1113/1 - Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported: “I prayed with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) two Rak‘ahs before the Zhuhr prayer and two Rak‘ahs after it.”
1114/2 - ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) would never leave praying four Rak‘ahs before Zhuhr. [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri]
1115/3 - She also reported: “The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) would offer four Rak‘ahs in my house before the Zhuhr prayer and then go out to lead the people in prayer, and then he would enter and offer two Rak‘ahs. He would lead the people in the Maghrib prayer and then enter and offer two Rak‘ahs. And he would lead the people in the ‘Ishā’ prayer and then enter my house and offer two Rak‘ahs.” [Narrated by Muslim]
1116/4 - Um Habībah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Whoever regularly offers four Rak‘ahs before the Zhuhr prayer and four after it, Allah will forbid him for Hellfire.”
[Narrated by Abu Dāwūd and Al-Tirmidhi, who classified it as Hasan Sahīh (sound and authentic)]
1) The Sunnah of the Zhuhr prayer is two or four Rak‘ahs before it and two Rak‘ahs after it.
2) He who regularly offers four Rak‘ahs before the Zhuhr and two Rak‘ahs after it will get a great reward.
According to the Prophet’s guidance, we ought to offer supererogatory prayers at home, even though some people believe that it is better to perform them in the mosque, given the noble status of the place. What is better and preferable, however, is to adhere to the Prophet’s Sunnah and example - {And if you obey him, you will be [rightly] guided.}
1117/5 - ‘Abdullāh ibn al-Sā’ib (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) used to offer four Rak‘ahs after Zawāl (i.e. after the sun declines from its zenith) before the Zhuhr prayer, and he said: “This is a time in which the gates of heavens are open, and I like that a good deed of mine ascends during it.” [Narrated by Al-Tirmidhi; and he classified it as Hasan (sound)]
1) It encourages us to offer the supererogatory prayer after Zawāl, for it is a time in which the gates of heavens are open.
2) The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) was keen to seize virtuous times and perform good deeds in them.
3) Fortunate and blissful people would seize the opportunities of divine blessings and the times in which supplications are readily answered and perform acts of piety in them.
1118/6 - ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: “Whenever the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) could not offer four Rak‘ahs before the Zhuhr prayer, he would offer them after it.”
[Narrated by Al-Tirmidhi; and he classified it as Hasan (sound)]
1) It is legitimate for a person to make up for supererogatory prayers which he misses at the appointed times, if he usually performs them.
2) When the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) did an act of worship, he would do it on a regular basis.
If a person misses the pre-Zhuhr Sunnah prayer, he makes up for it after offering the post-Zhuhr Sunnah prayer, as indicated by a Hadīth in which ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: “Whenever the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) missed the four Rak‘ahs before the Zhuhr prayer, he would offer them after offering the two-Rak‘ah Sunnah after Zhuhr.” [Narrated by Ibn Mājah; no. 1158]