The Rulings on the Four Sunnah Before Zuhr
Question
What are the rulings concerning the four rak’ahs of Sunnah before the obligatory rak’ahs of Zuhr? If one is unable to pray the four rak’ahs of Sunnah before the obligatory rak’ahs, what is the ruling?
(Abdul Mateen – Australia)
Answer
Sayyidah Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated that the Prophet ﷺ never abandoned four rak’ahs before Zuhr and two rak’ahs before the Fajr prayer.
In another narration it is stated that he used to pray four rak’ahs before Zuhr at home, then go out and lead the people in prayer. Etc.
Sayyidna Abdullah bin al-Sa’ib bin Sayfi al-Makhzumi (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, after the sun had passed its zenith, would pray four rak’ahs before Zuhr, then say: At this time the gates of heaven are opened, and I like that my good deed be raised up (i.e., presented) (in the presence of Allah).
Sayyidna Ali bin Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would pray four rak’ahs before Zuhr and two rak’ahs after it.
The noble wife of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, Sayyidah Umm Habibah (may Allah be pleased with her), narrated that she heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say:
من حافظ على أربع ركعات قبل الظهر و أربع بعدها حرمه الله على النار .
Whoever safeguards (i.e., consistently prays) four rak’ahs before Zuhr and four after Zuhr, Allah has made him unlawful for the Fire, meaning he will not enter the Fire of Hell.
The chain of this narration is hasan li-dhatihi, and it has many corroborating narrations due to which this hadith is sahih li-ghayrihi.
Among the narrators of this chain, Abu Abdur Rahman Qasim bin Abdur Rahman al-Dimashqi, according to the preferred opinion, is trustworthy (thiqah) and truthful (saduq) in the view of the majority.
The Hanafi scholar Ayni wrote:
وثقه الجمهور۔۔۔إلخ
Alaa bin al-Harith bin Abdul Warith al-Dimashqi, a student of Qasim bin Abdur Rahman, is a narrator of Sahih Muslim and is trustworthy and truthful. Despite the majority’s authentication of him, two objections have been raised against him by some:
➊ Ikhtilat (confusion of memory)
(This objection is baseless and rejected, since it is not established.)
The narrator of this objection, Abu Ubayd al-Ajuri, is unknown in terms of his condition (majhul al-hal).
➋ Qadariyyah (denial of divine decree)
(It is not established by a sound chain at all that he denied divine decree.)
After the majority’s authentication, such an objection (of Qadariyyah etc.) is rejected, and it has no connection with the narration of hadith.
Note:
There are other narrations on this topic as well.
Sayyidna Umar bin al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) prayed four rak’ahs before Zuhr in his house.
Abdur Rahman bin Abdul Qari (may Allah have mercy on him) narrated that he went to Umar bin al-Khattab and saw him praying (voluntary) prayer before Zuhr, so he asked: “O Commander of the Faithful! What prayer is this?” He replied: “It is (part) of the night prayer.”
That is, the night (tahajjud) prayer that had been missed, which I am now praying.
Sayyidna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
Whoever sleeps and misses his hizb (i.e., his awrad of litanies and remembrance) or part of it, and then prays it between the Fajr prayer and the Zuhr prayer, he will receive the same reward as if he had recited it at night.
From this hadith, Imam Ibn Khuzaymah deduced that if the night (tahajjud) prayer is missed, one may pray it during the day at the time mentioned in the hadith.
The great trustworthy and devout Tabi’i Amr bin Maymun al-Awdi (may Allah have mercy on him, d. 74 AH), who embraced Islam in the Jahiliyyah, said: The Companions of the Prophet ﷺ never abandoned four rak’ahs before Zuhr and two before Fajr under any circumstances.
The hearing of Abul Ahwas Sallam bin Sulaym, their mawla, al-Kufi, from Husayn bin Abdur Rahman al-Sulami is from before Husayn’s confusion (ikhtilat); his narrations from Husayn are in Sahih Muslim (4181).
The summary of all these narrations and reports is that praying four rak’ahs (voluntary or Sunnah) before Zuhr is entirely correct. It should be remembered that it is also established from the Prophet ﷺ that he would pray two rak’ahs before Zuhr.
From this it is established that praying only two Sunnah before the obligatory Zuhr is also permissible.
A hadith states that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Between every two calls to prayer there is (voluntary) prayer. Then he said (for the third or fourth time):
لمن شاء
For whoever wishes.
From this it is known that if someone is unable to pray these two rak’ahs (or four rak’ahs for some reason), it is permissible.
Note:
Praying the four Sunnah two by two is Masnun and better, as established by the sahih hadith with the words صلوة الليل والنهار مشنی مشنی, and also this is the fatwa of Sayyidna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with him).
The fatwa of Hasan al-Basri (may Allah have mercy on him) is also similar, and Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal (may Allah have mercy on him) also acted upon it.
If the four rak’ahs are prayed with a single salam instead of two by two, that is also permissible, as established by the action of Sayyidna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with him).
The answer to the second part of the question is that Sayyidah Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated: When the Prophet ﷺ did not pray four rak’ahs before Zuhr, he would pray them afterwards.
Another narration states that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ prayed these four rak’ahs after the Dhuhr prayer, following the two sunnah rak’ahs.
This narration is weak because of the narrator Qays ibn al-Rabi’, who is weak (the majority declared him weak). Therefore, the above-mentioned order for these sunnahs is not necessary.
If someone is unable (for some reason) to pray the first four or two sunnahs of Dhuhr even after the Dhuhr prayer, that too is permissible according to the hadith of لمن شاء. واللہ اعلم
