Salāt al-Ishrāq

Question:
I would like to know about the 2 rakah Salah which is sunnah to pray in the early morning after sunrise what are the virtues of this is it 2 or 4 rakah?

Answer:

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

It is Sunnah to read two or four rakaats nafl salaah approximately fifteen minutes after sunrise. This salaah is known as Salāt al-Ishrāq.

There are many virtues mentioned in the Ahadeeth for reading this salaah. See the following Hadith:

عن أنس، قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: من صلى الغداة في جماعة ثم قعد يذكر الله حتى تطلع الشمس، ثم صلى ركعتين كانت له كأجر حجة وعمرة، قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: تامة تامة تامة

Translation: Anas bin Malik Radhyallahu Anhu narrated that Rasulullah ﷺsaid: “Whoever prays fajr in congregation, then sits remembering Allah until the sun has risen, then he prays two rakaats, for him is the reward like that of a Hajj and Umrah”. He said: “The Messenger of Allah said: “Complete, complete, complete (Hajj and umrah)”. Sunan At-Tirmizi [586]

“ قَالَ: قَالَ اللَّهُ – عَزَّ وَجَلَّ -: ابْنَ آدَمَ صَلِّ لِي أَرْبَعَ رَكَعَاتٍ مِنْ أَوَّلِ النَّهَارِ أَكْفِكَ آخِرَ“

(مجمع الزوائد عن مسند احمد،2/492 )

Translation: Rasūlullāh (Sallallāhu Alaihi Wa Sallam has said: Allāh Ta’ālā says, “O’ son of Adam, perform four Raka’āt in the beginning of the day, I will suffice you for the end of the day.” (Majma’ al-Zawāid)

The time for performing Salāt al-Ishrāq commences approximately fifteen minutes after sunrise, when it is difficult for a person to look directly at the sun due to its brightness. The ending time for Salāt al-Ishrāq is at nisfun nahaar sharee/ dahwatul kubra.

Dahwatul kubra is the time halfway between subah saadiq and sunset, for example if subah saadiq is at 4:00am and sunset is at 6:00pm, then dahwatul kubra will be at 11:00am, that is seven hours, half of the full day which is fourteen hours.

The best method of performing Salāt al-Ishrāq is, after performing fajr, a person makes zikr, duaa etc.(i.e. he does not get involved any worldly activity) until about fifteen minutes after sunrise and then reads Salāt al-Ishrāq.

However if a person cannot do this, then he can read Salāt al-Ishrāq at a later time.

One may perform two rakats or four rakats of Salāt al-Ishrāq.ⁱ

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Checked and Approved by,

Mufti Ebrahim Desai.