What is Ṣalāt al-Awwābīn?

By Mustafa Ali (5th Year Alim Student, DarusSalam Seminary)

Our path to Allah’s pleasure has been laid out by our pious predecessors. It is incumbent for every believer to follow the path of the Prophet ﷺ and his companions. One must rectify his character and actions. The Prophet ﷺ is the greatest example for mankind to emulate. When looking at his life, we see that he performed voluntary worship to please Allah. We should follow him by striving to implement what he did in our lives.

Upon closer examination, we see that the Prophet ﷺ punctually performed Ṣalāt al-Awwābīn after the maghrib prayer. In this paper, I shall mention some of its merits and virtues.

The verb āba (past tense) yaʾūbu (present tense) means to return. The word awwābīn is on the scale of the ism mubālaghah (i.e., the exaggerated form). It is the plural of awwāb; meaning, one who is oft-returning.

The revealed meaning of Ṣalāt al-Awwābīn is the six or more voluntary rakaʿāt that are offered after the maghrib prayer. The prayer was given this name as only a few are punctual in performing it regularly. -May Allah give us all tawfīq.- 

In the Qurʾān, the word awwābīn is used in both its singular and plural forms. Allah says:  

ووهبنا لداود سليمان نعم العبد إنه آواب

So to David We granted Solomon ‘as a son— and’ a most commendable servant ‘of God he was’! Indeed, he was ever penitent.[1]

In the verse, Allāh uses this word to describe the Prophet Sulaymān because he is oft-returning in repentance.

As well, Allah says:

رَّبُّكُمْ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا فِي نُفُوسِكُمْ ۚ إِن تَكُونُوا صَالِحِينَ فَإِنَّهُ كَانَ لِلْأَوَّابِينَ غَفُورًا

Your Lord knows best about what is within your souls. If you ‘resolve yourselves’ to be righteous, then, indeed, to all those who are ever-penitent He is All-Forgiving.[2]

As for its establishment in the Sunnah, the Prophet ﷺ said:

عن أبي هُريرة رضي الله عنه قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: من صَلَٰى بعد المغرب ست ركعات لم يتكلّم فيما بينهن بسوء عدلن بعبادة ثنتى عشرة سنة

Abū Hurayrah narrated that Allah’s Messenger  ﷺ said: “Whoever performs six rakaʿāt after the maghrib prayer, without engaging in any vile talk, he is given a reward equivalent to twelve years spent in worship.”[3]

Regarding this narration, Muftī Taqī Uthmānī says:[4]

This ḥadīth expounds on the virtues of praying six rakaʿāt after the maghrib prayer. This set of rakaʿāt is commonly known as “Ṣalāt al-Awwābīn.” However, we learn from authentic narrations that the name “Salāt al-Awwābīn” is another name for “Chāsht…

The term “Salāt al-Awwābīn” is not found in any book of ḥadīth about the voluntary prayers after maghrib… In Islam, there is flexibility when it comes to applying terms to things. For this reason, there is nothing wrong with referring to the six rakaʿāt after maghrib as “al-Awwābīn.”

Muftī Riḍā ul-Ḥaqq relates the opinions of the four madhāhib regarding this voluntary prayer.[5] He mentions the following:

• According to the Ḥanafiyyah, six raka’āt are recommended after the maghrib prayer based on the statement of the Allah’s Messenger ﷺ:

عن ابن عمر رضي الله عنه مرفوعا قال: من صلى بعد المغرب ست ركعات كتب من الاوّابين وتلا {إنه كان للأوابين غفورا} (رواه ابن خزيمة في صحيحه والترمذي)

“Whosoever prays six raka’āt after the maghrib prayer shall be written amongst the “al-Awwābīn.” He then proceeded to recite the verse: “Indeed, to all those who are ever-penitent He is all-forgiving.” (Imdād al-Fattāḥ)

• According to the Mālikiyyah, if one was to perform optional prayer after maghrib, specifically six raka’āt, that is mustahabb. Their proof is the same as the Ḥanafīs. (al-Thamar al-Dānī)
• According to the Shāfiʿiyyah, Ṣalāt al-Awwābīn is also known as “Salāt ul-Ghaflah” (the ignored prayer) due to most people ignoring it to eat or sleep. At most, it is twenty raka’āts that are performed between the maghrib and ʿishāʾ prayers and its minimum is two raka’āt based on the ḥadīth in al-Tirmidhī. (al-ʿIqnāʾ)
• According to the Ḥanābilah, it is mustahabb to perform optional prayers between the maghrib and the ʿishāʾ prayers due to the narration of Anas b. Mālik regarding the verse:

تتجافى جنوبهم عن المضاجع… الآية

“… And those whose sides forsake their beds.”

Anas says regarding this verse: “They are those who offer voluntary prayers between the maghrib and ʿishāʾ prayers.” (Al-Mughnī)

The scholars have stated that the two raka’āt of the sunnah mu’akkadah are included in the six optional raka’āt. Mullā ʿAli al-Qārī mentions:

“It is understood that the two sunnah muʾakkadah rakaʿāt are included in the six. Likewise, if one were to follow the narration about praying twenty rakaʿāt, the sunnah muʾakkadah would still be included.” [6]

There is also no mention of specific sūrahs that need to be read in the six raka’āt.

And Allah knows best.

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[1] Sūrat Ṣād 30.

[2] Sūrat al-ʾIsrāʾ 25.

[3] Sunan al-Tirmidhī #435.

[4] Dars Tirmidhī 2:195.

[5] Fatāwā Dār al-ʿUlūm Zakariyya 2:505.

[6] Mirqāt ul-Mafātīh 3:226