After the obligatory Fajr prayer and its Sunnah rak'ahs, Islam encourages remaining in the prayer place remembering Allah until after sunrise — and then performing two additional voluntary rak'ahs. This prayer is known as Ishraq (إشراق — sunrise). Performed slightly later in the morning, once the Sun has risen a little higher, the same prayer is called Duha (الضحى — the forenoon). Together they form one of the most rewarding voluntary acts in the Islamic tradition.
Ishraq: the sunrise prayer
Ishraq begins approximately 15–20 minutes after the Sun has fully risen above the horizon (i.e. after Sunrise time on any prayer timetable). It lasts until the Sun has risen to roughly one spear's length in the sky — approximately 45 minutes after sunrise. Performing two rak'ahs of Ishraq while having sat in the mosque after Fajr (in dhikr rather than speech) carries a spectacular reward:
مَنْ صَلَّى الْفَجْرَ فِي جَمَاعَةٍ ثُمَّ قَعَدَ يَذْكُرُ اللَّهَ حَتَّى تَطْلُعَ الشَّمْسُ ثُمَّ صَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ كَانَتْ لَهُ كَأَجْرِ حَجَّةٍ وَعُمْرَةٍ تَامَّةٍ تَامَّةٍ تَامَّةٍ
Man salla l-fajra fi jama'atin thumma qa'ada yadhkuru Llaha hatta tatlu'a sh-shamsu thumma salla rak'atayn kanat lahu ka-ajri hajjatin wa 'umratin tammatin tammatin tammatin.
Whoever prays Fajr in congregation, then sits remembering Allah until the Sun rises, then prays two rak'ahs, has the reward of a complete Hajj and Umrah — complete, complete, complete.
(Jami' at-Tirmidhi 586 — declared hasan by at-Tirmidhi)
Duha: the forenoon prayer
Duha (also called Salat ad-Duha) is a broader voluntary prayer window that extends from roughly 20 minutes after sunrise until 15–20 minutes before Dhuhr. It is not limited to those who stayed in the mosque after Fajr — anyone can pray Duha at any point in this window. The minimum is two rak'ahs; the maximum is eight or twelve according to different scholarly opinions, with four rak'ahs being particularly recommended.
My beloved friend (ﷺ) advised me to fast three days each month, to pray two rak'ahs of Duha, and to pray Witr before I sleep.
What time is Duha today?
Duha begins approximately 15–20 minutes after the Sunrise time shown on this site and ends approximately 15 minutes before the Dhuhr time for your city. The optimal time for Duha — the time of greatest reward — is the last portion of this window, when the Sun has risen high and the day is warming. Check your city's page for today's Sunrise and Dhuhr times.
Are Ishraq and Duha the same prayer?
Scholars differ. Some hold they are the same prayer with different names — Ishraq when performed right after sunrise, Duha when performed later in the morning. Others hold they are distinct prayers. The majority view is that they are the same prayer: two or more rak'ahs performed in the forenoon window between sunrise and Dhuhr. Performing them with the intention of Duha covers both, regardless of the time within the window.
How to perform Duha
- Make the intention (niyyah) for Salat ad-Duha
- Pray two rak'ahs (identical in structure to any other voluntary prayer — al-Fatiha + a surah in each rak'ah)
- Pray the remaining rak'ahs in pairs if you wish to continue (e.g. 4, 6, or 8 rak'ahs total)
- No specific surah is required, though some scholars recommend Surah ash-Shams (91) and Surah ad-Duha (93)
- There is no azhan or iqamah for Duha — it is a voluntary prayer
Virtues of Duha
- Equivalent to charity for each joint in the body — the Prophet ﷺ said every joint of a human requires daily charity, and two rak'ahs of Duha covers all 360 joints (Sahih Muslim 720)
- One of the three things the Prophet ﷺ specifically recommended to Abu Hurayrah (RA) to never leave
- Associated with the blessed early morning hours that the Prophet ﷺ prayed for (Allahumma barik li ummati fi bukuratiha)