The personality of Prophet Muhammad (sws) is the only source of religion now till the end of this world. It is from Him (sws) we received the whole of religion in two forms namely: Quran & Sunnah. Both of them are transmitted to Muslim Ummah by a consensus (ijma) of Sahaba (Companions) of Prophet from generation-to-generation.

All the ibadah including, Hajj, Salah, Zakah, Saum (fasting), Animal Sacrifice on the day of Eid etc. were initiated by the Prophet (sws) himself and have been in practice even today without any discontinuation on the part of Muslim Ummah. It is through this Sunnah from where we got the Salah including its time and its compulsory rituals and utterances. Quran sometimes mentions particular aspects of these Ibadah, sometimes to emphasize on them, sometimes to give any relaxation and sometimes to clear any big misunderstanding; but all of this is done under the pretext that all these Ibadah were already practiced by Muslims. Quran is not the initiator of those Ibadah. And as per the Sunnah of the Prophet (sws), following are the fard salah for a Muslim to observe everyday, whose non-compliance would render him accountable on the day of judgement. Anything additional is optional – if we offer it we’ll be rewarded, but if we don’t we will not be questioned.

Fajr – 2 rakahs

Zurh – 4 rakahs

Asr – 4 rakahs

Maghrib – 3 rakahs

Isha – 4 rakahs

Ahadith on the other hand are transmitted to us through comparatively less credible means of akhbar-i-ahad (Zanni ilm). And when studied with a deliberation, one can reach this conclusion that all of Hadith corpus is only an explanation and elucidation of the religion which is confined in the Quran and Sunnah and also describes the exemplary way in which the Prophet (sws) followed this religion. This is the whole content of Hadith Corpus. Therefore, it does not add or remove anything from the religion because it is an explanation of already laid out religion given in Quran and Sunnah. Majority of classic jurists are of the same view that Hadith is a Zanni-ilm and can neither abrogate nor add anything to the religion (except for Zahiri juristic view).

Therefore, considering the nature of Hadith corpus, strict principles of undertsanding hadith were enumerated by Hadith Scholars (‘Muhaddiden‘) for accpetance or rejection of any Hadith. These principles include:

i) Study of chain (For a Hadith to be acceptable, its narrators must be reliable, of good character and of good memory)

ii) Study of content (For a Hadith to be acceptable, it needs to be in line with Quran and Sunnah)

(For more details: Discussion 56230)

Quran has given a principle that “he who does a virtue of his own will God will accept it and is fully aware of it” (Quran 2:158). And Prophet Muhammad (sws) being the source of exemplary way offered Nafl Salah on several occasions and stayed consistent on few, expressed his likeness for a few and advised Muslims at times to offer those Nafl Salah as well. Despite His (sws) likeness for these Salah, they are still Nafl and voluntary, no Hadith can override the importance and obligatory status of Fard Salah which was transmitted through Sunnah of Prophet. These ahadith are a reflection of Prophet’s (sws) Uswa on how to offer Nafl Salah.

In order to understand this point from Hadith themselves, consider the following Hadith that Prophet Muhammad (sws) used to Offer Fajr Salah in the darkness (https://sunnah.com/abudawud:397) meaning at the earliest time of Fajr. So when prophet (sws) or Bilal (rta) said that the the dawn became fairly bright becasue of some delay (https://sunnah.com/abudawud:1257), then it means brighter as compared to the darkness in which prophet (sws) usually offer Fajr Fard Salah, it does not imply that Prophet (Sws) would have left fard Salah for Two Rakahs of Nafl Salah.

Secondly, we also know that Prophet (Sws) used to offer Nafl of Fajr very lightly, so lightly that Aisha (rta) was not even sure whether He (sws) recited Fatiha with them or not. Can Fard Salah be offered so lightly if it is actually fard or superior to Fard or equal to Fard? (https://sunnah.com/abudawud:1255).

Lastly, had it been as important as Fard Salah, would the reaction of prophet (SWS) be the same when he saw someone who missed Nafl of Fajr and offered them later after Fard Salah and upon inquiry, Prophet (sws) stayed silent? (https://sunnah.com/abudawud:1267).

The conclusion is that it is indeed a vouluntary Salah (2 rakah before fajr) and a highly commendable act and is in light with Quran and Sunnah. Calling it as an equal to fard salah is an exaggeration and injustice to the religion given to us by the Pophet (sws). Infact intentionally leaving fard salah over nafl salah can make a person accountable on the day of judgement.

Following may also be helpful as a supplementary thread:

Discussion 80018