before ʿAsr, before Maghrib, and before ʿIshāʾ. It has also been authentically reported that:

“The companions of the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—used to offer two rakʿahs between the adhān and iqāmah of Maghrib. The Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—would see them without forbidding them, but he did not do so himself.”

Such prayers are good, but are not a sunnah, for the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—disliked their being adopted as a sunnah. The Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—did not pray before ʿAsr, before Maghrib, or before ʿIshāʾ. These prayers should therefore not be adopted as a sunnah, although offering them at those times is not disliked. This differs from what he both practised and encouraged, which is more strongly emphasized.

It has been reported that:

“He used to offer four rakʿahs before ʿAsr.”

But this report is weak. It has also been reported that:

“He used to offer two rakʿahs.”

What is meant here is the two rakʿahs before Zuhr. And Allah knows best.

He was asked:

“Does ʿAsr have a regular sunnah prayer or not? Please give us a ruling; may you be rewarded.”

He answered:

Praise be to Allah. What is established in the Sahīh concerning the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—is that:

“He used to offer ten or twelve rakʿahs alongside the obligatory prayers: two or four before Zuhr and two after it, two after Maghrib, two after ʿIshāʾ, and two before Fajr.”

It is likewise established in the Sahīh that