Is there a sunnah before the 'Isha' prayer?

Question:
Your Eminence, Shaykh Abdul Aziz, we received a message from a female listener. She says: Your sister in Allah, Umm Kulthum from Iraq, asks: Is there a sunnah for the 'Isha' prayer, meaning: is it performed before the obligatory 'Isha' prayer, or do we perform two rak'ahs before the obligatory 'Isha' prayer?

Answer:
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Praise be to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah, and upon his family and his Companions, and whoever follows his guidance. As for what follows:
It is prescribed to perform two rak'ahs before every prayer: before 'Isha', before Maghrib, before 'Asr, before Zuhr, and before the Fajr prayer. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Then he said regarding the third: This indicates the sunnah of praying two rak'ahs before Maghrib. The Companions used to pray two rak'ahs before Maghrib, meaning: after the adhan and before the iqamah, two rak'ahs. This is the best. Likewise, for 'Isha', when the mu'adhdhin calls, one prays two rak'ahs; based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): So when the 'Isha' adhan is called, it is prescribed for those sitting in the mosque or those arriving to pray two rak'ahs as a sunnah before 'Isha' for those residing in the mosque, and as a sunnah for the greeting of the mosque for one who enters. Performing this sunnah between the two adhans combines the prayer between the two adhans with having performed the greeting.
Likewise, for Zuhr, if one enters while sitting in the mosque and the adhan is called, he stands and prays two or four rak'ahs, and four is better. Four rak'ahs are better for Zuhr. Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said: "The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not leave off four before Zuhr" after the time enters, meaning: four rak'ahs with two taslims. Likewise, before 'Asr, four rak'ahs. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: And if he prays two rak'ahs before 'Asr, that is good, based on the previous hadith: And if he makes it four, that is better, based on the previous hadith as well: .

So these are sunnahs before these prayers: before Zuhr, two, or four, and four is better; before 'Asr, four, and if he prays two, that is sufficient as well; before Maghrib, two; before 'Isha', two; all of these are sunnahs; before Fajr, two as well, a regular sunnah before Fajr. Yes.

The presenter: But is the iqamah considered an adhan, O Shaykh?

The Shaykh: Yes, it is called an adhan; based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): He called it an adhan (peace and blessings be upon him). Yes.

The presenter: So if the iqamah is considered an adhan; then the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded us to say what the mu'adhdhin says, and of course we say what the muqim says?

The Shaykh: Yes.

The presenter: But many people, when the prayer is established, say: "O Allah, establish it and make it permanent," or "May Allah establish it and make it permanent," and they come with something other than a response.

The Shaykh: The best is that they respond to the muqim as they do to the mu'adhdhin: they say takbir with him, and they say the tashahhud with him. And when he says: "Hayya 'ala al-salah," he says: "La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah." When he says: "Qad qamat al-salah," he says: "Qad qamat al-salah, qad qamat al-salah," just like the muqim. "Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, La ilaha illa Allah," then he follows this with the salutation upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), then with his saying: "O Allah, Lord of this perfect call," just like the adhan.

The presenter: Just like the adhan.

The Shaykh: This is the best. As for the saying of some people: "May Allah establish it and make it permanent," or "O Allah, establish it and make it permanent," this is not authentic from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). It came in a weak hadith that is not authentic. So the sunnah and the better course is that they do in the adhan and the iqamah what they do in the adhan, exactly the same, except that in the iqamah he says: "Qad qamat al-salah" like the mu'adhdhin, just as he says in the Fajr adhan: "As-salah khayrun min an-nawm, as-salah khayrun min an-nawm," just like the mu'adhdhin. Yes; because he (may He be exalted) said: O Allah, send blessings upon him and peace. Yes.

The presenter: Many people, when they hear the Fajr mu'adhdhin say: "As-salah khayrun min an-nawm," say: "Truly, prayer is better than sleep." Do they add "truly"?

The Shaykh: No, it has no basis.

The presenter: It has no basis.

The Shaykh: Some of them say: "Truthful is Allah and His Messenger," some say: "You have spoken the truth and done well," and the correct thing is to say what the mu'adhdhin says, exactly: "As-salah khayrun min an-nawm," and not add anything. This is the best; acting in accordance with his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): O Allah, send blessings upon him and peace. Yes.