Search In Fatwa

Voluntary prayer: out loud at night and in a low tone during the day

Question

I would like to perform a two-Rak‘ah voluntary prayer; should it be performed out loud or in a low tone?

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) is His slave and Messenger.

With regards to voluntary prayers, the Sunnah of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is that voluntary prayers are performed in a low tone during the day and out loud at night.

Mujaahid  may  Allaah  have  mercy  upon  him said, "Prayers in the daytime are in a low tone." Hence, worshippers should not perform prayers out loud during the daytime except for the Jumu‘ah prayer and the two ‘Eid prayers.

Therefore, if you perform this two- Rak‘ah voluntary prayer during the daytime, the Sunnah is to perform it in a low tone. If you perform it at night, you should perform it out loud.

Allaah Knows best.

Related Fatwa