Specific Naafil Prayer

Some of the scholars in our country claim that in the religion of Islam there is a naafil (supererogatory) prayer to be offered on the last Wednesday of the month of Safar, at the time of Duha prayer; it is four rak‘ahs with one tasleem, and in each rak‘ah one should recite the Opening of the Book (i.e., Surah al-Faatihah), Surah al-Kawthar seventeen times, Surah al-Ikhlas fifty times, and al-Mu'awwidhatayn [the last two surahs of the Quran] one time each, and that is to be done in each rak‘ah, then the tasleem is to be said [at the end]. After saying the tasleem, one should start to recite

“And Allah has full power and control over His Affairs, but most of men know not”

[Yoosuf 12:21]

three hundred and sixty times, and Jawhar al-Kamal three times, and conclude by saying

“Glorified be your Lord, the Lord of Honour and Power! (He is free) from what they attribute unto Him! And peace be on the Messengers! And all the praise and thanks be to Allah, Lord of the ‘Alameen (mankind, jinns and all that exists)”

[as-Saffat 37:180-182].

Then one should give some bread in charity to the poor. This verse is chosen to ward off calamities that may occur on the last Wednesday of the month of Safar.

They say that every year, three hundred and twenty thousand calamities befall people, and all of that happens on the last Wednesday of the month of Safar. So that day is the most difficult of all the days of the year, but whoever offers this prayer in the manner described, Allah will protect him by His kindness from all calamities that come down on that day. Is this the case?

The scholars of the Committee replied:

With regard to this supererogatory prayer mentioned in the question, we do not know of any basis for it in the Quran or Sunnah. In our view it is not proven that any one of the early generations of this ummah or the righteous among its later generations did this supererogatory prayer. Rather it is a reprehensible innovation (bid‘ah).

It is proven from the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) that he said: “Whoever does a deed that is not part of this matter of ours, it will be rejected.” And he said: “Whoever introduces anything into this matter of ours that is not part of it, it will be rejected.”

Whoever attributes this prayer and the other things mentioned with it to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) or to any of the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) has uttered a grave lie, and he will have from Allah what he deserves of the punishment of those who tell lies.

(Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daimah, 2/354)