarribhu, bihaqqi dhuhaika wabahaika
wajamalika waquwwatika waqudratika atini ma ataita ‘ibadakassalihin.”

May Allah (SWT) give us strength to perform the Dhuha prayer.

Prepared by Br. Muhaemin Karim, Dawah
Worker, IUHK
7 April 2006