Difference between offering confirmed sunnah salahs and others

[Cloud_Strife]

Salaam Aleikum.
On sunniPath it says this:
the Name of Allah, with blessings and peace on the Messenger of Allah

Walaikum assalam wa rahmatullah,

I pray that this finds you well, and in the best of health and spirits. May Allah grant you all good and success in this life and the next.

There are only two differences in the performance of emphasized (mu'akkada) and non-emphasized (ghayr mu'akkada) sunna prayers:

* in non-emphasized sunnas, one sends blessings upon the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) after two rakats, in the first sitting--but one doesn't do so in the emphasized sunna prayers

* one recites the opening invocation (thana') and one seeks refuge from the Shaytan (ta`awwudh) when beginning the third rakat of non-emphasized sunna prayer--but one doesn't recite these in the third rakat of emphasized sunna prayers.
---
I'm wondering though,according to Hanafi madhab, how this works?
WHen it says send blessings,do they mean Allhumma Sali alaa Muhammadin,etc?
So if i'm reading 4 rakats of emphasized salaah after 4 fard of zuhr...I don't sit in the 2nd rakat don't say att-tahiyattul lillahi wa salawatu wa tayyibatu...?

I read Taleemul haq,but it said to recite thana and tawuuduh only in the first rakat of every salaah from what I remember...so which is correct?

the reading is confusing me-because I thought the sunnah prayers (whatever level of importance) are read like other prayers-is this wrong then?
Jazak Allah. I'd appreciate any help on this.

[Mahmoud Siddiqi]

As Salamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullah,

Sunnah and nafl salawat are exactly like fard except you recite at least threeanother surah in every rakaah instead of only in the first two rakaat like in a fard salaah.

Nafl salawat is always two rakaat plus two rakaat plus two rakaat, etc. That means nafl salawat is exactly as Salatul Fajr.

[Cloud_Strife]

Salaam Aleikum.
So when making a 4 rakat confirmed sunnah prayer, you read it just like a 4 fard rakat prayer, except that you must recite 3 verses(or a long one) in every rakah after al-fatihah, no other differences,right?

But when you're offering 4 rakat of non-confirmed sunnah prayer, you recite al fatihah and another surah (3 verses at least or 1 long one) for all 4 rakats,right?

Wasalaam.

[Mahmoud Siddiqi]

Salaam Aleikum.
So when making a 4 rakat confirmed sunnah prayer, you read it just like a 4 fard rakat prayer, except that you must recite 3 verses(or a long one) in every rakah after al-fatihah, no other differences,right?

But when you're offering 4 rakat of non-confirmed sunnah prayer, you recite al fatihah and another surah (3 verses at least or 1 long one) for all 4 rakats,right?

Wasalaam.

There is no difference in how you offer sunnah or nafl salaah. If offering a sunnah muakkadah salaah such as the four rakaat before salatul dhuhr, you do not have to make it two rakaat plus two rakaat, you can make it four rakaat with one taslim. According to my knowledge it is sunnah to do it both ways- with one taslim, or offering it two rakaat at a time.

So, when offering a fard, you only recite 3 ayat or another surah after Suratul Fatihah in the first two rakaat. In any other salaah, you recite 3 ayat or another surah in every rakaah.

[AbdulQahhar]

When you perform sunna ghayr mu'akkada 4 rakah prayer (4 before 'asr and 4 before isha) then on the first sitting after saying "Et-tehiyatu..." you also say "Allahume salli ala...", however you omit "Allahume salli ala..." if these sunnah prayers are sunna mu'akkada 4 rakah like 4 before dhuhr fard salah.

[Cloud_Strife]

Salaam Aleikum.
br. Abdul Qahhar, but if I am reading 4 rakat before asr (ghayr muakkada) then I also have to read a surah after reading fatihah in every one of those rakats,yes? (But in the ghayr muakkada even after reading Allahma salli alaa,I don't turn my head to left and right and say salaam aleikum,rather I get up and make 2 more rakat,right?)
Jazak Allah.

[AbdulQahhar]

Salaam Aleikum.
br. Abdul Qahhar, but if I am reading 4 rakat before asr (ghayr muakkada) then I also have to read a surah after reading fatihah in every one of those rakats,yes? (But in the ghayr muakkada even after reading Allahma salli alaa,I don't turn my head to left and right and say salaam aleikum,rather I get up and make 2 more rakat,right?)
Jazak Allah.

We alaikumu salaam,

Yes, on all 4 Rakah you read a part of the Qur'an (minimum 3 Ayahs or 1 longer Ayah, i.e. Ayatul-Kursiy) after reading Al-Fatihah.

And yes, you don't finish this Sunnah prayer after 2 Rakah but after 4, so after the 2nd, when after sitting and reciting "Etehijatu lillahi we salawatu..." and "Allahume salli 'ala Muhammedin..." you don't say "Es-selamu alaikum we rahmatullah" but you stand up and do another 2 Rakah to make it 4. Then only you say Es-selamu alaikum we rahmatullah".

[Mahmoud Siddiqi]

If you have a four rakaat sunnah muakkadah salaah, it is sunnah to perform it by praying two rakaat plus two rakaat and it is also sunnah to perform it with only one taslim.

I personally perform it with one taslim and not two.