Maghrib is 5 rakats: 3 rakats of fard, then 2 rakats of sunnah. It is the only one of the five daily prayers whose fard has three rakats. Witr is prayed only after Isha, so Maghrib has none.
| Part | Rakats | Ruling |
|---|---|---|
| Fard | 3 | fard |
| Last sunnah | 2 | emphasized sunnah |
| Total | 5 | |
| Awwabin (optional) | 4 extra rakats | voluntary |
Is the Maghrib sunnah before or after the fard?
In the Hanafi school the sunnah of Maghrib comes only after the fard: 2 rakats of emphasized sunnah. The Diyanet Namaz İlmihali lists praying a voluntary prayer before the Maghrib fard, once the Maghrib time has entered, among the makruh times. The Shafi'is, on the other hand, consider 2 rakats before the fard recommended. A report on this runs as follows:
— ‘Abdullāh ibn Mughaffal; al-BukhariOffer two Rak‘ahs before Maghrib, if you will
The narration adds that he said it fearing people might take it as a sunnah.
— Source (Turkish): Namaz İlmihali, "Times when voluntary prayer is makruh"; TDV Encyclopedia of Islam, "Rek'at"How is the 3-rakat Maghrib fard prayed?
The men say the iqamah, then the intention is made for the Maghrib fard.
- The first two rakats are prayed like a two-rakat prayer: al-Fatihah and a surah in each rakat, a bowing and two prostrations.
- At the end of the second rakat you sit and recite only the Tashahhud, then say "Allahu akbar" and stand for the third rakat.
- In the third rakat you say the basmalah and recite al-Fatihah. No surah is added. After the bowing and prostrations you sit.
- In the final sitting the Tashahhud, the Salawat, and the Rabbana supplications are recited, and the salam is given to the right and the left.
In congregation the imam recites al-Fatihah and the surah aloud in the first two rakats. Which surahs to recite is covered in surahs recited in prayer, and the supplications are in prayer duas.
— Source (Turkish): Namaz İlmihali, "How the prayers are performed: Maghrib" and "Wajibs of the prayer"Why is the Maghrib time called short?
Maghrib begins at sunset and lasts until the red glow on the horizon (shafaq) disappears; for Abu Hanifa alone, shafaq is the whiteness that follows the redness. The Namaz İlmihali notes that the time is narrow and says praying Maghrib early, in summer and winter, is recommended, while leaving it for later without an excuse is makruh. The TDV Encyclopedia of Islam adds that all schools consider praying Maghrib at the start of its time more virtuous.
— Source (Turkish): Namaz İlmihali, "The time of Maghrib"; TDV Encyclopedia of Islam, "Vakit"Breaking the fast and Maghrib in Ramadan
During Ramadan the fast is broken at the Maghrib adhan, and the prayer follows. Anas reported the Prophet's practice:
— Anas ibn Mālik; al-Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, Ahmad (hasan)The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to break his fast before praying by having three fresh dates. If there were no fresh dates, he would have dried dates; and if there were no dried dates, he would drink a few sips of water.
Keeping iftar short helps you pray within the early part of a short time.
What is the Awwabin prayer?
A voluntary prayer offered after Maghrib is called the Awwabin prayer. According to the High Council of Religious Affairs it is 6 rakats, either with a single salam or as three sets of two. The Namaz İlmihali recommends adding 4 rakats to the 2-rakat Maghrib sunnah to make six, and records that some scholars count the six separately from the sunnah. The High Council points out that the report promising a large reward for six rakats after Maghrib has a weak chain. Awwabin is neither fard nor wajib, only a voluntary prayer. The Council also notes that the name is used for the Duha prayer too, although the Maghrib use is more common.
— Source (Turkish): High Council of Religious Affairs, "Evvabin namazi nedir ve nasil kilinir?"; Namaz İlmihali, "Awwabin prayer"If Maghrib is missed
A missed Maghrib fard is made up as 3 rakats, with al-Fatihah alone in the third rakat. The sunnah is not made up, since the only sunnahs made up are those of Fajr, Dhuhr and Friday. See how to make up missed prayers. All five prayers are compared in how many rakats in each prayer.
— Source (Turkish): Namaz İlmihali, "Prayers not prayed on time"; High Council of Religious Affairs, "Hangi namazlar kaza edilir?"Sources
- Diyanet Presidency of Religious Affairs, Namaz İlmihali (Karagöz, Altuntaş), Ankara 2011 (Turkish): PDF
- High Council of Religious Affairs, the Awwabin prayer (Turkish): kurul.diyanet.gov.tr
- High Council of Religious Affairs, which prayers are made up (Turkish): kurul.diyanet.gov.tr
- TDV Encyclopedia of Islam, "Rek'at" (Turkish): islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/rekat; "Vakit": islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/vakit
