A Sunnah of Immense Reward and A Forgotten Sunnah
It is proven from the Prophet (ﷺ) that after ‘Isha’, when he returned to his house, he would pray four rak‘ahs. That was narrated in a hadith from Ibn ‘Abbaas (رضي الله عنه), who said:
I stayed overnight in the house of my maternal aunt Maymoonah bint al-Haarith, the wife of the Prophet (ﷺ), and the Prophet (ﷺ) was with her because it was her night. The Prophet (ﷺ) prayed ‘Isha’, then he came to his house and prayed four rak‘ahs. Then he went to sleep, then he got up and said: “The little boy has gone to sleep”, or similar words. Then he went and stood (to pray) and I stood on his left, but he made me stand on his right. He prayed five rak‘ahs, then he prayed two rak‘ahs, then he went to sleep, until I could hear him breathing deeply. Then he went out for the prayer. [Narrated by al-Bukhaari (117)]
The practice of the Prophet (ﷺ) indicates that it is prescribed to pray four rak‘ahs after ‘Isha’ prayer. Therefore the scholars are unanimously agreed that it is prescribed to offer this prayer after ‘Isha’, whether there is a specific saheeh hadith concerning its virtue or not.
This Prayer is a naafil (voluntary) prayer that comes under the heading of qiyaam al-layl (voluntary night prayers), as Ibn Qudaamah described it in al-Mughni (2/96) as a “voluntary prayer”. It is to be prayed after the two sunnah rak’ahs of Isha.
The Virtue of these 4 Rakats
Concerning the virtue of the four rak‘ahs after ‘Isha’ prayer there are five marfoo‘ hadiths, i.e., they are attributed to the Prophet (ﷺ), and there are ten reports from the Sahaabah and Taabi‘een that speak of their practice and their words in that regard. And there are many hadiths that were compiled by Ibn Abi Shaybah in al-Musannaf, in a chapter entitled Fi Arba‘i Rak‘aat ba‘d Salaat al-‘Isha’ (Concerning Four Rak‘ahs after ‘Isha’ Prayer). Al-Marwazi did likewise in his important book Qiyaam al-Layl, in a chapter entitled al-Arba‘u Rak‘aat ba‘d al-‘Isha’ al-Aakhirah (The Four Rak‘ahs after ‘Isha’), and al-Bayhaqi in as-Sunan al-Kubra, in a chapter entitled Baab man ja‘ala ba‘da al-‘Isha’ Arba‘a Rak‘aat aw Akthar (Chapter on One who prays Four or More Rak‘ahs after ‘Isha’).
Some Hadiths regarding its Virtue:
1) Abdullah ibn ‘Amr (رضي الله عنه) said:
من صلى أربعا بعد العشاء كن كقدرهن من ليلة القدر
“Whoever prays four [rak‘at] after ‘Isha’, they will be like the equivalent of them on Laylat al-Qadr.”
[Collected by Ibn Abi Shaybah in ‘Al-Musanaf’ 7273- Sahih]
Shaikh Albaani then mentions: “Its chain of narration is authentic”_then Ibn Abi Shaybah narrates the same narration from Aaisha, Ibn Masood, Ka’b ibn Maati’, Mujaahid, Abdur Rahmaan ibnil Aswad and mentions chains of narration going back to them all being authentic with the exception of the narration of Ka’b then Shaikh Albaani mentions:
“even though these narrations are attributed to companions they carry the ruling of ‘Ar Raf’ (i.e attribution to the messenger) since the subject of the narrations is not the type of thing they may have said from their opinion, as Is apparent” [Silsilah Ad Da’eefah 5060, 11/103]
2) A’ishah (رضي الله عنها) said:
أربعة بعد العشاء يعدلن بمثلهن من ليلة القدر
“Four [rak‘at] after ‘Isha’ equate to the like of them on Laylat al-Qadr.”
[Collected by Ibn Abi Shaybah in ‘Al-Musanaf’ 7274 – Sahih]
Although Night Prayers are done in Units of 2 then 2 and so on. This Prayer is Four Units without a Tasleem (Salam) between them, as we have an authentic text that gives a description for these prayers, so we must act according to it.
3) Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud (رضي الله عنه) said:
من صلى أربعا بعد العشاء لم يفصل بينهن بتسليم عدلن بمثلهن من ليلة القدر
“Whoever prays four [rak‘at] after ‘Isha’, not separating them by salam, they will equate to the like of them on Laylat al-Qadr.”
[Collected by Ibn Abi Shaybah in ‘Al-Musanaf’ 7275 – Sahih]
Imaamul Iraaqi (رحمه الله) has mentioned:
“This hadeeth is more profound in meaning than the hadeeth that was mentioned before since in it is the establishment of a person obtaining the virtue of Lailatul Qadr even if that is not on Lailatul Qadr, so what do you think about the one who does so on Lailatul Qadr itself! [Tarhut tathreeb 5/150]
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