Answered by Sidi Moustafa Elqabbany
What is the optimal way to perform the sunnah before Duhr and Asr? Please clarify the details. Example: For Asr salaah, the texts mention the optimal way as 4 rakaats. Is this 2 rakaat + 2 rakaat each with salaams or 4 rakat with a single salam? What is the sunnah-mowkada for these sunnah before Duhr and Asr? Please clarify the details.
Preliminaries
The mu’akkad sunnahs of dhuhr are two rak’ahs before and two after. Praying four rak’ahs before dhuhr and four after dhuhr is better, and two of each set of four is consideredmu’akkad. It is also sunnah to pray four rak’ahs before asr, but there is no mu’akkad sunnah for asr.
The Optimal Way
The optimal way for the sunnahs before and after dhuhr, as well as before asr, is to pray a set of two rak’ahs, complete with salams, and then another set of two. It is necessary when praying the sunnahs of dhuhr to intend the preceeding sunnah (qabliyyah) and the succeeding sunnah (ba’diyyah). It is not necessary to intend themu’akkad nature of the sunnah, because the first two units will be counted towards it automatically.
Other Valid Ways
It is valid to pray the sunnahs before dhuhr as a single set of four with either one or two tashahhuds. The same holds for the sunnahs after dhuhr and before asr. It is even valid to pray a single set of eight rak’ahs after dhuhr, intending the preceeding and succeeding sunnahs of dhuhr thereby.
Additional Notes
It is recommended to lengthen the sunnah preceeding dhuhr.
Encouragement from Hadith
EF -‘A8 9DI #1(9 1C9’* B(D ‘D8G1 H #1(9 (9/G’ -1EG ‘DDG 9DI ‘DF’1 1H’G ‘D*1E0J H 5–G
“Whoever is constant in offering four units of prayer before dhuhr and four after it, Allah makes him forbidden for the Fire [to touch].” (It was related by Tirmidhi, who classified it as rigoursly authenticated.)
1-E ‘DDG ‘E1# 5DI B(D ‘D951 #1(9’ 1H’G ‘(F’ .2JE) H -(‘F H 5–‘G
“May Allah have Mercy on one who offers four units of prayer before asr.” (It was related by Ibn Khuzayma and Ibn Hibban, both of whom classified it as rigoursly authenticated.)
References
Al-Bayjuri, Ibrahim ibn Muhammad. Hashiya al-Allama al-Fadil wa al-Qudwa al-Kamil ash-Shaykh Ibrahim al-Bayjuri `Ala Sharh al-Allamah Ibn Qasim Al-Ghazzi. 2 vols. Cairo: Mustafa al-Babi al-Halabi wa Awladuh, 1343.
Allah the Exalted knows best and He alone gives success.
Moustafa Elqabbany
Metro Vancouver, Canada