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We have been discussing the sunnah prayers which were stressed
by the Prophet and which he was careful not to miss. There are
some other sunnah prayers (al-sunan ar-ratibah) which are
commendable, but are not "stressed."
Volume 2, Page 10b: Two or four rak'at
before 'asr
Many ahadith have been related about this sunnah prayer and
they all support each other.
Such hadith include the following:
Ibn 'Umar reports that the Prophet said: "May Allah
have mercy on a person who prays four rak'at before 'asr
prayer." This was related by Ahmad, Abu Dawud, at-Tirmizhi
(who calls it hasan), Ibn Hibban, and Ibn Khuzaimah. The
latter two hold it as sahih. 'Ali reports that the Prophet
sallallahu alehi wasallam prayed four rak'at before 'asr while
separating every two sets of rak'at with salutations to the
angels close to Allah, to the prophets, and to those who
followed them - the believers and Muslims. This is related by
Ahmad, an-Nasa'i, Ibn Majah, and atTirmizhi who grades it
hasan.
As for praying only two rak'af at this time, this would
fall under the generality of the Prophet's statement:
"Between every azhan and iqamah there is a prayer."
Volume 2, Page 10c: Two rak'at before
maghrib
Al-Bukhari records, from 'Abdullah ibn Mughaffal, that the
Prophet said: "Pray before maghrib, pray before maghrib,"
and after saying it a third time, he said: "For whoever
wishes to do so," not wanting the people to take it as a
sunnah. Ibn Hibban records that the Prophet prayed two rak'at
before maghrib prayer.
Muslim records that Ibn 'Abbas said: "We would pray
two rak'at before maghrib, and the Prophet would see us but he
would not order us to do so, nor would he prohibit us."
Ibn Hajar says in Fath al-Bari: "All of the evidence
points to the fact that it is preferred to say these two
rak'at quickly like the two rak'at before the salatul fajr."
Volume 2, Page 11: Two rak'at before
salatul 'isha
'Abdullah Ibn Mughaffal reports that the Prophet said:
"Between every azhan and iqamah there is a prayer.
Between every azhan and iqamah there is a prayer." And,
after saying it a third time, he said: "For whoever
wishes [to pray it]." This is related by the group. Ibn
Hibban records from Ibn az-Zubair that the Prophet said:
"There exists no obligatory prayer without there being,
immediately preceding it, two rak'at."
Volume 2, Page 11a: Separating The
Obligatory Prayer From The Supererogatory
It is preferred to make a separation between the fard and
nawafil prayers after one finishes the fard prayer.
One of the companions of the Prophet sallallahu alehi
wasallam reports that the Prophet prayed the afternoon prayer
and right afterward a man stood up to pray. 'Umar saw him and
told him: "Sit, the People of the Book were destroyed
because they did not differentiate between their
prayers." The Prophet said: "Well said, Ibn al-Khattab
[i.e., 'Umar]." This is related by Ahmad with a sahih
chain.
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