Two Sunnah Rak‘ahs Before Maghrib (Non-Mu’akkadah)
This excerpt is taken from the book “Namaz Panjgana Ki Raka‘atain Ma‘a Namaz Witr wa Tahajjud” by Abu Adnan Muhammad Munir Qamar Nawabuddin.
After the obligatory Maghrib prayer, two Sunnah Rak‘ahs are Mu’akkadah, as already discussed under Sunan Rawatib. However, before the Maghrib obligatory prayer, two Rak‘ahs are also established from authentic Ahadith. Although these are non-Mu’akkadah, performing them is Sunnah and recommended. The Prophet ﷺ himself practiced them, instructed others to perform them, and the noble Companions (رضي الله عنهم) used to observe them abundantly. Unfortunately, today the majority of Muslims have abandoned this Sunnah, and if someone practices it, people look at him with surprise and disapproval. In reality, the evidence for these two Rak‘ahs is proven through numerous authentic Ahadith of the Prophet ﷺ as well as from the practice of the Companions (رضي الله عنهم) and the Tabi‘een.
① Hadith 1
In Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, Abu Dawood, Tirmidhi, Nasai, Ibn Majah, as well as Dar Qutni and Ibn Khuzaymah, the Prophet ﷺ said:
بين كل أذانين صلاة، بين كل أذانين صلاة
“Between every Adhan and Iqamah there is (a Sunnah) prayer, between every Adhan and Iqamah there is (a Sunnah) prayer.”
The narrator, Abdullah ibn Mughaffal al-Muzani (رضي الله عنه), said:
وقالها ثلاثا وقال فى الثالثة لمن شاء
“He repeated this three times, and on the third time he said: ‘for whoever wishes (i.e., it is not obligatory).’”
(Bukhari with Fath 2/102, 2/110; Muslim with Nawawi 6/124; Abu Dawood with Awn 4/22; Tirmidhi with Tuhfa 1/548; Ibn Majah 1/368; Ibn Khuzaymah 2/266; Dar Qutni 1/266; Nasai 2/28)
Commenting on this, Allama Sindhi in his commentary on Ibn Majah writes that this Hadith is general and includes Maghrib as well. Furthermore, in Hadith of Anas (رضي الله عنه), there is explicit mention of two Rak‘ahs before Maghrib. Therefore, there is no basis for declaring it Makrooh.
(Hashiya Ibn Majah, al-Mir’aat 2/100)
In his commentary on Nasai, he adds that this and similar Ahadith indicate permissibility, rather recommendation, of these two Rak‘ahs before Maghrib.
(Hashiya al-Nasai of Sindhi with Sharh al-Suyuti 1/3/28, Ibn Khuzaymah, Beirut edition)
Among the Hanafis, there is difference: some have declared them Mustahabb, like Allama Sindhi. In al-Kawkab al-Durri, the stronger opinion is that if there is no fear of missing the opening Takbir, then performing them is Mustahabb.
(al-Kawkab al-Durri 1/103, Fiqh al-Sunnah (Urdu) 1/253)
In Arab countries, after the Adhan of Maghrib, a brief pause is given for two Rak‘ahs, thus no risk of missing Takbir occurs. Hence, even according to the Hanafis, these two Rak‘ahs would be Mustahabb there.
② Hadith 2
The Hadith of Anas (رضي الله عنه), referred to by Allama Sindhi, is found in Bukhari, Muslim, Nasai, Ibn Majah, Ibn Khuzaymah, Musnad Ahmad, and Dar Qutni. He said:
كنا بالمدينة فإذا أذن المؤذن لصلاة المغرب ابتدروا السواري فيركعون ركعتين ركعتين
“In Madinah, whenever the Mu’adhdhin gave the Adhan for Maghrib, the people would rush towards the pillars and perform two Rak‘ahs each.”
(Bukhari with Fath 2/771; Muslim with Nawawi 6/123; Ibn Majah 1/368; Ibn Khuzaymah 2/226; Dar Qutni 1/267)
Muslim adds that people would perform them so abundantly that newcomers thought the obligatory prayer had already been performed and that they were praying the Sunnah after it.
(Sahih Muslim 2/3/123)
In Bukhari, Anas (رضي الله عنه) said: “I saw the senior Companions performing these Sunnah behind the pillars.” Thus, the practice of the majority of the senior Companions was this.
③ Hadith 3
In Sahih Bukhari, the Prophet ﷺ said:
صلوا قبل صلاة المغرب
“Pray before the Maghrib prayer.”
He repeated it three times and added:
لمن شاء
“for whoever wishes.”
(Bukhari with Fath 3/337, 4/59)
In Abu Dawood and others, the wording is explicit:
صلوا قبل المغرب ركعتين
“Perform two Rak‘ahs before Maghrib.”
The phrase ‘for whoever wishes’ was added so that people would not mistake these two Rak‘ahs as Sunnah Mu’akkadah.
④ Hadith 4
In Sahih Muslim and Abu Dawood, Anas (رضي الله عنه) narrates:
“We used to perform two Rak‘ahs after sunset but before the Maghrib obligatory prayer.”
When asked whether the Prophet ﷺ himself performed them, he replied:
وكان يرانا نصليها فلم يأمرنا ولم ينهنا
“He used to see us performing them, yet he neither commanded us nor forbade us.”
(Muslim with Nawawi 6/123; Abu Dawood with Awn 4/161)
Clearly, something Makrooh cannot be performed in the presence of the Prophet ﷺ without prohibition. His silence indicates recommendation.
⑤ Hadith 5
In Bukhari, Musnad Ahmad, Dar Qutni, and Bayhaqi, Uqbah ibn ‘Amir (رضي الله عنه) testified:
إنا كنا نفعله على عهد رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم
“We used to perform these two Rak‘ahs during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.”
(Bukhari with Fath 3/59; Dar Qutni 1/468)
⑥ Hadith 6
In Sahih Ibn Hibban and others, Abdullah ibn Mughaffal al-Muzani (رضي الله عنه) said:
إن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم صلى قبل المغرب ركعتين
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ himself performed two Rak‘ahs before the Maghrib obligatory prayer.”
(Mawarid al-Zam’an (Zawa’id Ibn Hibban), Hadith 617, p.63; al-Marwazi in Qiyam al-Layl (Nasb al-Rayah 2/41); Awn al-Ma‘bud 2/162; Tuhfat al-Ahwazi 1/552; Ta‘liq al-Mughni 1/266; Bulugh al-Maram with Subul al-Salam 2/5, Beirut edition)
⑦ Hadith 7
In Dar Qutni and others, Abdullah ibn Zubayr (رضي الله عنه) reported the Prophet ﷺ as saying:
ما من صلاة مكتوبة إلا بين يديها ركعتان
“There is no obligatory prayer except that two Rak‘ahs precede it.”
(Dar Qutni 1/267; al-Marwazi in Qiyam al-Layl p.26; Sahih Ibn Hibban; Nasb al-Rayah 2/142; Ta‘liq al-Mughni 1/266; Ibn Khuzaymah 2/548; Tirmidhi 1/538)
