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:

It is sunnah to perform salah of 4 rakah before Zuhr and two after it. I have been told by someone that when we perform the 4 rakah sunnah we are suppose to break it as two salah of two rakah and not 4 rakah at one stretch.

What is the right way of performing this salah?

(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:

Four Rakah together or seperate

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.

The Prophet (saws) said: "The (nafl) prayers of the night and day are (sets of) two [rak'at]."

Related by Abu Dawud.

Umm Salamah reports that the Prophet (saws) would perform the witr with five or seven rak'at without breaking them apart with taslim or any speech."

This is related by Ahmad, an-Nasa'i, and Ibn Majah.

Although most times the Prophet (saws) would pray his ‘nafl’ or supererogatory prayers in sets of two rakah combinations; there is evidence in his authentic Sunnah that at times he (saws) would pray four (or more) rakahs together and end it with only one tasleem.

All the major schools of thought are unanimous that both the two-rakah-one-tasleem or four(or more)-rakah-one-tasleem are considered as amongst the Sunnah or way of the Prophet (saws), and thus both are permissible for the believers; and one may pray whichever format is easier and convenient for them.

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

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan