Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Dear Brother Burhan

I read your answer to Q 1938 asking about Awabeen prayers and Duha prayers.  You said they are the same.

You are incorrrect in that.

Duha prayers are performed in the morning after the sun has risen and is about at least 3 metres high from the horizon.

Awabeen prayers are performed after Magrib. After one has said the Sunnat magrib prayers one says the awaabeen prayers before Isyak.

And Allah knows best

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Awwabeen prayers

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Beloved brother, some people do name the prayers prayed after Magrib as the ‘awwabeen’ prayers, but they use the name incorrectly.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) himself called the ‘duha’ prayers as ‘awwabeen’ prayers, when he said: “Pray the ‘Awwabeen’ prayers when the sun-light hits and the small-animals are taken in (to shelter).”

In today’s age, with the advancement in technology and urban life, we may not realize the full meaning of the timing. But the people who live rural lives and have domestic animals will immediately understand the connotation of the timing mentioned by the Messenger of Allah (saws). When the early sun-light hits, it is a norm in the rural areas to take the small animals into shelter to protect them from the harsh sunlight; and that is the time the Prophet (saws) told the believers was the time for the ‘Awwabeen’ prayers.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan