I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) say: "Whoever maintains four rak'ahs before Dhuhr and four after it, Allah will forbid him to the Fire." Recorded by Abu Dawud and al-Tirmidhi (35), who said: A hasan sahih gharib hadith. Abu Ayyub also narrated from the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) who said: "Four [rak'ahs] before Dhuhr, in which there is no taslim (salutation), the doors of heaven are opened for them." We have already mentioned it (36). [Also, it is recommended to perform] four [rak'ahs] before 'Asr, due to the saying of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace): "May Allah have mercy on a person who prays four [rak'ahs] before 'Asr." Recorded by Abu Dawud (37). From 'Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, regarding the description of the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace): "And four before Dhuhr when the sun has passed its meridian, and two rak'ahs after it, and four before 'Asr, separating every two rak'ahs with the taslim to the angels who are near, the prophets, and those who follow them from the Muslims." Recorded by Ibn Majah (38). And [also] four [rak'ahs] after the Sunnah of Maghrib, due to what Abu Hurayrah narrated, saying: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: "Whoever prays six rak'ahs after Maghrib, without speaking of evil between them, they will be equivalent for him to the worship of twelve years." Recorded by al-Tirmidhi (39).
(35) Extracted by Abu Dawud in: The chapter on the four [rak'ahs] before and after Dhuhr, from the Book of Voluntary Prayer. Sunan Abi Dawud 1/292. And al-Tirmidhi in: The chapter on another [subject] related to it (i.e., what has been narrated regarding the two rak'ahs after Dhuhr) from the Chapters on Prayer. 'Aridat al-Ahwadhi 2/221. (36) Previously mentioned on page 538. (37) In: The chapter on prayer before 'Asr, from the Book of Voluntary Prayer. Sunan Abi Dawud 1/292. A similar [hadith] is narrated from Ibn 'Umar; extracted by al-Tirmidhi in: The chapter on what has been narrated regarding the four [rak'ahs] before 'Asr, from the Chapters on Prayer. 'Aridat al-Ahwadhi 2/223. And by Imam Ahmad in: al-Musnad 2/117. (38) In: The chapter on what has been narrated regarding what is recommended of voluntary prayers, from the Book of Establishing the Prayer. Sunan Ibn Majah 1/367. It was also extracted by al-Tirmidhi in: The chapter on what has been narrated regarding the four [rak'ahs] before 'Asr, from the Chapters on Prayer, and in: The chapter on how the voluntary prayer of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) was during the day, from the Chapters on Friday. 'Aridat al-Ahwadhi 2/222, 3/79. And by al-Nasa'i in: The chapter on prayer before 'Asr and the mention of the difference among those who reported from Abu Ishaq in that regard, from the Book of Imama. al-Mujtaba 2/92. And by Imam Ahmad in: al-Musnad 1/85, 142, 160. (39) In: The chapter on what has been narrated regarding the virtue of voluntary prayer and the six rak'ahs after Maghrib, from the Chapters on Prayer. 'Aridat al-Ahwadhi 2/225. It was also extracted by Ibn Majah in: The chapter on what has been narrated regarding the six rak'ahs after Maghrib, and the chapter on what has been narrated regarding prayer
