ETIQUETTES OF THE SUNSET (MAGHRIB) PRAYERS

You should then hurry for performing the Sunset Prayer, because it is strongly discommended to postpone performing it at its earliest time. Actually, traditions have laid very much emphasis on warning against postponing performing the Sunset Prayer at its earliest time.

When you intend to perform this prayer, you may utter the adhan and the iqamah statements observing the previously mentioned etiquettes. In the space of time between adhan and iqamah, you may say the following supplicatory prayer:

O Allah, I beseech You in the name of the coming of Your night,

the departure of Your daylight,

the presence of Your prayers,

the voices of Your supplicants,

and the glorification of Your angels,

to send blessings upon Muhammad and the Household of Muhammad

and to accept my repentance.

You are verily, the Oft-Returning, the Most Merciful.

You may then perform the Sunset Obligatory Prayer, observing all of its etiquettes and meeting all of its conditions. Upon accomplishment, you may utter the Takbir statement three times and say Tasbih al-Zahra’. You may then say the following:

Surely, Allah and His angels bless the Prophet;

O you who believe,

call for blessings on him and salute him with a becoming salutation.

O Allah, (please) bless Muhammad the Prophet,

his offspring, and his Household.

You may also repeat the following litany seven times:

In the Name of Allah; the All-beneficent, the All-merciful

There is neither might nor power except with Allah, the All-high, the All-great.

You may also repeat the following doxology (zikr) three times:

All praise be to Allah Who does whatever He wishes

and no one else can do whatever one wishes.

You may also say the following imploration:

All glory be to You. There is no god save You.

(Please) forgive me all of my sins,

because none can forgive all sins altogether save You.

If you wish to say more post-prayer utterances, it is then favorable to delay saying them until you offer the supererogatory (mustahab / nafilah) sunset prayer, which consists of four units, each two separately (i.e. you say the Taslim statement after the second and fourth units). It is discommended to say anything (other than supplications) in the space of time between the obligatory and supererogatory (mustahab / nafilah) sunset prayers. In the first unit of the supererogatory (mustahab / nafilah) prayer, you may recite Surah al-Faatehah and Surah al-Kafirun. In the second, you may recite Surah al-Faatehah and Surah al-Tawheed. In the third and fourth units, you may recite any Surah you wish although it is highly advisable to recite in the third unit Surah al-Faatehah and the following verses, which are the first six verses of Surah al-Hadid (No. 57):

It is also high advisable to recite in the fourth unit of the supererogatory (mustahab / nafilah) sunset prayer Surah al-Faatehah and the following holy verses, which are the last four verses of Surah al-Hashr (No. 59):

Just like all other supererogatory (mustahab / nafilah) prayers, it is acceptably sufficient to recite Surah al-Faatehah alone in each unit. It is highly advisable to recite the Surahs with audible voice, just like other supererogatory (mustahab / nafilah) night prayers.

RITES FOLLOWING THE supererogatory (mustahab / nafilah) SUNSET PRAYER

Upon accomplishing the supererogatory (mustahab / nafilah) sunset prayer, you may say any of the general post-prayer utterances. You may then do the thanksgiving prostration as has been previously cited. The least thing to be said in the thanksgiving prostration is the following:

Thanks, thanks, thanks.

Al-Kulayni has reported Imam al-Sadiq(a.s.) as saying: When you finish the supererogatory (mustahab / nafilah) sunset prayer, you may pass your hand over your forehead and repeat the following supplicatory prayer three times:

In the Name of Allah save Whom there is no god,

the Knower of the unseen and the seen,

the All-beneficent, and the All-merciful.

O Allah, (please) take away from me grief and distress.

It is highly advisable to offer the Ghufaylah Prayer (whose merits and method have been mentioned in the book of Mafatih al-Jinan) thereafter.