Offering two rak’ahs of voluntary prayer before the Maghrib prayer is a verbal, practical and tacit Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. The authentic evidences for this are as follows:
Verbal Hadiths
Proof No. (1)
Sayyiduna Abu Sa’id Abdullah bin Mughaffal Muzani (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
صلّوا قبل صلاۃ المغرب، قال فی الثّالثۃ: لمن شاء، کراھیۃ أن یتّخذھا النّاس سنّۃ
“Pray (two rak’ahs) before the Maghrib prayer” (he said it twice), and the third time he said, “for whoever wishes (to pray), lest people make it an obligatory Sunnah.”
Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him, 773–852 AH) writes:
لم یرد نفی استحبابھا لأن لا یمکن أن یأمر بما لا یستحبّ، بل ھذا الحدیث من أقوی الأدلّۃ علی استحبابھا
“(By this hadith) the Prophet ﷺ did not intend to negate the recommendation of the two rak’ahs before Maghrib, because it is impossible that the Prophet ﷺ would command something and it not be at least recommended. Rather, this hadith is one of the strongest proofs for the recommendation of two rak’ahs before Maghrib.”
Proof No. (2)
From Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mughaffal (may Allah be pleased with him), the same narration is also in Sunan Abi Dawud with a hasan chain, that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
صلّوا قبل المغرب رکعتین ….
“Pray two rak’ahs before the Maghrib prayer.”
Proof No. (3)
Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mughaffal (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
بین کلّ أذانین صلاۃ، ثلاثاً، لمن شاء
“(The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said it three times) Between every two adhans there is a prayer, (he said it a third time) for whoever wishes to pray.”
The first adhan refers to the adhan, and the second adhan refers to the iqamah.
This is the third verbal hadith for the permissibility of two voluntary rak’ahs before Maghrib, because it grants permission to pray without any exception. The muhaddithin have derived this very ruling from this hadith.
Proof No. (4)
Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Zubair (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
ما من صلاۃ مفروضۃ الّا وبین یدیھا رکعتان
“There is no obligatory prayer before which there are not two rak’ahs.”
Imam Ibn Hibban (may Allah have mercy on him) has declared this hadith “sahih”.
This hadith also proves the permissibility of two rak’ahs before every obligatory prayer without any exception.
Practical Hadith
Proof No. (5)
Sayyiduna Abdullah Muzani (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates:
انّ رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم صلّٰی قبل المغرب رکعتین
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ himself offered two rak’ahs before Maghrib.”
Regarding this narration, Allamah Maqrizi (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
ھذا اسناد صحیح علی شرط مسلم
“This chain is sahih according to the condition of Imam Muslim.”
Despite this, some ignorant people say:
“Perhaps the Prophet ﷺ himself did not offer any prayer before Maghrib.”
Tacit Approval Hadiths
Proof No. (6)
قال: سمعت مرثد بن عبد الله اليزني، قال: أتيت عقبة بن عامر الجهني، فقلت: ألا أعجبك من أبي تميم يركع ركعتين قبل صلاة المغرب ! فقال عقبة: إنا كنا نفعله على عهد رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قلت: فما يمنعك الآن، قال: الشغل
Marthad bin Abdullah Yazani (may Allah have mercy on him) says: I came to (the Companion of the Messenger of Allah) Sayyiduna Uqbah bin Amir (may Allah be pleased with him) and said: Shall I not amaze you about Abu Tamim (may Allah have mercy on him, a Tabi’i), who offers two rak’ahs before the Maghrib prayer? Uqbah bin Amir (may Allah be pleased with him) said: We used to do this during the time of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. I said: Then what has stopped you now? He said: Being busy.
Allamah Sindhi Hanafi (d. 1139 AH) writes:
والظّاھر أنّ الرّکعتین قبل صلاۃ المغرب جائزتان، بل مندوبتان، ولم أر للمانعین جواباً شافیاً
“It is evident that the two rak’ahs before Maghrib are permissible, rather recommended. I have not found a satisfactory answer from those who prohibit them.”
Allamah Muhammad Tahir Patni Hanafi (d. 986 AH) says:
الأصحّ أنّہ یستحبّ الرّکعتان قبلہ وعلیہ السّلف
“The most correct view is that two rak’ahs before Maghrib are recommended, and the righteous predecessors (al-salaf al-salih) practised them.”
Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) writes:
وفیہ رد علی قول القاضی أبی بکر بن العربیّ: لم یفعلھما أحد بعد الصّحابۃ، لأنّ أبا تمیم تابعیّ، وقد فعلھما …
“This hadith refutes the statement of Qadi Abu Bakr ibn al-Arabi that no one offered these two rak’ahs after the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), because Abu Tamim (may Allah have mercy on him) is a Tabi’i, and he offered these two rak’ahs.”
Proof No. (7)
قال أنس بن مالك: كنا نصلى علي عھد رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ركعتين بعد غروب الشمس قبل صلاة المغرب، فقلت له: أكان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم صلاھما؟ قال: كان يرانا نصليھما، فلم يأمرنا ولم ينھنا.
“Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that during the blessed time of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ we used to offer two rak’ahs after sunset and before the Maghrib prayer. (The narrator, Tabi’i Mukhtar bin Falfal, says) I asked Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him): Did the Messenger of Allah ﷺ offer these two rak’ahs? He (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ saw us offering them, but he neither commanded us (obligatorily) nor forbade us.”
Proof No. (8)
Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates:
صليت الركعتين قبل المغرب على عهد رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم
“I offered two rak’ahs before Maghrib during the time of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.”
Proof No. (9)
عن أنس بن مالك قال: كان المؤذن إذا أذن قام ناس من أصحاب النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم يبتدرون السواري حتى يخرج النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم وهم كذلك يصلون الركعتين قبل المغرب ولم يكن بين الأذان والإقامة شيء.
”Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: When the muezzin would call the adhan (for Maghrib), some of the (senior) companions of the Prophet ﷺ would hurry to the pillars, until the Prophet ﷺ came out, and they would still be in that state, praying the two rak’ahs before Maghrib. There was no significant time between the adhan and the iqamah.”
In Sahih Muslim, these additional words are narrated:
حتّٰی انّ الرّجل الغریب لیدخل المسجد، فیحسب أنّ الصّلاۃ قد صلّیت، من کثرۃ من یصلّیھا.
”So much so that a stranger (traveller) would enter the mosque and, seeing the large number of people praying the two supererogatory rak’ahs before Maghrib, would think that the Maghrib prayer had already been performed.”
Proof No. (10)
Zir ibn Hubaysh says:
انّ أبیّ بن کعب وعبد الرّحمٰن ابن عوف کانا یصلّیان قبل المغرب رکعتین رکعتین.
”Sayyidina Ubayy ibn Ka’b and Sayyidina Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf (may Allah be pleased with them both) would both perform two rak’ahs before the Maghrib prayer.”
Proof No. (11)
Abdullah ibn Abi al-Hudhayl says:
دعوت رجلاً من أصحاب النبیّ صلّی اللّٰہ علیہ وسلّم الی منزلی، فلمّا أذّن المؤذّن المغرب، فصلّٰی، فسألت عن ذلک، فقال: کان أبیّ بن کعب یصلّیھما
”I invited one of the companions of the Messenger of Allah to my home. When the muezzin called the adhan for Maghrib, he prayed two rak’ahs. I asked him about this, and he said: Sayyidina Ubayy ibn Ka’b (may Allah be pleased with him) used to pray these two rak’ahs.”
Proof No. (12)
When Imam Hasan al-Basri (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked about the two rak’ahs before Maghrib, he said:
حسنتان جمیلتان لمن أراد الله بھما.
”For the person who performs these two rak’ahs seeking the pleasure of Allah, they are very good and excellent.”
Proof No. (13)
Hakam ibn Utaybah (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
رأیت ابن أبی لیلٰی صلّٰی رکعتین قبل المغرب.
”I saw Ibn Abi Layla perform two rak’ahs before Maghrib.”
Proof No. (14)
Imam al-Tirmidhi (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
وقال أحمد واسحاق: ان صلّاھما فحسن، وھذا عندھما علی الاستحباب.
”Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal and Imam Ishaq ibn Rahawayh (may Allah have mercy on them both) said: If a person performs these two rak’ahs, it is good; these two rak’ahs are recommended (mustahabb) in their view.”
Dear readers! From these authentic hadiths and sahih narrations it is established that the recommendation (istihbab) of the two rak’ahs before the Maghrib prayer is proven. They should be acted upon in following the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
Allah the Exalted says:
﴿وما آتاکم الرّسول فخذوہ وما نھاکم عنہ فانتھوا﴾
”Take whatever the Messenger gives you, and abstain from whatever he forbids you.”
Those who forbid this beloved Sunnah of Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, should fear Allah and start acting upon this Sunnah from today; following the Sunnah is the true sign of love for the Messenger.
Now, in the second part, we present in the briefest manner a scholarly and research-based review of the arguments of those who do not hold the recommendation of these two rak’ahs, and who, merely against the “unsupported” and “weak” statement of their imam, interpret or reject these authentic hadiths and sahih narrations.
Proof No. 1
عن طاؤس قال: سئل ابن عمر عن الرّكعتين قبل المغرب فقال: ما رأيت أحداً علی عھد رسول الله صلّی الله عليه وسلم يصلّيھما ورخّص في الرّكعتين بعد العصر.
“Tawus says: Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) was asked about the two rak’ahs before Maghrib, and he said: I did not see anyone during the time of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ praying them. Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) permitted the two rak’ahs after ‘Asr.”
Commentary:
This hadith indicates that Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) did not see anyone performing voluntary prayer before Maghrib, whereas Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) and others did see it. The testimony of the one who saw it is the proof, not the statement of the one who did not see it. It is an established principle that when a positive and a negative report conflict, the positive is given preference.
After mentioning this statement of Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), Imam al-Bayhaqi (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
القول في مثل ھذا قول من شاھد دون من لم يشاھد …
“In such (a conflict), the statement of the one who witnessed is the proof, not the one who did not witness.”
Note:
Here, as a point of benefit: some people, when presenting this narration, omit its final part, which says:
“Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) permitted praying two rak’ahs after ‘Asr.”
Because this goes against their position, this is the worst form of deception and distortion of the religion.
Benefit:
Qatadah (may Allah have mercy on him) reports: I said to Imam Sa’id ibn al-Musayyib (may Allah have mercy on him) that Abu Sa’id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) used to pray two rak’ahs before Maghrib. He said: He used to forbid those two rak’ahs. I did not see any Companion other than Sa’d ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) praying these two rak’ahs.
Its chain is “da’if”; the narrator Harun ibn Kamil’s authentication could not be found, and Ibn Yunus al-Misri mentioned him in his history without authentication.
Proof No. 2
قال عبدالرّزّاق عن الثّوری عن منصور عن ابراھيم، قال: لم يصلّ أبوبكر ولا عمر ولا عثمان الرّكعتين قبل المغرب.
“Ibrahim al-Nakha’i says that Abu Bakr, Umar and Uthman (may Allah be pleased with them) did not pray two rak’ahs before Maghrib.”
Commentary:
This narration is “da’if” for several reasons:
(a) Imam Abd al-Razzaq ibn Hammam al-San’ani is a “mudallis”, and his hearing (from his teacher) is not established by explicit statement.
(b) Imam Ibrahim al-Nakha’i was born after the death of Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and after the martyrdom of Umar and Uthman (may Allah be pleased with them both). Therefore this narration is severely “munqati'” (broken), and it is not valid to take proof from a “munqati'” narration.
Benefit:
In al-Matalib al-‘Aliyah of Ibn Hajar (623) it is stated:
قال مسدّد: حدّثنا یحیٰی عن سفیان، حدّثنی منصور عن أبیہ، قال….
The circumstances of Mansur’s father could not be found, therefore the chain is rejected.
Proof No. 3
عن حماد قال: سألت ابراہیم عن الصّلاۃ قبل المغرب فنھانی عنھا وقال: انّ النّبیّ صلّی الله علیہ وسلم و أبابکر و عمر لم یصلّوھا.
“It is narrated from Hammad ibn Abi Sulayman, who said: I asked Imam Ibrahim al-Nakha’i about the prayer before Maghrib, and he forbade me from it and said: The Prophet ﷺ and Abu Bakr and Umar did not pray it.”
Commentary:
This is a fabricated (forged) narration. Its narrator Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Shaybani is, by unanimous agreement, “da’if” and “kadhdhab” (a liar), and Imam Abu Zur’ah (may Allah have mercy on him) and others have criticised him.
Imam Yahya ibn Ma’in says:
محمّد جہمیّ کذّاب.
“Muhammad (ibn al-Hasan al-Shaybani) is a Jahmi (of a deviant sect) and a kadhdhab (an utter liar).”
He also says:
لیس بشیء.
“He is nothing.”
He has also declared Muhammad ibn al-Hasan “da’if”.
He further says:
اجتمع النّاس علی طرح ھؤلاء النفر، لیس یذاکر بحدیثھم، ولا یعتمد بھم، منھم محمّد بن الحسن…
“The people (the muhaddithun) have agreed to abandon these narrators; their hadiths are not discussed, nor are they relied upon; among these abandoned narrators is Muhammad ibn al-Hasan.”
Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (may Allah have mercy on him), the leader of Ahl al-Sunnah, says:
لا أروی عنہ شیأ.
“I do not take any narration from him.”
Presenting the narration of such a lying narrator against the beloved Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ is no service to the religion of Islam.
(b) Hammad ibn Abi Sulayman became afflicted with ikhtilat (confusion of memory) in the last part of his life.
Imam Ibn Sa’d writes:
اختلط فی آخر أمرہٖ.
“He became afflicted with ikhtilat in the last part of his life.”
Hafiz al-Haythami (may Allah have mercy on him, d. 807 AH) writes:
ولا یقبل من حدیث حمّاد الّا ما رواہ عنہ القدماء: شعبۃ، وسفیان الثّوریّ، والدّستوائیّ، ومن عدا ھؤلاء رووا عنہ بعد الاختلاط.
“The hadith of Hammad bin Abi Sulayman is not accepted, except for the hadith that his early students, Shu’bah, Sufyan al-Thawri and al-Dastawa’i, may Allah have mercy on them, narrate from him; all others narrated from him after he had become confused (ikhtilat).”
Imam Abu Hanifah is also among those students of Hammad who heard from him after his confusion (ikhtilat),
therefore this narration is “da’if” (weak) and rejected, and in its chain Nu’man bin Thabit is also agreed upon as “da’if wa matruk” (weak and abandoned).
Imam al-Zayla’i al-Hanafi (d. 726 AH) also described this narration as “mu’dal” (severely broken).
Proof No. 4
قال الطّبرانی: حدّثنا يحيی بن صاعد ، ثنا محمّد بن منصور المكّی ، ثنا يحيی بن أبي الحجّاج ، ثنا عيسی بن سنان عن رجاء بن حيوة عن جابر ، قال: سألنا نساء رسول اللہ صلّی اللہ عليه وسلم: ھل رأيتنّ رسول اللہ صلّی اللہ عليه وسلم يصلّي الرّكعتين قبل المغرب؟ فقلن: لا ، غير أنّ أمّ سلمة قالت: صلّاھما عندي مرّة ، فسألته: ما ھذه الصّلاة؟ فقال: نسيت الرّكعتين قبل العصر ، فصلّيتھما الآن.
It is narrated from Sayyidina Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: We asked the wives of the Prophet ﷺ, “Did you see the Messenger of Allah ﷺ praying two rak’ahs before Maghrib?” They said, “No, except that Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: He prayed them at my house once. I asked him, ‘What is this prayer?’ He ﷺ said: ‘I had forgotten the two rak’ahs before ‘Asr, so I have now prayed them.'”
Comment:
This narration is “da’if,” because in its chain ‘Isa bin Sinan al-Hanafi is “da’if” according to the majority.
Hafiz al-‘Iraqi (765-806 AH) said:
ضعّفہ الجمہور.
“The majority of muhaddithun have declared him weak.”
Hafiz al-Haythami said:
وضعّفہ الجمہور.
“He has been declared weak by the majority.”
Hafiz Ibn Hajar considers him “layyin al-hadith” (weak in narration).
The other narrator in this chain, Yahya bin Abi al-Hajjaj, has also been described by Hafiz Ibn Hajar as “layyin al-hadith.”
Proof No. 5
عن ابن المسیّب ، قال: کان المھاجرون لا یرکعون قبل المغرب وکانت الأنصار ترکع بھما.
“Sa’id bin al-Musayyab says that the Muhajir Companions did not pray two rak’ahs before Maghrib, while the Ansar used to pray them.”
Comment:
(a) This narration is “da’if” due to the “tadlis” (concealment) of Imam al-Zuhri (may Allah have mercy on him); whoever claims its authenticity must establish an explicit statement of hearing (sama’).
(b) The Ansar’s performance of these two rak’ahs is a clear proof of their being recommended (mustahabb), while the Muhajirin not praying them negates only obligation (wujub), which we also do not hold.
Proof No. 6
عن عبدالله بن بريدة عن أبيه ، قال: قال رسول الله صلّی الله عليه وسلّم: انّ عند كلّ أذانين ركعتين ماخلا صلاة المغرب.
“Abdullah bin Buraydah narrates from his father (Buraydah, may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Indeed, between every two calls to prayer (adhan and iqamah) there are two rak’ahs (recommended), except the Maghrib prayer.”
Comment:
(a) This narration is “da’if” due to the confusion (ikhtilat) of Hayyan bin ‘Ubaydullah (hasan al-hadith according to the majority).
Imam al-Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
ذکر الصّلت منہ الاختلاط.
“Al-Salt mentioned his confusion (ikhtilat).”
This hadith is also an instance of his confusion. Imam al-Bayhaqi (may Allah have mercy on him) described its chain and text as based on error.
Hafiz al-Haythami said:
ذكره ابن عدی، وقيل: انّه اختلط.
“He (Hayyan bin ‘Ubaydullah) has been mentioned by Imam Ibn ‘Adi, and it has been said that he became confused.”
Hafiz Ibn al-Mulaqqin (may Allah have mercy on him) declared the addition “makhala salat al-maghrib” (except the Maghrib prayer) to be “da’if.”
(b) Abdullah bin Buraydah (may Allah have mercy on him) himself narrates the Prophet’s ﷺ command regarding the two rak’ahs before Maghrib.
Moreover, he himself used to pray this prayer.
Proof No. 7
Sayyidina Abu Ayyub al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
صلّوا المغرب لفطر الصّائم وبادروا طلوع النّجوم.
“Pray Maghrib at the time of the fasting person’s iftar, and hasten before the stars appear (i.e., pray it early).”
Comment:
This narration is “da’if” because of the “rajul mubham” (unnamed narrator).
Proof No. 8
Sayyidina Abu Ayyub (may Allah be pleased with him) says: I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say:
صلّوا صلاة المغرب مع سقوط الشّمس، بادروا بھا طلوع النّجوم
“Pray Maghrib as soon as the sun sets, and hasten in its performance before the stars appear.”
Comment:
Both of these narrations contain an order to pray Maghrib early; they do not establish a negation of, or prohibition of, the two rak’ahs before Maghrib.
Surely the call to prayer for Maghrib is also made only after the sun has set, and if it is called properly it takes four or five minutes. Now, if someone takes this narration and raises the issue of not calling the Maghrib adhan, would he be justified?
The plain matter is that the very person who ordered the Maghrib prayer to be performed early also ordered two rak’ahs before Maghrib; he himself prayed them and showed them, and when he saw his Companions praying them, he expressed his approval.
Then, how much time do two rak’ahs really take? The meaning of the hadith is that one should not delay beginning and performing the Maghrib prayer to the point that the stars appear. If two rak’ahs are prayed quickly, where do the stars appear?
It is established that the Prophet ﷺ recited the short final surahs of the Mufassal (the small final surahs) in the Maghrib prayer.
Similarly, it is narrated from Sayyida ‘Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her:
انّ رسول الله صلّی الله عليه وسلّم قرأ فی صلاة المغرب بسورة الأعراف، فرّقھا في ركعتين.
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ recited Surah al-A’raf in the Maghrib prayer, dividing it over two rak’ahs.”
Despite reciting Surah al-Tur and Surah al-A’raf, the Maghrib prayer of the Prophet ﷺ was certainly not performed late, since he used to pray the prayer at its exact time. Do two rak’ahs take even more time than that?
Imam al-Nawawi, may Allah have mercy on him (631–676 AH), writes:
والمختار استحبابھا لھذه الأحاديث الصّحيحة الصّريحة
“In light of these authentic and explicit hadiths, the preferred view is that the prayer before Maghrib (two rak’ahs) is recommended.”
He further writes:
وأمّا قولھم: يؤدّي الٰی تأخير المغرب، فھذا خيال منابذ للسّنّة، فلا يلتفت اليه، ومع ھذا فھو زمن يسير، لا تتأخّر به الصّلاة عن أوّل وقتھا، وأمّا من زعم النّسخ، فھو مجازف، لأنّ النّسخ لا يصار اليه الّا اذا عجزنا عن التّأويل والجمع بين الأحاديث وعلمنا التّاريخ، وليس ھنا شيئ من ذلك.
“As for their (the deniers of the Sunnah) claim that praying two rak’ahs before Maghrib delays Maghrib, this is an imagination opposed to the Sunnah and should not be given any attention. Moreover, the performance of these two rak’ahs takes a short time, so the prayer is not delayed from its first time. As for the one who claims that this prayer has been abrogated, he is reckless, because a claim of abrogation is only made when we are unable to interpret the hadiths and reconcile them, and we know the chronology; and there is nothing of that kind here.”
See also
The renowned Hanafi scholar of the subcontinent, Abd al-Hayy Lucknawi (1264–1304 AH), quoting Hafiz al-Qastalani, writes:
مجموع الأحاديث تدل علی استحباب تخفيفھا كركعتی الفجر
“The collection of hadiths indicates that the two rak’ahs before the Maghrib prayer should be performed lightly, like the two rak’ahs before the Fajr prayer.”
Allama al-Kirmani, a Hanafi scholar, also holds that this prayer is recommended.
Mahmud al-Hasan Deobandi, the prisoner of Malta (d. 1339 AH), says:
“Yes! If one can pray the optional prayers without delaying Maghrib, or if there is a delay in congregation for some reason, then it is permissible.”
In sum:
Two optional rak’ahs before Maghrib are recommended; there is no evidence for their being disliked. We pray that Allah, the Lord of Honour, makes us among those who love the Sunnahs of the Prophet ﷺ. Ameen!
