Question:
I pray 4 sunnah rakats before zuhr and 2 sunnah rakats after is this right? I want to know if with the 4 sunnah rakats, do I pray them like zuhr or do I do tasleem in 2nd rakat and then do 2 more rakats? Also, 4 rakats before asr and maghrib are sunnah ghair muakkadah, how do you pray these. Is it the same as sunnah muakkadah?
Country: England
Answer:
Wa alaykum salam wa rahmatuLlahi wa barakatuHu,
The supererogatory prayers connected to the prescribed prayers are rawatib. They are divided into two:
1) The emphasized rawatib,
2) The non-emphasized rawatib.
The emphasized rawatib are ten rakahs total. They are:
1) Connected to zuhr are two rakahs before and after.
2) To maghrib are two rakahs after.
3) To isha are two rakahs after.
4) To subh are two rakahs before.
Non-emphasized rawatib are:
1) Two additional rakah before and after zuhr.
2) Four rakahs before asr.
3) Two rakahs before maghrib.
4) Two rakahs before isha.
These should be performed with a taslim after every two rakahs.
One should also be punctual in performing witr.
(See: Minhaj al-Talibin w/ Khatib v. 1, p. 450; al-Minhaj al-Qawim w/ Kurdi v. 1, p. 221; Rawdat al-Talibin v. 1, p. 429-30)
And Allah knows best.
Shafiifiqh.com Fatwa Dept.