وَعَنْ رَافِعِ بْنِ خَدِيجٍ، قَالَ: كُنَّا نُصَلَّى الْمَغْرِبَ مَعَ النَّبِيِّ اللهِ فَيَنْصَرِفُ أَحَدُنَا وَإِنَّهُ لَيُبْصِرُ مَوَاقِعَ نَبْلِهِ
Rafi’ ibn Khadij (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates from the Prophet ﷺ, saying: “We used to pray Maghrib with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and one of us would return and be able to see the place where his arrow fell.”
Takhrij:
Al-Bukhari: 559, Muslim: 637. Muslim: Chapter: Explanation that the first time of Maghrib is at sunset.
Benefits:
➊ The Maghrib prayer should be performed in its first time.
➋ The Maghrib prayer should not be delayed until it has become very dark, nor performed so quickly that the congregation stands up when one has barely answered the adhan. Rather, there should be time for two optional rak’ahs to be prayed, or for a brief supplication to be made between the short adhan and the congregation.
➌ The time of Maghrib is shorter than the times of all other prayers. In Ramadan, there is excess and deficiency in the Maghrib prayer. Either some imams, while busy with their iftar, keep delaying the congregation, or the congregation is held so quickly that the imam’s recitation is heard immediately after the adhan. Both of these situations are contrary to the nature of prayer, and moderation is considered beloved in Islam. There should be a short pause after the adhan in which worshippers can offer a brief supplication, recitation, or two rak’ahs, and the delay should not be so long that complete darkness falls. It is best for imams to lead the congregation exactly at the proper time.
➌ The Maghrib prayer should be performed in enough light that everything is nearly visible.
This material has been taken from Sheikh Taqi al-Din Abi al-Fath’s book Diya al-Islam fi Sharh al-Ilmam bi Ahadith al-Ahkam, and the translation was done by Maulana Mahmood Ahmad Ghazanfar.
