Maghrib, The Sunset Prayer

The sunset prayer. 3 fard rak’at, the only fard prayer with an odd number of rak’at. Recited Jahr in the first two rak’at, and Sirr in the third.

At a glance

The walkthrough assumes you are praying alone. For imam/follower differences, see The Three Modes of Praying.

Maghrib is a hybrid of what you’ve learned in Fajr (jahr) and Dhuhr (4-rak’at with first/final tashahhuds): two aloud rak’at + one silent rak’ah, with a first tashahhud in iftirash after rak’ah 2 and a final tashahhud in tawarruk after rak’ah 3.

Before you begin

Valid wudu, facing qibla, awrah covered, sleeves down, Maghrib time entered.

Form the intention in your heart: I am about to pray Maghrib fard, 3 rak’at. Do not speak it.

Rak’ah 1 (aloud)

Exactly like rak’ah 1 of Fajr, opening takbir (raful yadayn), opening du’a, ta’awudh + basmalah silently, Al-Fatiha aloud, “Aameen” aloud, short surah aloud, takbir + raful yadayn into ruku, tasbih three times, rise (raful yadayn) saying “Sami’allahu liman hamidah” aloud and standing with “Rabbana wa lakal hamd”, hands either at sides (sadl) or refolded above navel (qabd), both valid per Imam Ahmad. Then sujood × 2 with iftirash between (hands on thighs in the iftirash sitting).

Rak’ah 2 (aloud)

Stand. No opening du’a or ta’awudh (those are only for rak’ah 1). Basmalah silently → Al-Fatiha aloud → Aameen aloud → short surah aloud → ruku → rise → sujood × 2 with iftirash between.

After the second sujood of rak’ah 2, do NOT stand up. Stay seated for the first tashahhud.

First tashahhud (after rak’ah 2), Iftirash

Sit in iftirash (left foot under, right foot upright with toes to qibla) with both hands on the thighs. With your right hand, form the tashahhud shape: thumb touches middle finger, ring and pinky closed, index extended forward and pointing. Index points throughout. Look at the pointed finger.

Recite only the first part, the testimony:

Stop after “wa rasuluh.” Do not recite the salawat here, that’s reserved for the final tashahhud.

Rising for rak’ah 3, raful yadayn (the 4th place)

Say “Allahu Akbar” and stand up. Raise your hands as you rise, this is the fourth and final place of raful yadayn in the prayer (per the hadith of Ibn Umar in Bukhari).

Place hands as before, above navel for men, on chest for sisters.

Rak’ah 3 (silent, sirr)

This third rak’ah is silent, unlike the first two:

1. Basmalah silently → Al-Fatiha silently → Aameen silently
2. No surah after Fatiha, only Fatiha is recited in rak’at 3 (and 4 of 4-rakah prayers), same as Dhuhr/Asr
3. Takbir + raful yadayn (second place of raful yadayn in this rak’ah, fifth overall through the prayer) → ruku → tasbih three times silently
4. Rise (raful yadayn, but wait, this is the rise from ruku; the four canonical places of raful yadayn are takbir tahrim, before ruku, after rising from ruku, and after standing from first tashahhud, so this rise IS one of the four). Say “Sami’allahu liman hamidah” aloud when alone (yes, this part is still aloud even in the sirr rak’ah, because it is dhikr not Qur’an recitation), then standing with “Rabbana wa lakal hamd”, quietly when alone (matching the rak’ah’s silence) or aloud if you prefer
5. Sujood × 2 with iftirash between

Note: The “jahr / sirr” classification refers specifically to the Qur’anic recitation (Fatiha and the surah after). Other parts of the prayer, like the takbir transitions and “Sami’allahu liman hamidah”, can remain audible even in sirr rak’at when you are leading or alone.

After the second sujood of rak’ah 3, sit up, you stay seated for the final tashahhud in tawarruk.

Final tashahhud (after rak’ah 3), TAWARRUK

Maghrib has 3 rak’at (more than 2), so the final tashahhud uses tawarruk, same as in Dhuhr, Asr, and Isha.

Sit in tawarruk:

• The left foot extends out and across, passing under the right leg
• Sit on the left buttock directly on the floor (not on the foot)
• The right foot stays upright, toes bent under, pointing toward the qibla
• Hands on thighs, with the right hand in the tashahhud shape, index pointing throughout. Look at the pointed finger.

If tawarruk is difficult for your hips, knees, or back, you may sit in iq’a instead, both heels under, both toes pointing to the qibla. This is permissible (jaiz) for anyone who finds the standard positions physically difficult.

Now recite all three parts in full, testimony + salawat + du’a before tasleem.

Part 1, At-Tahiyyat

Part 2, Salawat on the Prophet ﷺ

Part 3, Du’a before tasleem

Tasleem

Turn your head to the right so your cheek is visible from behind, say aloud:

Then turn to the left the same way and say it again.

Sunnah rawatib, 2 rak’at after Maghrib

The 2 rak’at after Maghrib are part of the emphasized 12 daily rawatib:

“Whoever maintains 12 rak’at of voluntary prayer every day, Allah will build for him a house in Paradise…”

Sahih Muslim

The Prophet ﷺ used to recite Surat al-Kafirun in rak’ah 1 and Al-Ikhlas in rak’ah 2.

After the prayer

Stay seated briefly and recite the post-salah adhkar. See What to say after salah.

If you are praying with an imam

See The Three Modes of Praying. Key points:

• Listen to the imam’s aloud Fatiha + surah in rak’at 1 & 2; do not recite a surah yourself
• Recite your own Fatiha silently during the imam’s brief pauses
• Say “Aameen” with the imam, aloud in rak’at 1 & 2
• All takbirs, “Sami’allahu liman hamidah,” “Rabbana wa lakal hamd”, all quietly to yourself
• Move only after the imam has reached each next position