Legitimacy of Two Rakʿahs Before Maghrib in Light of the Athar of the Ṣaḥābah and Tābiʿīn
Excerpt from the book of Abu ʿAdnān Muhammad Munīr Qamar Nawāb al-Dīn: “Namaz Panjgānah ki Rakaʿāt maʿa Namaz Witr o Tahajjud”Besides the verbal, practical, and tacit Ahadith, numerous other narrations and abundant Athar prove the recommendation (istiḥbāb) of performing two rakʿahs before Maghrib.
Athar ①
Zur bin Hubaysh said:
I came to Madinah and stayed with ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn ʿAwf (رضي الله عنه) and Ubayy ibn Kaʿb (رضي الله عنه). I saw them both:
فكانا يصليان ركعتين قبل صلوة المغرب لا يدعان ذلك
“They used to pray two rakʿahs before the Maghrib prayer and would never abandon it.”
[Muṣannaf ʿAbd al-Razzāq 2/434; al-Marwazī fī Qiyām al-Layl; Tuḥfat al-Aḥwadhī 1/551; al-Muḥallā 2/226, 2/348]
Athar ②
Imām al-Zuhrī narrated from Anas (رضي الله عنه):
وإنه كان يصلي ركعتين قبل صلوة المغرب
“He used to pray two rakʿahs before the Maghrib prayer.”
[Muṣannaf ʿAbd al-Razzāq 2/434; al-Muḥallā 2/348]
Athar ③
Rughbān, the freed slave of Ḥabīb ibn Muslimah, said:
ورأيت أصحاب رسول صلى الله عليه وسلم يهبون إلى الفريضة
“I saw the Companions of the Messenger ﷺ rushing towards the two rakʿahs before Maghrib just as they would rush to the obligatory prayer.”
[al-Bayhaqī 2/476; al-Muḥallā 2/348; Qiyām al-Layl al-Marwazī; Tuḥfat al-Aḥwadhī 1/551]
Athar ④
Jaʿfar ibn Abī Washīyah said:
ان جابر بن عبدالله كان يصلى قبل المغرب ركعتين
“Indeed, Jābir ibn ʿAbdullāh (رضي الله عنه) used to pray two rakʿahs before Maghrib.”
[al-Muḥallā 2/349; Qiyām al-Layl, p. 37]
Athar ⑤
Rāshid ibn Yasār said:
اشهد على خمسة من اصحاب رسول الله من اصحاب شجره انھم كانوا يصلون ركعتين قبل المغرب
“I bear witness that five Companions from the people of the Tree (Bayʿat al-Riḍwān) used to pray two rakʿahs before Maghrib.”
[al-Muḥallā 1/349]
Athar ⑥
Ḥakam said:
I prayed with ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Abī Laylā (رضي الله عنه) and saw him:
كان يصلي الركعتين قبل المغرب
“He used to pray the two rakʿahs before Maghrib.”
[al-Muḥallā 2/1349; Qiyām al-Layl, p. 37]
Supporting References
The practice of praying two rakʿahs before Maghrib is also proven from many other Ahadith and Athar.
[Tirmidhī & Tuḥfah 1/548; Naṣb al-Rāyah 2/142; Dāraqutnī wa Taʿlīq 1/267; Qiyām al-Layl al-Marwazī, p. 26]
Conclusion:- Multiple Companions and Tābiʿīn practiced and affirmed the two rakʿahs before Maghrib.
- These rakʿahs are mustahabb (recommended), established by authentic Athar and supported by various Ahadith.
