The Number of Rawatib Prayers and the Ruling on Changing One's Position Between Each Two Rak'ahs

Question:
We received a message from Syria, Aleppo Governorate, from the listener Ali al-Sa'id. He says: The Sunnah prayers of 'Isha', 'Asr, and Zuhr are four rak'ahs. I have seen some people in the mosque praying the Sunnah of 'Isha', 'Asr, and Zuhr as four rak'ahs. First, they pray two rak'ahs, then they complete them and say the taslim, and they take a step to the right or left, or backward, and they pray the remaining two rak'ahs. Is this prayer valid, and did the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) do this, or not?

Answer:
As for Zuhr, it is established from Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) that she said: "The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not leave off four rak'ahs before Zuhr." Al-Bukhari narrated this in his Sahih. It also came in the hadith of Umm Habib, the Mother of the Believers (may Allah be pleased with her), in al-Tirmidhi, where it is mentioned (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding the one who prays twelve rak'ahs in a day and night, and it includes four before Zuhr. So, four before Zuhr are recommended, and it is better for them to be two rak'ahs, then two rak'ahs; because of the authentic hadith: .
As for moving forward and backward, to the right and left, this came in some weak hadiths. I do not know in this chapter anything that indicates it is a Sunnah. It only came in some weak hadiths that one should move forward or backward, or take his right or left side. Some scholars said: for the sake of the places testifying to this worship. But I do not know that anything is established in this from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). So, if one prays the rawatib and the worship in one place, there is no harm in that. And I do not know evidence that indicates it is recommended to move from one's place for the other two rak'ahs, neither to the right nor to the left, nor in front nor behind. If he does it, there is no blame if he does it, there is no blame, and I do not know any harm in that. But I do not know evidence that indicates that this is recommended and that it is an act of drawing near to Allah.
And so it is with the other prayers. If one prays four before 'Asr, it is a Sunnah; because it is established from him (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him), al-Tirmidhi, and a group of others narrated it, and there is no harm in its chain of narration.
As for Maghrib, the Sunnah after it is only two rak'ahs. This is the Sunnah. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to pray two rak'ahs after it. And so it is with 'Isha'; the Sunnah after it is two rawatib rak'ahs. And if one prays more, there is no harm. If one prays a lot after Maghrib, it is a place of prayer. If he prays ten or twenty or more, there is no harm in that. But the rawatib Sunnah that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to maintain is only two rak'ahs after Maghrib, and two rak'ahs after 'Isha. This is what is preserved from him (peace and blessings be upon him) and what he used to maintain.
And so it is with Fajr: two rak'ahs before Fajr. He used to bow in them in his house, then he would go out to the prayer (peace and blessings be upon him). And it is established from him (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: Muslim narrated it in his Sahih, and al-Tirmidhi narrated it and added: These are called: the rawatib. Ibn Umar narrated it as ten, and he mentioned two before Zuhr. And Aisha and others mentioned what indicates that they are twelve rak'ahs, and that four are before Zuhr. With this, the rawatib become twelve rak'ahs.
Perhaps the way to reconcile between the two hadiths is: that he (peace and blessings be upon him) sometimes used to pray two before Zuhr, as Ibn Umar said, so the rawatib would be ten. And sometimes he used to pray four before it, as Aisha and others said. So there is no contradiction between the two hadiths, and no disagreement in reality.

The presenter: Thank you, may Allah reward you.