The one that is performed in the evening among the five daily salah - one of the five basic worships of Islam. Along with the other salahs, it became a binding religious duty in the event of Miraj, one and a half year before the Hegira. It gets its name from the time in which it is performed. Its obligatory part (fard) is three rak'ahs and it is fard al-ayn. Its sunnah is two rak'ahs and it is sunnah al-muakkadah.
The following is stated in the Quran: “So (give) glory to Allah, when ye reach eventide and when ye rise in the morning; Yea, To Him be praise, in the heavens and on earth; and in the late afternoon and when the day begins to decline.”(Surah ar-Room, 30/17-18)
The time of the evening salah starts with the sunset and continues up to the time when the day break disappears. According to Abu Hanifa, daybreak is the whiteness after the redness on the horizon in the evening. The time of the evening salah ends with the disappearance of this whiteness. According to Imam Abu Yusuf and Imam Muhammad, the time of the evening salah ends with appearance of this whiteness. The practice is based on the view of Imam Abu Yusuf and Imam Muhammad. Nevertheless, if the salah cannot be performed at this time, it can be performed up to the disappearance of the whiteness arising after the redness.
The obligatory part (fard) of the evening salah is performed before its sunnah. Firstly, it is necessary to intend to perform the obligatory part of the evening salah. The salah is started by saying Allahuakber; then, “subhanaka",audhu basmala", “Surah Al-Fatiha”, some ayahs or one of the short surahs (additional chapter) are read; after the ruku and the sajdahs of the second rak'ah, “Surah Al-Fatiha”and again some ayahs or one of the short surahs is read by standing (qiyam),and again after the ruku and sajdahs, the person sits down. (qa'da al-ula)*
After at-tahiyyatu is read, the person stands up for the third rakah; only “Surah Al-Fatiha” is read while standing; after the ruku and sajdahs, the person sits down again (qa`da al-akhira)*, at-tahiyyatu, salawat prayers and "rabbana atina" and "rabbanaghfirli" are read and salutations are performed. After that, the two-rakah sunnah is performed. In the sunnah of the evening salah, “Surah Al-Fatiha” and an additional chapter or some verses are read in each rak'ah; after sitting in the second rakah, the same prayers as the ones read in the qa`da al-akhira of the fard salah are read and salutations are performed.
The sunnah of the evening salah can be performed as more than two rakahs, too. It is mandub to perform as six rak'ahs..Salutations must be performed after two rakahs. These extra salahs are called as “awwabin”.
Because of the brevity of the evening salah’s duration, it must be performed quickly immediately after the adhan. So, short surahs should be read.
It is mandub to delay the evening salah if dinner is ready. If there is a risk of the time of the evening salah ending if dinner is eaten, it is not permissible to delay the salah.
- Why do we need to read Subhanaka supplication when we stand up for the third rak’ah after the first sitting when we perform the sunnah prayers of the afternoon (asr) and night (isha) prayers?
- Why do we read salli-barik prayers in the first sitting of the first sunnah of the afternoon and night salahs? In case of forgetting to read them, do we have to make sajda as-sahw?
- How to perform the evening (maghrib) prayer (Fard)
- How to perform the evening (maghrib) prayer (Sunnah)
- What are the hadiths related to sunnah/nafilah prayers and their virtues?
- Are there any prayers that the Prophet (pbuh) performed after the morning prayer (fajr)? Is it permissible for a person who starts to perform awwabin prayer as four rak’ahs to perform it as two rak’ahs?
- How to perform the noon (zuhr) prayer (The First Sunnah)
- How to perform the noon (zuhr) prayer (Fard)
- How to perform the noon (zuhr) prayer (The Last Sunnah)
- What should a person who forgets the number of rak’ahs he has performed or who makes a mistake about rak’ahs do?