The Tawabeen Prayer: Virtues, Rulings, and Misunderstandings

The Tawabeen Prayer: Clarifying its Time, Virtues, and Rulings

The Tawabeen prayer is widely discussed among the public, but many are unaware of its true nature. Among the Hanafi followers, it is common for people to perform this prayer as six Rak’ahs after the Maghrib prayer, which is not its correct time. To address this mistake, I have written this article.

Meaning of Tawabeen:

Tawabeen is the plural of Awwab, which is an intensive form meaning someone who frequently turns to Allah, engages in remembrance and praise, feels regret for sins, and repents. Both Awwab and Tawabeen are used in the Qur’an. Allah says:
هَٰذَا مَا تُوعَدُونَ لِكُلِّ أَوَّابٍ حَفِيظٍ (ق:32)
Translation: “This is what you are promised for every frequently returning one who is mindful.”

Allah says:
رَّبُّكُمْ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا فِي نُفُوسِكُمْ ۚ إِن تَكُونُوا صَالِحِينَ فَإِنَّهُ كَانَ لِلْأَوَّابِينَ غَفُورًا (الاسراء:25)
Translation: “Your Lord knows best what is in your hearts. If you are righteous, then indeed He is ever Forgiving for those who frequently return (to Him).”

In another verse, Allah says:
وَلَقَدْ آتَيْنَا دَاوُودَ مِنَّا فَضْلًا ۖ يَا جِبَالُ أَوِّبِي مَعَهُ وَالطَّيْرَ ۖ وَأَلَنَّا لَهُ الْحَدِيدَ (سبا:10)
Translation: “And We gave David a great favor from Us. O mountains, repeat praises with him, and the birds (also)…”

The Tawabeen Prayer and the Duha Prayer are the Same:
The Tawabeen prayer and the Duha (forenoon) prayer are the same; there is no difference between them. Many Hadiths and statements from scholars and Hadith experts support this, but one Hadith is enough to clarify this. The saying of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is the most authoritative, and it overrides all other opinions.
Abu Huraira (RA) narrated:
أوصاني خليلي بثلاثٍ لستُ بتاركهنَّ ، أن لا أنامَ إلا على وترٍ ، و أن لا أدَعَ ركعتي الضُّحى ، فإنها صلاةُ الأوّابينَ ، و صيامِ ثلاثةِ أيامٍ من كلِّ شهرٍ۔(صحيح الترغيب:664، صحيح ابن خزيمة:1223)
Translation: “My beloved friend (the Prophet) advised me with three things that I will never abandon: not to sleep without praying Witr, not to leave the two Rak’ahs of Duha, for it is the prayer of the Tawabeen, and to fast three days every month.”
This Hadith is authenticated by Sheikh Albani in Sahih al-Targhib and Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah (previous reference).

In this Hadith, the Prophet (PBUH) clearly states that Salat al-Duha (the Duha prayer) is indeed Salat al-Awwabeen (the prayer of the Tawabeen).

An important point to remember here is that there are three prayers mentioned between Fajr and Zuhr:

1. The Ishraq prayer
2. The Duha prayer
3. The Tawabeen prayer

Both Duha and Tawabeen prayers are the same. The Ishraq prayer is the prayer offered at the early time, immediately after sunrise. If it is performed before Zuhr, it is called the Duha prayer. If performed in the middle or later part of the time, it is called the Tawabeen prayer. Essentially, the Ishraq prayer and the Duha prayer are the same, but when offered shortly after sunrise, it is called Ishraq, and if offered before Zuhr in the later part of its time, it is called Duha.

Virtues of the Tawabeen Prayer:

Since the Tawabeen prayer and Duha prayer are the same, all the virtues of the Duha prayer also apply to the Tawabeen prayer. Here are some Hadiths related to its virtues:

First Hadith:
عَنْ أَبِي ذَرٍّ عَنْ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ يُصْبِحُ عَلَى كُلِّ سُلَامَى مِنْ أَحَدِكُمْ صَدَقَةٌ فَكُلُّ تَسْبِيحَةٍ صَدَقَةٌ وَكُلُّ تَحْمِيدَةٍ صَدَقَةٌ وَكُلُّ تَهْلِيلَةٍ صَدَقَةٌ وَكُلُّ تَكْبِيرَةٍ صَدَقَةٌ وَأَمْرٌ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ صَدَقَةٌ وَنَهْيٌ عَنْ الْمُنْكَرِ صَدَقَةٌ وَيُجْزِئُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ رَكْعَتَانِ يَرْكَعُهُمَا مِنْ الضُّحَى(صحيح مسلم: 1701)
Translation: Abu Dharr (RA) narrated from the Prophet (PBUH) that he said: “In the morning, every one of you has a charity (sadaqa) for each of your joints. Every utterance of SubhanAllah (glorifying Allah) is a charity, every Alhamdulillah (praise be to Allah) is a charity, every La ilaha illallah (there is no god but Allah) is a charity, every Allahu Akbar (Allah is the Greatest) is a charity, every act of enjoining good is a charity, and every act of forbidding evil is a charity. And two Rak’ahs from Duha (the forenoon prayer) will suffice for all of this.”

Second Hadith:
عَنْ أَبِي الدَّرْدَاءِ أَوْ أَبِي ذَرٍّ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَنْ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ أَنَّهُ قَالَ ابْنَ آدَمَ ارْكَعْ لِي مِنْ أَوَّلِ النَّهَارِ أَرْبَعَ رَكَعَاتٍ أَكْفِكَ آخِرَهُ(الترمذي: 486)
Translation: Abu Darda (RA) or Abu Dharr (RA) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: “Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, says: ‘O son of Adam! Pray four Rak’ahs for Me at the beginning of the day, and I will take care of the rest of the day for you.'”
This Hadith is also authenticated by Sheikh Albani (Sahih al-Tirmidhi: 475).

Third Hadith:

From Abu Umama, may Allah be pleased with him, who said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Whoever leaves his house in a state of purity to perform an obligatory prayer, his reward is like that of a pilgrim in Ihram. And whoever goes out to perform the Duha prayer, with the sole intention of that prayer, his reward is like that of a person performing Umrah. And the prayer performed after another prayer, with no vain talk between them, will be recorded in the ‘Illiyun.” (Abu Dawud: 558)

Translation: It is narrated from Abu Umama, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Whoever leaves his house after performing ablution for an obligatory prayer, his reward will be the same as that of a pilgrim in the state of Ihram. And whoever leaves for the Duha prayer, and his sole purpose is that prayer, his reward will be the same as that of someone performing Umrah. And one prayer after another, without any idle talk between them, will be recorded in the highest place in Heaven, ‘Illiyun.”

Fourth Hadith:

From Anas bin Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Prophet ﷺ said: “Whoever prays the Fajr prayer in congregation, then sits remembering Allah until the sun rises, then prays two rak’ahs, his reward will be like that of a complete Hajj and Umrah, complete, complete, complete.” (Sahih al-Tirmidhi: 586)

Translation: Whoever performs the Fajr prayer in congregation, then sits to remember Allah until the sun rises, and then prays two rak’ahs, will receive a reward equivalent to the reward of completing Hajj and Umrah, complete, complete, complete.

The ruling on the prayer of Awabin (Duha):

There is a difference of opinion regarding the ruling on this prayer. Some have referred to it as a prayer that has a cause, because there are some narrations about it, as one person asked Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her: “Did the Prophet ﷺ perform the Duha prayer?” She replied: “No, except when he returned from travel.” (Sahih Muslim: 1691)

Some have outright denied this prayer, and Abdullah bin Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, even called it an innovation. This can be understood as a reference to the narrator not having witnessed it, as stated by Hafiz Ibn Hajar. Some scholars have mentioned that it may be permissible to perform it occasionally, while Sheikh Ibn Baz described the Duha prayer as a confirmed Sunnah. Most scholars consider the prayer of Awabin to be a recommended (mustahabb) act. In my view, it is better to classify it as a recommended act. The following are some supporting arguments:

(1) One reason is the narration from Abu Huraira, may Allah be pleased with him, who reported three of the Prophet’s ﷺ continuous recommendations, one of which includes the Duha prayer.

(2) The Prophet ﷺ said: “No one maintains the Duha prayer except the Awab, and it is the prayer of the Awabin.” (Sahih al-Jami: 7628)

Translation: The Duha prayer is performed only by the “Awab” (one who turns to Allah in repentance), and this is the prayer of the Awabin.

This hadith not only proves that the Duha prayer is the prayer of the Awabin but also provides evidence for consistently performing it. Therefore, denying this prayer or calling it an innovation is incorrect. It is an action with great reward, and we should strive to perform it regularly.

The rak’ahs of the prayer of Awabin:

The prayer of Awabin can be performed with a minimum of two rak’ahs and a maximum of eight rak’ahs. It has been established that the Prophet ﷺ prayed two rak’ahs, four rak’ahs, and even eight rak’ahs on the occasion of the conquest of Makkah at Umm Hani’s house. Based on these narrations, there is a chapter in Sahih Muslim titled: “The Chapter on the recommended Duha prayer, its minimum being two rak’ahs, the complete prayer being eight rak’ahs, and the middle form being four or six rak’ahs, along with the encouragement to regularly observe it.”

The narration about performing twelve rak’ahs for the Duha prayer is not authentic. It is mentioned in al-Targhib wa al-Tarhib (1/320) by al-Mundziri that anyone who prays two rak’ahs of the Duha prayer is not considered neglectful. The following addition is also found: “Whoever prays twelve rak’ahs of the Duha prayer, Allah will build for him a house in Paradise.” This hadith has been classified as weak by Sheikh al-Albani in Da’if al-Targhib (405). Similarly, there is a narration in Tirmidhi: “Whoever prays twelve rak’ahs of Duha, Allah will build for him a palace made of gold in Paradise.” Sheikh al-Albani has also classified this narration as weak in Da’if al-Tirmidhi (473).

Time of the Prayer of Awabin:

There is a clear hadith regarding the time of the Prayer of Awabin in Sahih Muslim.

عَنْ أَيُّوبَ عَنْ الْقَاسِمِ الشَّيْبَانِيِّ أَنَّ زَيْدَ بْنَ أَرْقَمَ رَأَى قَوْمًا يُصَلُّونَ مِنْ الضُّحَى فَقَالَ أَمَا لَقَدْ عَلِمُوا أَنَّ الصَّلَاةَ فِي غَيْرِ هَذِهِ السَّاعَةِ أَفْضَلُ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ صَلَاةُ الْأَوَّابِينَ حِينَ تَرْمَضُ الْفِصَالُ (Sahih Muslim: 1777)

Translation: Ayub narrated from Qasim al-Shaybani, who reported that Zayd bin Arqam, may Allah be pleased with him, saw people praying at the time of Duha. He said: “Indeed, they know very well that praying at another time is better. Certainly, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘The prayer of the Awabin is when the feet of the young camels burn due to the heat.'”

In Sahih Muslim, there is a chapter on the prayer of the Awabin, and in Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah, there is a chapter on the Duha prayer. The reason for this is that both Duha and Awabin refer to the same prayer, as mentioned in the hadith where the people were praying Duha and the Prophet ﷺ said that the prayer of the Awabin, meaning the Duha prayer, occurs at a specific time.

The time for the prayer of Awabin begins shortly after the sunrise and lasts until just before the Dhuhr prayer. It is better to delay it until the heat of the day, as mentioned in the hadith above.

ترمض means the heat of the sun, and الفصال refers to the young camels. Therefore, the best time for the prayer of Awabin is when the young camels lift and place their feet due to the intense heat. This corresponds to the fourth part of the day, specifically the time between the sunrise and the Dhuhr prayer, which is the half-time of the day.

Nafl Prayers Between Maghrib and Isha:

Several narrations mention the performance of Nafl prayers between Maghrib and Isha, such as two, four, six, eight, and twenty rak’ahs. Let’s take a look at them.

First Hadith:
من صلَّى ستَّ رَكَعاتٍ بعدَ المغرِبِ لم يتَكَلَّم بينَهُنَّ بسوءٍ عدَلَت لَه عبادةَ اثنتَي عَشرةَ سنةً (Tirmidhi: 435, Ibn Majah: 256)
Translation: “Whoever prays six rak’ahs after Maghrib, and does not speak ill between them, his reward will be equivalent to the worship of twelve years.”
This hadith is extremely weak. Imam Ibn al-Qayyim even declared it fabricated, and Sheikh al-Albani has declared it weak in multiple sources. (Al-Manar al-Munif: 40, Da’if al-Targhib: 331, Silsilat al-Da’ifah: 469, Da’if al-Jami’: 5661, Da’if Ibn Majah: 220, Da’if Ibn Majah: 256)

Second Hadith:
مَن صلَّى ستَّ ركعاتٍ بعدَ المغربِ قبل أن يتكلَّمَ ,غُفرَ لهُ بها ذنوبُ خمسينَ سنةٍ
Translation: “Whoever prays six rak’ahs after Maghrib without speaking, fifty years of his sins will be forgiven.”
This hadith has also been declared very weak by Sheikh al-Albani. (Silsilat al-Da’ifah: 468)

Third Hadith:
Hazrat Ammar bin Yasir, may Allah be pleased with him, said:
رَأَيْتُ حبيبي رسولَ اللهِ صلَّى اللهُ عليه وسلَّم صلَّى بعدَ المغرِبِ ستَّ رَكَعاتٍ وقال مَن صلَّى بعدَ المغرِبِ ستَّ رَكَعاتٍ غُفِرَتْ له ذُنوبُه وإنْ كانت مِثْلَ زَبَدِ البحرِ (Al-Mujam al-Awsat: 7/191, Majma’ al-Zawa’id: 2/233)
Translation: “I saw my beloved Prophet ﷺ pray six rak’ahs after Maghrib and say, ‘Whoever prays six rak’ahs after Maghrib, his sins will be forgiven, even if they were like the foam of the sea.'”
Imam al-Tabarani mentioned this in Al-Mujam al-Awsat and said that the only one narrating this hadith from Ammar was Salih bin Qattan, and in Majma’ al-Zawa’id, Al-Haythami said it contained an unknown narrator. Ibn al-Jawzi, in Al-‘Ilal al-Mutanaahiya (1/453), included this hadith and said that its chain of narrators contained many unknown narrators.

Fourth Hadith:
مَن صلَّى بينَ المغربِ والعِشاءِ عشرينَ رَكْعةً بنى اللَّهُ لَه بيتًا في الجنَّةِ (Ibn Majah: 1373)
Translation: “Whoever prays twenty rak’ahs between Maghrib and Isha, Allah will build for him a house in Paradise.”
This hadith has been declared fabricated by Sheikh al-Albani. (Da’if Ibn Majah: 255)

Fifth Hadith:
مَن صَلَّى بعدَ المغرِبَ قبلَ أنْ يَتَكَلَّمَ ركعتيْنِ – وفي روايةٍ : أربعَ رَكعاتٍ – ؛ رُفِعَتْ صلاتُه في عِلِّيِينَ. (Musnad al-Firdaws, Musannaf Abdul Razzaq: 4833, Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah: 5986)
Translation: “Whoever prays two rak’ahs after Maghrib before speaking, or according to another narration, four rak’ahs, his prayer will be raised to the highest place in Paradise (Illiyyin).”
This hadith has been declared weak by Sheikh al-Albani. (Da’if al-Targhib: 335)

Sixth Hadith:
مَن صَلَّى أربعَ ركعاتٍ بعد المغربِ كان كالمعقبِ غزوةً بعد غزوةٍ في سبيلِ اللهِ (Sharh al-Sunnah al-Baghawi: 3/474)
Translation: “Whoever prays four rak’ahs after Maghrib, it will be as if he followed one battle with another in the cause of Allah.”
Imam Shawkaani said that the chain of this hadith is very weak due to the narrator Musa bin Ubaidah al-Zubaydi. (Nail al-Awtar: 3/67)
Ibn Qayserani said that Abdullah bin Ja’far, who is mentioned in the chain, is rejected as a narrator. (Tadhkirat al-Huffaz: 335)
Ibn Hiban said that Abdullah bin Ja’far makes errors in narrating historical accounts. (Al-Majruhin: 1/509)

Seventh Hadith:
منْ ركع عشرِ ركعاتٍ بينَ المغربِ والعشاءِ، بُنيَ له قصرٌ في الجنةِ. (Al-Jami’ al-Da’ifah: 8691)
Translation: “Whoever prays ten rak’ahs between Maghrib and Isha, a palace will be built for him in Paradise.”
Sheikh al-Albani declared this hadith weak. (Silsilat al-Da’ifah: 4597)
Al-Suyuti called it mursal (disconnected). (Reference above)

After presenting all these narrations, two points should be noted:

1. These narrations are general and refer to non-specific voluntary prayers. They are not specifically related to the prayer of Awabin. For example, the first hadith in this section is mentioned in the chapter in Tirmidhi on “The Virtue of Voluntary Prayers and the Six Rak’ahs After Maghrib”.
   
2. These narrations are unreliable and weak. Sheikh al-Albani, may Allah have mercy on him, said that all the hadiths related to specific rak’ahs between Maghrib and Isha are weak, with none of them being authentic. However, praying Nafl prayers without specific number between Maghrib and Isha is permissible based on the practice of the Prophet ﷺ. (Al-Da’ifah: 1/481)
   

Summary: One cannot perform a specified number of rak’ahs after Maghrib as it would be considered an innovation because no authentic narration supports it. However, praying voluntary (Nafl) prayers without specification between Maghrib and Isha is permissible.

Prayer of Awabin and the Hanafi School:

In the Hanafi school, the prayer of Awabin after Maghrib consists of six rak’ahs, and they base this on certain narrations, all of which, as discussed earlier, are weak and do not pertain to the prayer of Awabin. Some reports suggest that the prayer of Awabin occurs between Maghrib and Isha, but these too are weak. Furthermore, in light of the clear authentic ahadith of the Prophet ﷺ, weak opinions should not be given attention.

(1) It is narrated from Muhammad bin al-Munkadir:
من صلى ما بين صلاةِ المغربِ إلى صلاةِ العشاءِ ؛ فإنها صلاةُ الأوابينَ
Translation: “Whoever prays between Maghrib and Isha, it is the prayer of the Awabin.”
This narration has been declared weak by Sheikh al-Albani (Silsilat al-Da’ifah: 4617), and Imam al-Shawkani deemed it mursal (Nail al-Awtar: 3/66).

(2) Abdullah bin Umar narrates:
صَلَاةُ الْأَوَّابِينَ مَا بَيْنَ أَنْ يَلْتَفِتَ أَهْلُ الْمَغْرِبِ إلَى أَنْ يَثُوبَ إلَى الْعِشَاءِ
(Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah)
Translation: “The time for the prayer of the Awabin is from when the people have finished their Maghrib prayer until the time for Isha.”
In its chain, Musa bin Ubaidah al-Zubaydi is a weak narrator.
Abdullah bin Umar also narrates:
مَنْ صلَّى المغربَ في جماعةٍ ثم عقَّبَ بعشاءِ الآخرةِ فهِيَ صلاةُ الأوَّابينَ
Translation: “Whoever prays Maghrib in congregation and then follows it with Isha prayer, that is the prayer of the Awabin.”
Ibn Adi mentioned that in this narration, Bashar bin Zadhan, a weak narrator, is present, who transmits from weak sources (Al-Kamil fi al-Du’afa: 2/180).

(3) In the interpretation of تتجافی جنوبھم عن المضاجع by Ibn al-Munkadir and Abu Hazm, it is mentioned that the prayer of Awabin is between Maghrib and Isha. This is narrated by al-Bayhaqi in his Sunan, but its chain includes the well-known weak narrator Ibn Lahi’ah. Authentic narrations mention praying between Maghrib and Isha, but without the term “Awabin.”

(4) Ibn Abbas says:
الملائكة لتحف بالذين يصلون بين المغرب والعشاء وهي صلاة الأوابين
(Sharh al-Sunnah al-Baghawi, 2/439)
Translation: “The angels surround those who pray between Maghrib and Isha, and this is the prayer of the Awabin.”

(5) Some commentators mention in the interpretation of Surah Al-Isra regarding the prayer of Awabin that it refers to those who pray between Maghrib and Isha. This view is also mentioned in Tafseer Ibn Kathir among other opinions.

These are all merely opinions, while the authentic hadiths clearly indicate that the prayer of Awabin is the same as the Duha prayer. The time for Duha/Awabin prayer is from after the sun has risen until just before Dhuhr, though it is preferred to perform it during the hotter part of the day. Therefore, in light of the established and proven teachings of the Prophet ﷺ, weak ahadith and unsupported opinions hold no weight. Research indicates that the prayer of Awabin is indeed the Duha prayer, and there is no difference between the two.