6/15. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 728a — Twelve Sunnah Rak‘ahs
The virtue of the regular sunnah prayers before and after the obligatory prayers, and their numbers
Twelve Sunnah Rak‘ahs Hadith: A House Built in Paradise
Sahih Muslim : 728a
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 728a
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ نُمَيْرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو خَالِدٍ، - يَعْنِي سُلَيْمَانَ بْنَ حَيَّانَ - عَنْ دَاوُدَ بْنِ أَبِي هِنْدٍ، عَنِ النُّعْمَانِ بْنِ سَالِمٍ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ أَوْسٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي عَنْبَسَةُ بْنُ أَبِي سُفْيَانَ، فِي مَرَضِهِ الَّذِي مَاتَ فِيهِ بِحَدِيثٍ يُتَسَارُّ إِلَيْهِ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أُمَّ حَبِيبَةَ تَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ " مَنْ صَلَّى اثْنَتَىْ عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً فِي يَوْمٍ وَلَيْلَةٍ بُنِيَ لَهُ بِهِنَّ بَيْتٌ فِي الْجَنَّةِ " . قَالَتْ أُمُّ حَبِيبَةَ فَمَا تَرَكْتُهُنَّ مُنْذُ سَمِعْتُهُنَّ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم . وَقَالَ عَنْبَسَةُ فَمَا تَرَكْتُهُنَّ مُنْذُ سَمِعْتُهُنَّ مِنْ أُمِّ حَبِيبَةَ . وَقَالَ عَمْرُو بْنُ أَوْسٍ مَا تَرَكْتُهُنَّ مُنْذُ سَمِعْتُهُنَّ مِنْ عَنْبَسَةَ . وَقَالَ النُّعْمَانُ بْنُ سَالِمٍ مَا تَرَكْتُهُنَّ مُنْذُ سَمِعْتُهُنَّ مِنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ أَوْسٍ .
Umm Habibah Narrated from:
Umm Habiba (the wife of the Holy Prophet) reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: A house will be built in Paradise, for anyone who prays in a day and a night twelve rak'ahs; and she added: I have never abandoned (observing them) since I heard it from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). Some of the other narrators said the same words: I have never abandoned (observing them) since I heard (from so and so).
Reference : Sahih Muslim 728aIn-book reference : Book 6, Hadith 124USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 4, Hadith 1579
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 728a
This twelve Sunnah rak‘ahs hadith gives a strong reason to stay regular with voluntary prayer. Umm Habiba reported that the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم said that whoever prays twelve rak‘ahs in a day and night, a house will be built for that person in Paradise. The narration also shows how deeply Umm Habiba valued this teaching, because she said she never abandoned these rak‘ahs after hearing it from the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. Other narrators also said similar words about not leaving them after hearing the report. The message is direct: daily voluntary prayer has great reward, and the twelve rak‘ahs are a special act of worship mentioned in this hadith.
What we learn from this hadith
- Praying twelve rak‘ahs in a day and night is linked to a house in Paradise.
- Umm Habiba kept observing these prayers after hearing the hadith.
- The narration encourages steady practice in voluntary prayer.
