Evidence for Two Sunnah Rak‘ahs Before Maghrib from the Four Schools of Thought
1. ʿAllāmah Jamāl al-Dīn al-Zaylaʿī in Naṣb al-Rāyah (vol. 2, p. 140) brings a narration negating this Sunnah, critiques its chain, and cites Ibn al-Jawzī’s classification of it among fabricated reports. However, on p. 141 he also cites narrations proving the Sunnah and, on p. 173, concludes:
"The narration affirming (the Sunnah) takes precedence over the one negating it, and the affirming narration is more authentic."
2. ʿAllāmah Ibn Nujaym in al-Baḥr al-Rā’iq (vol. 1, p. 266) writes:
"In Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, the Prophet ﷺ said: ‘Pray two rak‘ahs before Maghrib.’ This is an order of recommendation, and this is the belief one should hold in this matter. The answer given against this ḥadīth does not invalidate its ruling."
3. ʿAllāmah ʿAbd al-Ḥayy al-Lakhnawī in ʿUmdat al-Riʿāyah (vol. 2, p. 132) calls this Sunnah permissible and writes:
"If one prays two light rak‘ahs without delaying the Maghrib prayer, it is not disliked."
Similarly, Ibn al-Humām in Fatḥ al-Qadīr (vol. 1, p. 318) states that two rak‘ahs take little time and thus do not delay the farḍ prayer.
1. Imām Abū al-Walīd al-Bājī, a prominent Mālikī scholar, in al-Muntaqā Sharḥ al-Muwaṭṭaʾ (vol. 1, p. 267) states:
Anas (RA) said: "We used to pray two rak‘ahs after sunset before Maghrib in the time of the Prophet ﷺ."
When asked if the Prophet ﷺ prayed them, he said: "He would see us praying them and would neither order nor forbid us."
"This indicates their permissibility."
2. ʿAllāmah Ibn al-ʿArabī in Sharḥ al-Tirmidhī (vol. 2, p. 300) writes:
"The ḥadīth proving this Sunnah is found in every authentic musnad collection from the Prophet ﷺ."
1. Imām al-Nawawī in Sharḥ Muslim (vol. 1, p. 278) states:
"According to the preferred view, it is mustaḥabb to pray two rak‘ahs before Maghrib due to these authentic and explicit aḥādīth. The claim that this delays Maghrib is baseless and against the Sunnah, as it is a short time that does not delay the farḍ from its earliest time. The claim of abrogation is also unfounded, as naskh is only accepted when reconciliation is impossible and the chronology is known — neither of which applies here."
2. In al-Anwār li-Aʿmāl al-Abrār (vol. 1, p. 80) by ʿAllāmah Yūsuf al-Ardabīlī:
"It is recommended to pray two rak‘ahs before Maghrib between the adhān and iqāmah."
3. Ibn Sayyid al-Nās in his Sharḥ al-Tirmidhī states:
"This ḥadīth proves it is recommended to pray two rak‘ahs before Maghrib."
4. Imām Abū al-Qāsim al-Rāfiʿī in Fatḥ al-ʿAzīz Sharḥ al-Wajīz (vol. 4, p. 18–20) mentions that Imām Abū Isḥāq al-Ṭūsī and Abū Zakariyyā al-Sakrī both call this Sunnah mustaḥabb.
5. Imām al-Ghazālī in Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn (vol. 1, p. 175) records that this practice between adhān and iqāmah is narrated from several Companions: Ubayy ibn Kaʿb, ʿUbādah ibn al-Ṣāmit, Abū Dharr, and Zayd ibn Thābit (RA).
1. In Fatāwā Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah:
"If the mu’adhdhin pauses between the adhān and iqāmah for this time, it is a good Sunnah."
2. In the Ḥanbalī work Sharḥ al-Zād al-Mustaʿniʿ (p. 60):
"Two rak‘ahs before Maghrib are permissible and valid."
3. In Kashshāf al-Qināʿ (vol. 1, p. 498):
"Two rak‘ahs before Maghrib are Sunnah for whoever wishes."
Also (vol. 1, p. 282):
"There is reward in the two rak‘ahs before Maghrib — indicating they are mustaḥabb."
4. In al-Mughnī (vol. 1, p. 766) and al-Inṣāf (vol. 1, p. 422), praying two rak‘ahs before Maghrib is deemed permissible and allowed.
Ḥanafī School
1. ʿAllāmah Jamāl al-Dīn al-Zaylaʿī in Naṣb al-Rāyah (vol. 2, p. 140) brings a narration negating this Sunnah, critiques its chain, and cites Ibn al-Jawzī’s classification of it among fabricated reports. However, on p. 141 he also cites narrations proving the Sunnah and, on p. 173, concludes:
"The narration affirming (the Sunnah) takes precedence over the one negating it, and the affirming narration is more authentic."
2. ʿAllāmah Ibn Nujaym in al-Baḥr al-Rā’iq (vol. 1, p. 266) writes:
"In Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, the Prophet ﷺ said: ‘Pray two rak‘ahs before Maghrib.’ This is an order of recommendation, and this is the belief one should hold in this matter. The answer given against this ḥadīth does not invalidate its ruling."
3. ʿAllāmah ʿAbd al-Ḥayy al-Lakhnawī in ʿUmdat al-Riʿāyah (vol. 2, p. 132) calls this Sunnah permissible and writes:
"If one prays two light rak‘ahs without delaying the Maghrib prayer, it is not disliked."
Similarly, Ibn al-Humām in Fatḥ al-Qadīr (vol. 1, p. 318) states that two rak‘ahs take little time and thus do not delay the farḍ prayer.
Mālikī School
1. Imām Abū al-Walīd al-Bājī, a prominent Mālikī scholar, in al-Muntaqā Sharḥ al-Muwaṭṭaʾ (vol. 1, p. 267) states:
Anas (RA) said: "We used to pray two rak‘ahs after sunset before Maghrib in the time of the Prophet ﷺ."
When asked if the Prophet ﷺ prayed them, he said: "He would see us praying them and would neither order nor forbid us."
"This indicates their permissibility."
2. ʿAllāmah Ibn al-ʿArabī in Sharḥ al-Tirmidhī (vol. 2, p. 300) writes:
"The ḥadīth proving this Sunnah is found in every authentic musnad collection from the Prophet ﷺ."
Shāfiʿī School
1. Imām al-Nawawī in Sharḥ Muslim (vol. 1, p. 278) states:
"According to the preferred view, it is mustaḥabb to pray two rak‘ahs before Maghrib due to these authentic and explicit aḥādīth. The claim that this delays Maghrib is baseless and against the Sunnah, as it is a short time that does not delay the farḍ from its earliest time. The claim of abrogation is also unfounded, as naskh is only accepted when reconciliation is impossible and the chronology is known — neither of which applies here."
2. In al-Anwār li-Aʿmāl al-Abrār (vol. 1, p. 80) by ʿAllāmah Yūsuf al-Ardabīlī:
"It is recommended to pray two rak‘ahs before Maghrib between the adhān and iqāmah."
3. Ibn Sayyid al-Nās in his Sharḥ al-Tirmidhī states:
"This ḥadīth proves it is recommended to pray two rak‘ahs before Maghrib."
4. Imām Abū al-Qāsim al-Rāfiʿī in Fatḥ al-ʿAzīz Sharḥ al-Wajīz (vol. 4, p. 18–20) mentions that Imām Abū Isḥāq al-Ṭūsī and Abū Zakariyyā al-Sakrī both call this Sunnah mustaḥabb.
5. Imām al-Ghazālī in Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn (vol. 1, p. 175) records that this practice between adhān and iqāmah is narrated from several Companions: Ubayy ibn Kaʿb, ʿUbādah ibn al-Ṣāmit, Abū Dharr, and Zayd ibn Thābit (RA).
Ḥanbalī School
1. In Fatāwā Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah:
"If the mu’adhdhin pauses between the adhān and iqāmah for this time, it is a good Sunnah."
2. In the Ḥanbalī work Sharḥ al-Zād al-Mustaʿniʿ (p. 60):
"Two rak‘ahs before Maghrib are permissible and valid."
3. In Kashshāf al-Qināʿ (vol. 1, p. 498):
"Two rak‘ahs before Maghrib are Sunnah for whoever wishes."
Also (vol. 1, p. 282):
"There is reward in the two rak‘ahs before Maghrib — indicating they are mustaḥabb."
4. In al-Mughnī (vol. 1, p. 766) and al-Inṣāf (vol. 1, p. 422), praying two rak‘ahs before Maghrib is deemed permissible and allowed.
