You may offer supererogatory (or voluntary) prayers any time except three times when prayers are forbidden: These times are: When the sun is rising; when the sun is at the meridian until it declines and when the sun is setting.  We are to avoid Prayer at these times to distinguish ourselves from pagans who worship the sun.

 

Therefore, you are allowed to offer Nawafil (optional prayers) all other times.  However, you should never limit the voluntary acts of virtue to prayers; rather, they include all acts of charity and kindness and service to humanity or God’s creation.

 

The hadith you have alluded to is a sacred tradition; it is a narration of the Prophet from Allah. It teaches us how to attain the stage of Ihsan or excellence in worship. When we reach such a stage, we stand to gain tremendous spiritual benefits. Thanks to this, he thinks, speaks and acts only to please Allah as he has merged his will with the will of Allah. Hence he always enjoys the grace, mercy, protection and tranquility – as a divine gift.

 

I pray to Allah to inspire us to attain excellence in faith.