Sunnah is My Style!

Salat ul Awwabeen (Prayer of the Obedient ones!)

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

‘Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon our beloved Prophet Muhammad (s.a.s), his blessed descendents and noble companions.’

                                                                      Aameen.

Salat ul Awwabeen (Prayer of the Obedient ones!)

 

The Salat al-Awwabeen (prayer of the oft repentant) is 6 rakats, prayed after the Maghrib prayer in sets of two.

It is best to do this after the 2 confirmed Sunnah rakats of Maghrib, though it is also valid to consider those 2 rakats from the 6.

Hadhrat Abu Hurairah [Ra] narrated that the Rasoolallah [SAW] said: The person who offers 6 Raka'ah Nafl after the Maghrib Salah, and does not speak evil in between receives rewards equal to 12 years of worship.

[Tirmidhi, Mishkat, Tarteeb Shareef pg. 169]

 

The prayer of Awwabeen is the Chasht [Duha (forenoon)] prayer or the one which is performed between Maghrib (sunset) prayer and Isha (evening) prayer.

Abu Dharr reports that the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) said:  "You are required to give Sadaqa (charity) on behalf of every joint in your bones.  Every Tasbeeha (saying Subhana Allah) is a charity, every Tahmeeda (saying Al Hamdu Lillah) is a charity, every Tahlila (saying La Ilaha Illa Allah) is a charity.  Every Takbeera (saying Allahu Akbar) is a charity.  Enjoining the good and forbidding the evil is a charity.  But it is sufficient from all this to pray the two Rak’ah of Dhuha." [Reported by Imams Muslim and Abu Dawud]

Concerning the prayer between Maghrib (sunset) and Isha (evening) are: An-Nasa’e relates with a good chain, as Al-Mun’thiri records in At-Targheeb Wal-Tarheeb from Hu’thaifa (Radiya Allahu Anhu) that he said: "I performed Al-Maghrib prayer with the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam), then he continued praying till Al-Isha prayer."

The term Awwaabeen is the plural of Awwaab, which means the obedient, or the one who returns to the obedience [of Allah SWT].

 In ‘Mughni Al-Muhtaj’ – 1/459 Al-Awwabeen prayer is also called prayer of the “unmindful” because people usually neglect performing it due to having supper or sleeping and the like.  It is twenty Rak’ahs between Maghrib and Isha owing to a tradition narrated by At-Tirmizi: The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) said, "Whoever prays six Rak’ahs between Maghrib and Isha, is counted for him/her as the observance of 12 years of worship."'

 Al-Ma’wardi also said: '"The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) used to pray between Maghrib and Isha.  He used to call it Al-Awwabeen prayer."  It is deduced from this tradition and the previous saying that Al-Awwabeen prayer is a combination of this prayer (between Maghrib and Isha) and the forenoon’s, i.e Chasht (Duha) Nafl Salah.

'Six Rak’ahs Nafl Salah after Maghrib are called the Al-Awwabeen prayer.'  The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) said:  "Whoever prays six Rak’ahs after Maghrib prayer it is equal in reward to praying for twelve years." (Ibn Majah)

A/N :)

I Know another wonderful Nafl prayer! ;)))  Just six rak’ahs Salah and you get what? Twelve years of worship Subhan Allah! Though don’t ask me, I have prayed only once or twice this Awwabeen  Nafl in my whole life…I came to know of its virtue and importance only now, may Allah SWT guide us all into including this beautiful practice of Prophet (SAW) in our lives too! Aameen Summa Aameen :)))

With Duas and Salaam,     

     abdurRahman