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Asking for What Is Good (Salat al-Istikhara). The Messenger advised all Muslims to follow his practice when confronted with having to make a choice between permissible alternatives: pray two non-obligatory rak'ats and then ask God to enable one to choose what is good or better.
The Prayer of Glorification (Salat al-Tasbih). Ibn 'Abbas reports that God's Messenger said to 'Abbas ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib: O 'Abbas, O Uncle, shall I not give you, present to you, donate to you, tell you of ten things which, if you do them, God will forgive your first and last sins, past and present sins, intentional and unintentional sins, private and public sins? The ten actions are: pray four rak'ats, reciting in every rak'at al-Fatiha and a sura. When you finish the Qur'anic recitation of the first rak'at, say, while standing: Subhana'llah, al-hamdu li'llah, wa la ilaha illa'llahu wa'llahu akbar (Glory be to God, all praise be to God, there is no deity save God, and God is the greatest) 15 times. Then make ruku', and while in ruku', say the same phrases 10 times. Then stand and say the same 10 times. Then go down and make sajda, and while you are in sajda, say the same phrases 10 times. Then sit after sajda and say the same phrases 10 times. Then make sajda and say the same phrases 10 times. Then sit after the second sajda, and say the same phrases another 10 times. That is 75 (repetitions of the phrases) in each rak'at. Do that in each of the four rak'ats. If you can pray it once a day, do so. If you cannot, then once every Friday. If you cannot do that, then once a year. And if you cannot do that, then once during your life. (Abu Dawud, "Salat," 303; Tirmidhi, "Salat," 350.)
After saying the phrases 10 times following the second sajda in the second rak'at, recite the tashahhud and calls of God's blessings and peace upon the Messenger and his Family, and then end the first two rak'ats by giving salutation. Pray the second two rak'ats in the same way. The Prayer for Need (Salat al-Haja). Make the proper ablution, pray two rak'ats, and say the prayer reported from the Messenger concerning it (Tirmidhi, "Witr," 345). If God's overall Wisdom requires it to be met, God will grant whatever is asked, either sooner or later. The Prayer of Repentance (Salat al-Tawba). Make the appropriate minor or major ablution, offer a prayer of two rak'ats, and ask for His forgiveness. Hopefully, God will grant it. The Prayer during a Solar or Lunar Eclipse (Salat al-Kusuf and al-Khusuf). Scholars agree that this is a sunna mu'akkada, a stressed or confirmed one, which is to be performed by both men and women. It is best, but not absolutely necessary, to pray it in congregation. Its time is from the eclipse's beginning until its end. It is preferred to say takbir, supplicate, give charity, and ask God for forgiveness during the eclipse. It should be noted that this has nothing to do with asking for the eclipse to end, for its beginning and end are clear. An eclipse is only an occasion for such a prayer. The Prayer for Rain (Salat al-Istisqa'). This prayer is performed to entreat to God for rain during a drought. |