✅Answer: According to Shia narrations, the noon 'nawafil' consists of eight 'rak'ahs', which is four two-rak'ah prayers. Its main time is from the time of 'zawal' (sun's zenith) until the shadow of a one-man-tall wall is about one 'dhira' (approx. 52 cm) longer.

The eight 'rak'ahs' of noon 'nawafil', along with the eight 'rak'ahs' of afternoon 'nawafil' that are performed after the noon prayer until the shadow of a one-man-tall wall is two 'dhira' longer than at the time of the sun's zenith, total 16 'rak'ahs' which are called the daily 'nawafil'.

1 قَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّه لَا يُصَلِّي بِالنَّهَارِ شَيْئاً حَتَّى تَزُولَ الشَّمْسُ وَ إِذَا زَالَتْ صَلَّى ثَمَانِيَ رَكَعَاتٍ وَ هِيَ صَلَاةُ الْأَوَّابِين

📚 Al-Faqih Vol. 1, p. 227

Imam al-Baqir (peace be upon him) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) would not perform any prayer during the day until the sun reached its zenith. Then, when it reached its zenith (noon), he would perform eight 'rak'ahs' of prayer (i.e., the noon 'nawafil'), which is the prayer of the 'awwabin' (those who turn to God).

2 عَنْ عُمَرَ بْنِ أُذَيْنَةَ عَنْ عِدَّةٍ أَنَّهُمْ سَمِعُوا أَبَا جَعْفَر يَقُولُ كَانَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ لَا يُصَلِّي مِنَ النَّهَارِ [شیئا] حَتَّى تَزُولَ الشَّمْسُ وَ لَا مِنَ اللَّيْلِ بَعْدَ مَا يُصَلِّي الْعِشَاءَ الْآخِرَةَ حَتَّى يَنْتَصِفَ اللَّيْلُ.

📚 Al-Kafi Vol. 3, p. 289

Umar ibn Udhaynah narrated from a group that they heard Imam al-Baqir (peace be upon him) say: The Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) would not perform any of the daily 'nawafil' until the sun reached its zenith (i.e., noon), and he would not perform any prayer at night after the 'Isha' prayer until it was midnight.

✅ Although a specific time has been designated for the daily 'nawafil', it has been permitted for a person who is busy and occupied at that time to perform it earlier: 👇

3 عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ عَنِ الرَّجُلِ يَشْتَغِلُ عَنِ الزَّوَالِ أَ يُعَجِّلُ مِنْ أَوَّلِ النَّهَارِ قَالَ نَعَمْ إِذَا عَلِمَ أَنَّهُ يَشْتَغِلُ فَيُعَجِّلُهَا فِي صَدْرِ النَّهَارِ كُلَّهَا.

📚 Al-Kafi Vol. 3, p. 450

Muhammad ibn Muslim said: I asked Imam al-Baqir (peace be upon him) about a person who is occupied at the time of the noon 'nawafil': Should he perform the noon 'nawafil' earlier in the day? He said: Yes, if he knows he will be busy (at noon), he should perform all of them earlier in the day.

4 عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ جَابِرٍ قَالَ: قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّه إِنِّي أَشْتَغِلُ قَالَ فَاصْنَعْ كَمَا نَصْنَعُ صَلِّ سِتَّ رَكَعَاتٍ إِذَا كَانَتِ الشَّمْسُ فِي مِثْلِ مَوْضِعِهَا صَلَاةَ الْعَصْرِ يَعْنِي ارْتِفَاعَ الضُّحَى الْأَكْبَرِ وَ اعْتَدَّ بِهَا مِنَ الزَّوَالِ.

📚 Al-Tahdhib Vol. 2, p. 267

Isma'il ibn Jabir said: I said to Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him): I am busy (at the time of noon) (what should I do)? He said: Do the same thing I do!

When the sun is (in terms of altitude) in the same place as it is during the 'Asr' prayer, meaning at the time of 'Duha al-Akbar' (when the sun is high in the sky),

perform six 'rak'ahs' of prayer and consider them part of the noon 'nawafil'.

✅ In addition to the permission to perform the noon 'nawafil' before 'zawal' for a person with an excuse, as mentioned in the two above narrations, there is a general permission in several narrations to perform all sixteen 'nawafil' of the day in advance, including:

5 الْقَاسِمِ بْنِ الْوَلِيدِ الْغَسَّانِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّه قَالَ: قُلْتُ لَهُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ صَلَاةُ النَّهَارِ صَلَاةُ النَّوَافِلِ فِي كَمْ هِيَ قَالَ سِتَّ عَشْرَةَ [رکعة] فِي أَيِّ سَاعَاتِ النَّهَارِ شِئْتَ أَنْ تُصَلِّيَهَا صَلَّيْتَهَا إِلَّا أَنَّكَ إِذَا صَلَّيْتَهَا فِي مَوَاقِيتِهَا أَفْضَلُ

📚 Al-Tahdhib Vol. 2

Ghassani said: I said to Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him): May I be sacrificed for you, how many 'rak'ahs' are the daily supererogatory prayers? He said: They are sixteen 'rak'ahs'. You can perform them at any hour of the day you wish, but it is better to perform them at their designated times.

6 عَبْدالْأَعْلى قال: سَأَلْتُ أَبَاعبداللَّهِ عَنْ نَافِلَةِ النَّهَار قَال سِتَّ عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً مَتَى مَا نَشِطْتَ إِنَّ عَلِيَّ بْنَ الْحُسَيْن كَانَتْ لَهُ سَاعَاتٌ مِنَ النَّهَار يُصَلِّي فيهَا فَإِذَا شَغَلَهُ ضَيْعَةٌ أَوْ سُلْطَانٌ قَضَاهَا إِنَّمَا النَّافِلَةُ مِثْلُ الْهَدِيَّةِ مَتَى مَا أُتِيَ بِهَا قُبِلَتْ

📚 Al-Tahdhib Vol. 2

Abd al-Ali said: I asked Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) about the daily 'nawafil'. He said: They are sixteen 'rak'ahs' that you can perform whenever you feel active. Indeed, Imam al-Sajjad (peace be upon him) had specific hours during the day when he would perform these prayers, but when his property matters or a ruler occupied him, he would make them up. Indeed, 'nawafil' are like a gift: whenever they are brought, they are accepted!

7 مُحَمَّد بْن عُذَافِر قال: قَالَ أَبُو عَبْداللَّه صَلَاةُ التَّطَوُّعِ بِمَنْزِلَةِ الْهَدِيَّةِ مَتَى مَا أُتِيَ بِهَا قُبِلَتْ فَقَدِّمْ مِنْهَا ما شِئْتَ وَ أَخِّرْ مِنْهَا مَا شِئْتَ

📚 Al-Tahdhib Vol. 2

Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: The supererogatory prayer is like a gift: whenever it is brought, it is accepted! So perform as much of it as you want in advance and delay as much of it as you want!

8 عَلِيِّ بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ عَنْ أَخِيهِ مُوسَى بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ قَالَ: نَوَافِلُكُمْ صَدَقَاتُكُمْ فَقَدِّمُوهَا أَنَّى شِئْتُمْ

📚 Qurb al-Isnad p. 97

Imam al-Kazim (peace be upon him) said: Your 'nawafil' are your charities! So you may perform them whenever you wish.

9 زُرَارَةَ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: مَا صَلَّى رَسُولُ اللَّه الضُّحَى قَطُّ قَالَ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ أَ لَمْ تُخْبِرْنِي أَنَّهُ كَانَ رسول الله صلی الله علیه و آله يُصَلِّي فِي صَدْرِ النَّهَارِ أَرْبَعَ رَكَعَاتٍ فَقَالَ بَلَى إِنَّهُ كَانَ يَجْعَلُهَا مِنَ الثَّمَانِ الَّتِي بَعْدَ الظُّهْر

📚 Al-Faqih Vol. 1

Zurarah narrated from Imam al-Baqir (peace be upon him) that he said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) never performed the 'Duha' prayer (which is an innovation of the 'ammah' (general public))!

I said to the Imam: Didn't you inform me that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) performed four 'rak'ahs' of prayer early in the day?! He said: Yes, indeed he considered these four 'rak'ahs' to be part of the eight 'rak'ahs' of 'nawafil' (noon) which are performed after the 'zawal'.

✅ The usurpers of the caliphate and their followers, due to not referring to the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) and his infallible descendants, thought that this prayer of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) was a special prayer and therefore they innovated the 'Duha' prayer, while this prayer was part of the noon 'nawafil' that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) performed earlier on that day.

10 عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحَكَمِ عَنْ بَعْضِ أَصْحَابِهِ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْداللَّه قال: قَالَ لِي صَلَاةُ النَّهَارِ سِتَّ عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً أَيَّ النَّهَارِ شِئْتَ إِنْ شِئْتَ فِي أَوَّلِهِ وَ إِنْ شِئْتَ فِي وَسَطِهِ وَ إِنْ شِئْتَ فِي آخِرِهِ

📚 Al-Tahdhib Vol. 2

Ali ibn Hakam narrated from one of his companions who said: Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said to me: The daily (supererogatory) prayer is sixteen 'rak'ahs' at any time of the day you wish! If you wish, in the early part of the day, and if you wish, in the middle of the day, and if you wish, at the end of the day!

✅ From the totality of the narrations in this text and the previous post, it is clear that although specific times have been set for the noon and afternoon 'nawafil', which total 16 'rak'ahs' and are called the daily 'nawafil', permission has been given for a person with an excuse, as well as a person without an excuse, to perform them earlier in the day and before 'zawal', although the family of the Prophet (peace be upon them) have pointed out that it is better to perform them at their designated times:

1️⃣1️⃣ Raja' said in a narration: When the sun reached its 'zawal' (i.e., the time for the noon prayer), Imam al-Ridha (peace be upon him) would freshen up his ablution and stand up and perform six 'rak'ahs' of prayer (from the noon 'nawafil'). In the first 'rak'ah' he would recite 'Al-Hamd' and 'Surah Al-Kafirun', and in the second 'rak'ah' 'Al-Hamd' and 'Surah Al-Tawhid', and in the other four 'rak'ahs' also 'Surah Al-Tawhid'. He would say 'salam' after every two 'rak'ahs', and in the second 'rak'ah' of each prayer, before the 'ruku' (bowing) and after the recitation, he would perform a 'qunut' (supplication). Then he would say the 'adhan' and perform two more 'rak'ahs' of prayer (from the noon 'nawafil') and then say the 'iqamah' and perform the noon prayer. When he gave the 'salam' of the prayer, he would say 'tasbih', 'tahmid', 'takbir', and 'tahlil' as much as God willed, and then he would perform a prostration of gratitude and say in it a hundred times: 'Shukran lillah' (Thanks be to Allah). When he would raise his head, he would stand up and perform six 'rak'ahs' of prayer (from the afternoon 'nawafil') and in each 'rak'ah' he would recite 'Al-Hamd' and 'Surah Al-Tawhid' and he would say 'salam' after every two 'rak'ahs', and in the second 'rak'ah' before the 'ruku' and after the recitation he would perform a 'qunut'. Then he would say the 'adhan' and perform two 'rak'ahs' of prayer (the remaining part of the afternoon 'nawafil') and he would perform a 'qunut' in the second 'rak'ah', and when he gave the 'salam' he would say the 'iqamah' and perform the afternoon prayer and sit at his prayer place and say 'tasbih' and 'tahmid' of Allah as much as God willed and say 'Allahu Akbar' and 'la ilaha illa Allah' and then he would perform a prostration of gratitude and say in it a hundred times: 'Hamdan lillah' (Praise be to Allah).

📚 Uyoun Akhbar al-Ridha Vol. 2

The practice of Imam al-Ridha in performing 'nawafil'

✅ In numerous narrations, the family of the Prophet (peace be upon them) have highly recommended the 'nawafil'. Insha'Allah, we will benefit from the blessings of the 'nawafil' and at the same time say frequently:

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَی مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ

وَ عَجِّلْ لِوَلِیِّکَ الْفَرَجَ وَ الْعَافِیَةَ وَ النَّصْرَ