Durood in First Qadah & Sana in 3rd Rakah - Salah Ruling
بسم اللہ الرحمن الرحیم
The Ruling on Reciting Durūd in The First Qaʿdah and Sanāʾin Third Rakʿah of Nafl and Sunnah Ghair Muʾakkadah Salāt
Darulifta Ahlesunnat (Dawateislami)
Question
What do the noble scholars and jurists of Islamic law say about the following: It is instructed that in a four rakʿah sunnah ghair muʾakkadah and nafl salāh, one should recite durūd in the first qaʿdah and sanāʾin the third rakʿah. The question is, is reciting durūd in the first qaʿdah and sanāʾin the beginning of the third rakʿah (of sunnah ghair muʾakkadah and nafl) a sunnah muʾakkadah act or merely mustaḥab? Please provide guidance.
Answer
In a four rakʿah sunnah ghair muʾakkadah and nafl salāh, reciting durūd and duʿā in the first qaʿdah and sanāʾand taʿawwuz in the beginning of the third rakʿah is mustaḥab and preferable.
Details of This Ruling:
According to the principles of sharīʿah, every shufʿah (two rakʿāt) of a four rakʿah sunnah ghair muʾakkadah and nafl salāh is regarded as a separate salāh in several aspects. For this reason, the jurists رحمة اللہ تعالى عليهم have instructed that after reciting tashahhud in the first qaʿdah, one should recite durūd and duʿā, and at the beginning of the third rakʿah, one should recite sanāʾand taʿawwuz.
However, each shufʿah of these four rakʿāt is not regarded as a separate salāh in every aspect. Rather these four rakʿāt are considered to be one salāh in some aspects as well. Therefore, the ruling of sanāʾand durūd here is not be the same as in a completely separate salāh, where they are regarded as sunnah muʾakkadah. Rather, the jurists have explicitly stated that these are mustaḥab and preferable.
Citations for the Ruling Mentioned Above:
Every shufʿah of a nafl salāh is an individual salāh. Therefore, it is preferable to recite durūd in the first qaʿdah as well as sanāʾin the third rakʿah. Thus, Malik al-ʿUlamāʾʿAllāmah Kasānī رحمة اللہ تعالى عليه writes:
لأن كل شفع من التطوع صلاة على حدة، ولهذا قالوا: إن المتنفل إذا قام إلى الثالث لقصد الأداء ينبغي أن يستفتح فيقول: سبحانك اللہم وبحمدك إلخ كما يستفتح في الابتداء؛ لأن هذا بناء الافتتاح، وفي كل ركعتين من النفل صلاة على حدة
Translation: Every shufʿah of nafl salāh is an individual salāh. For this reason, the jurists رحمة اللہ تعالى عليهم stated: When the person who is offering nafl stands to offer the third rakʿah, he should begin by reciting sanāʾ(سبحنك اللہم), as is commonly recited in the beginning. This is because this third rakʿah is the basis of beginning a new shufʿah, and every two rakʿah of a nafl is an individual salāh. (Badāʾiʿal-Sanāʾiʿ, Vol. 01, p. 292, Publ. Dār al-Kutub al-ʿIlmiyah, Beirut)
Each shufʿah of a four rakʿah nafl and sunnah ghair muʾakkadah salāh is not considered in individual salāh in every aspect. After discussing this in detail,ʿAllāmah Ibrahīm Bin Muḥammad al-Ḥalbī al-Ḥanafī رحمة اللہ تعالى عليه (d. 956 AH/1549 CE) summarizes as follows:
والحاصل:ان کل رکعتین من النفل صلاۃ علی حدۃ من وجہ دون وجہ ،فاعتبر کونہ صلاۃ علی حدۃ فی حق القراءۃ، للاحتیاط ۔۔۔واما فی غیر ھذہ الاحکام فالاولی: ان یعتبر کون الکل صلاۃ واحدۃ ،لکونہ الاصل للاتصال واتحاد التحریمۃ ، ولذا لایقال:انہ صلی صلاتین،بل صلاۃ واحدۃ ،ومسالۃ الاستفتاح ونحوہ لیست مرویۃ عن الائمۃ المتقدمین ،وانما ھی اختیار بعض المتاخرین،واللہ سبحانہ اعلم
Translation: In summary, every two rakʿāt in a nafl salāh are considered an individual salāh from some aspects, but not from others. Out of caution, they are considered an individual salāh in regard to qirāʾah… But in other rulings, it is better to consider the entire salāh as one salāh because that is the default due to being connected and being started with the takbīr taḥrīmah. It is for this reason that if one offers four rakʿāt nafl it is not said that they offered two salāt, instead it is said that they offered one salāh.
The ruling of sanāʾ, as well as other rulings, has not been mentioned by the early scholars. But some of the later scholars have adopted this. (Ghunyah al-Mutamallī, Vol. 02, p. 67, Publ. Quetta)
Elaborating regarding these being mustaḥab,ʿAllāmah Ibn Amīr al-Ḥāj رحمة اللہ تعالى عليه writes:
اذا کانت الصلاۃ الرباعیۃ التی یصلیھا نافلۃ ۔۔۔فقام من القعدۃ الاولیٰ الی الرکعۃ الثالثۃ فانہ یستحب لہ ان یبتدی الثالثۃ بالاستفتاح والتعوذ
Translation: If one is offering a four rakʿah salāh with the intention of nafl, then when he stands from the first qaʿdah to the third rakʿah it is mustaḥab for him to begin the third rakʿah with sanāʾand taʿawwuz. (Halbah al-Mujallī, Vol. 02, p. 182, Publ. Dār al-Kutub al-ʿIlmiyah, Beirut)
Aʿlā Ḥazrat, the Imām of Ahl as-Sunnah, Imām Aḥmad Razā Khān رحمة اللہ تعالى عليه (d. 1340 AH/1921 CE) was asked: When offering four rakʿah nafl together, should one recite durūd and duʿā in the first qaʿdah and سبحنك اللہم in the third rakʿah or not?
He رحمة اللہ تعالى عليه replied:
پڑھنا بہتر ہے۔
Translation: Reciting it is better. (Fatāwā Razawiyah, Vol. 07, p. 443, Publ. Razā Foundation, Lahore)
In the answer to a similar question, Muftī Jalāluddin Amjadī رحمة اللہ تعالى عليه (d. 1422 AH/2001 CE) states:
اس کا پڑھنا ضروری نہیں ہے بلکہ بہتر ہے جیسا کہ اعلیٰ حضرت امام احمد رضا بریلوی رضی اللہ عنہ ربہ القوی تحریر فرماتے ہیں: چار رکعت تراویح یا نوافل کے قعدۂ اولیٰ میں درود شریف و دعا اور تیسری رکعت میں سبحانک اللھم پڑھنا بہتر ہے ۔ لہٰذا نفل یا سنت غیرمؤکدہ کی چار رکعت والی نماز میں اگر کسی نے دو رکعت پر درود شریف اور تیسری رکعت پر ثنا نہ پڑھی تو اس نماز کا اعادہ واجب نہیں۔ وھو تعالٰی اعلم
Translation: Reciting this is not necessary, rather it is better, as mentioned byʿAlāḤazrat Imām Aḥmad Razā Barelwī رضى اللہ تعالى عنه ربه القوي: In a four rakʿah tarāwīḥand nafl salāh, reciting durūd and duʿā in the first qaʿdah and sanāʾin the third rakʿah is preferred. Therefore, in a four rakʿah nafl or sunnah ghair muʾakkadah salāh, if one did not recite durūd at the end of the second rakʿah and sanāʾin the beginning of the third rakʿah, repeating the salāh is not wājib. The Almighty knows best. (Fatāwā Faiz-Ur-Rasūl, Vol. 01, p. 266, Publ. Nishan-e-Manzil Publications, Lahore)
وَ اللہُ اَعْلَمُ عَزَّوَجَلَّ وَ رَسُوْلُہ اَعْلَم صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَ اٰلِہٖ وَ سَلَّم
(Allah Almighty knows best and His Messenger صَلَّی اللہُ عَلَیْہِ وَ اٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم knows best.)
Answered By: Mufti Muhammad Qasim Attari
Ref No: OKR-0247
Date: 12th Shawwāl al-Mukarram 1447 AH/ 01st April 2026