What’s in the Maghrib Prayer 
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
1: The Sunnah of maghrib should be prayed in the house.
عَنْ رَافِعِ بْنِ خَدِيجٍ ، قَالَ : أَتَانَا النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى الله عَليْهِ وسَلَّمَ فِي بَنِي عَبْدِ الأَشْهَلِ ، فَصَلَّى بِنَا الْمَغْرِبَ فِي مَسْجِدِنَا ، ثُمَّ قَالَ : ارْكَعُوا هَاتَيْنِ الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ فِي بُيُوتِكُمْ.
Rafi’ bin Khadij said: We came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) with Banu ‘Abdul-Ashhal, and he led us in the Maghrib prayer in our masjid. Then he said: ‘Pray these two Rak’ah in your houses.’”[1]
2: The salaf viewed it Sunnah to delay the Sunnah prayer after Maghrib until the twilight disappeared.
عَنْ مَيْمُونِ بْنِ مِهْرَانَ ، قَالَ : صَلَّى حُذَيْفَةُ الْمَغْرِبَ فِي جَمَاعَةٍ ، فَلَمَّا سَلَّمَ الإِمَامُ قَامَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى جَنْبِهِ ، فَأَرَادَ أَنْ يُصَلِّيَ الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ ، فَجَذَبَهُ حُذَيْفَةُ ، فَقَالَ : اجْلِسْ ، لاَ عَلَيْك أَنْ تُؤَخِّرَ هَاتَيْنِ الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ ، انْتَظِرْ قَلِيلاً.
Maymoun ibn Mihran said: Huthayfah ibn Yaman prayed Maghrib in congregation, when the Iman made tasleem a man stood up beside him and wanted to pray two the rakah (sunnah). Thus Huthayfah pulled him and said, ” sit down, don’t worry, these two Rakah are delayed, so wait a lit bit.”[2]
عَنِ ابْنِ عَوْنٍ ، قَالَ : كَانَ رَجَاءُ بْنُ حَيْوَةَ إِذَا صَلَّى الْمَغْرِبَ ، لَمْ يُصَلِّ بَعْدَهَا شَيْئًا حَتَّى يَغِيبَ الشَّفَقُ.
Ibn ‘Awn said: Raja ibn Haywa used to delay the sunnah prayers for Maghrib until the dusk vanished.[3]
3: Maghrib is the Witr prayer for the day.
عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ، قَالَ : صَلاَةُ الْمَغْرِبِ وِتْرُ النَّهَارِ
Ibn Umar narrated the Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wa salam) said: The Maghrib prayer is the Witr of the day.[4]
Ibn Umar (Radi Allahu anhu) said: Witr of the day means it’s the last prayer of the day.”
**Abu Aaliyah Abdullah ibn Dwight Battle, the researcher for this topic adds (May Allah forgive me for my errors): Extra benefit. This hadith is from the Zawa’id of ibn Abi Shaybah on the 6 books. It would be wonderful if some of the students, scholars or verifiers of hadith would compile the Zawa’id of the Musanaf ibn Abi Shaykh and Abdur Razzaq on the six books.**[5]
4: Whoever catches 1 Rak’ah of Maghrib will make 3 Tashahud (sit every Rak’ah)
ابْنِ الْمُسَيَّبِ ، قَالَ : هَلْ تَعْلَمُونَ صَلاَةً يُقْعَدُ فِيهَا كُلِّهَا ؟ فَقَالَ : ذَلكَ رَجُلٌ أَدْرَكَ مِنَ الْمَغْرِبِ رَكْعَةً فَيَقْعُدُ فِيهِنَّ جَمِيعًا
Sa’eed ibn Al-Musayyab said: Do you know a prayer in which a person sits in every rakah? He said: It’s when a man catches one Rak’ah in the Maghrib prayer, thus he sits in every Rak’ah.”[6]
5: Whoever prayed maghrib then came to the Masjid should pray with the congregation then stand up and pray 1 Rakah without making Tasleem with the Imam.
عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ ، قَالَ : إِذَا صَلَّى الْمَغْرِبَ وَحْدَهُ ، ثُمَّ صَلَّى فِي جَمَاعَةٍ شَفَعَ بِرَكْعَةٍ.
Ibrahim An-Nakha’ee said: When a person prays Maghrib alone, and then prays in the congregation, he should stand up and make it even, by adding 1 Rak’ah.[7]
6: There is a consensus among the scholars that Maghrib shouldn’t be delayed but rather offered right away.
Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Ibrahim ibn Munthir (318H): Everyone I have met and learned from unanimously agree that it’s better to hasten the Maghrib prayer on. [8]
7: To offer 2 Rakah before Maghrib is encouraged.
عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ : صَلُّوا قَبْلَ صَلاَةِ الْمَغْرِبِ- قَالَ فِي الثَّالِثَةِ – لِمَنْ شَاءَ كَرَاهِيَةَ أَنْ يَتَّخِذَهَا النَّاسُ سُنَّةً.
The Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wa salam) said: Pray before Maghrib, Pray before Maghrib-af ter the 3rd time he said whoever wishes. He disliked people to take it as a Sunnah.” [9]
Shaykh Abdul Aziz bin Baz said: The narrator of this Hadith intended Sunnah Ratibah. It’s legislated to offer Sunnah prayers before Maghrib, but these Sunnah prayers aren’t like the rawatib. Whoever enters the masjid before the athan should offer Tahiyatul Masjid and prayer these sunnah after the athan is called.[10]
* With the approach of Ramadhan it would be nice to revive these actions from our salaf; as we love to shadow their footsteps
“All good is in following the Salaf, and all evil is in the innovations of those who came later [khalaf].”
Allah knows best
Translated وcompiled and researched by :
Abu Aaliyah Abdullah ibn Dwight Lamont Battle Sr.
Doha,Qatar 1435© Sha’ban 28th
[1] Ibn Majah(1165) Ahmed 5/427,Ibn Khuzaymah 1200. Shaykh Al-Albani graded it as being Hasan in Jam’I As-Saghir.
[2] Al-Musanaf of Ibn Abi Shaybah , Chapter : Those who said : delay the 2 rakah after Maghrib.#6375-Isnad sahih
[3] Ibid # 6377 –Isnad Hasan
[4] Al_Musanaf of Ibn Abi Shaybah , Chapter : Those who say Maghrib is Witr of the day,#6708 . Al-Albani graded this hadith as being authentic in Jam’I As-Saghir.
[5] Zawa’id refers to hadith which arent found in particular books. Ex.Majmu Zawa’id by Al-Haythami 807H.
[6] Al-Musanaf of Ibn Abi Shaybah, Chapter: Whoever catches one Rak’ah in Maghrib# 8481-Isnad Sahih
[7] Al-Musanaf ob Ibn Abi shaybah, Chapter: Those who say if a person repeats Maghrib he should add 1 rak’ah to it to make it even number # 6654-Isnad Sahih.
[8] Al-Awsot minas Sunnani wal Ijam’I wal Ikhtilafi vol 2/64
[9] Sahih Al-Bukhari # 1183
[10] Al-Hulalul Ibrezeyah min At-Ta’leeqatil Bazeeyah ala Sahih Al-Bukhari vo1 1/ pg 356