Hi all readers! Are you looking for an explanation of “how many rakats in Isha?”? If your answer is “Yes”, congratulations! Now you are reading the right article. Why? Because that is what I will explain in this article. As Muslims, we must understand that. That’s why I wrote this article. So, you should read it to the end!
Specifically, there are three important things about “how many rakats in Isha?” which I will explain in this article. The three important things I mean are as follows:
Meaning of Rakats in Isha
The first important thing about “how many rakats in Isha?” what I will explain now is the meaning of rakats in Isha. I want you to understand that first before you read more explanations in this article because that is one of the important things in this discussion that must be understood well.
In general, we can find an explanation of the meaning of rakats in Isha in the definition of rakats in Isha below:
رَكَعَاتُ صَلَاةُ العِشَاءِ هِيَ : أَقْوَالٌ وَأَفْعَالٌ مَخْصُوْصَةٌ فِيْ صَلَاةُ العِشَاءِ ، تَتَكَوَّنُ مِنْهَا ، وَكَيْفِيَتُهَا مُحَدَّدَةٌ بِاتِّبَاعِ الشَّرْعِ
Rakats in the Isha prayer are certain utterances and movements in the Isha prayer that are components of the Isha prayer, and the way to do them is determined by following the sharia.
All readers! If we read the definition of rakats in Isha as I have quoted above, we will understand that rakats in Isha are certain words and certain movements in Isha. These speeches and gestures have been determined according to the shari’a. That is the meaning of rakats in Isha.
So, not all sentences can be said and not all movements can be done in Isha.
That is a brief explanation of the meaning of rakats in Isha. As Muslims, we must understand that.
Hadith About Isha Prayer and Isha Prayer Times
The second important thing about “how many rakats in Isha?” what I will explain now is hadith about Isha prayer and Isha prayer times. I want you to understand all of that because it is one of the important discussions about the Isha prayer that must be understood properly.
In general, we can find an explanation of the Isha prayer and the time of the Isha prayer in the three hadiths below:
عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَمْرِو بْنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ ، قَالَ لَمَّا قَدِمَ الْحَجَّاجُ الْمَدِينَةَ فَسَأَلْنَا جَابِرَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ فَقَالَ كَانَ رَسُوْلُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يُصَلِّي الظُّهْرَ بِالْهَاجِرَةِ وَالْعَصْرَ وَالشَّمْسُ نَقِيَّةٌ وَالْمَغْرِبَ إِذَا وَجَبَتْ وَالْعِشَاءَ أَحْيَانًا يُؤَخِّرُهَا وَأَحْيَانًا يُعَجِّلُ كَانَ إِذَا رَآهُمْ قَدِ اجْتَمَعُوا عَجَّلَ وَإِذَا رَآهُمْ قَدْ أَبْطَئُوا أَخَّرَ وَالصُّبْحَ كَانُوا أَوْ – قَالَ – كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يُصَلِّيهَا بِغَلَسٍ
From Muhammad bin Amr bin al-Hasan bin Ali: When Hajjaj came to Medina we asked Jabir bin Abdullah (about the timings of prayer as observed by the Holy Prophet). He said: The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alaihi wa sallam used to pray afternoon prayer in the midday heat; the afternoon prayer when the sun was bright; the evening prayer when the sun had completely set; and as for the night prayer, he sometimes delayed and sometimes (observed it) at earlier hours. When he found them (his Companions) assembled (at earlier hours) he (prayed) early. and when he saw them coming late, he delayed the (prayer). and the morning prayer the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alaihi wa sallam observed in the darkness before dawn.
عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو ، أَنَّ رَسُوْلَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ : وَقْتُ الظُّهْرِ إِذَا زَالَتِ الشَّمْسُ وَكَانَ ظِلُّ الرَّجُلِ كَطُولِهِ مَا لَمْ يَحْضُرِ الْعَصْرُ وَوَقْتُ الْعَصْرِ مَا لَمْ تَصْفَرَّ الشَّمْسُ وَوَقْتُ صَلاَةِ الْمَغْرِبِ مَا لَمْ يَغِبِ الشَّفَقُ وَوَقْتُ صَلاَةِ الْعِشَاءِ إِلَى نِصْفِ اللَّيْلِ الأَوْسَطِ وَوَقْتُ صَلاَةِ الصُّبْحِ مِنْ طُلُوعِ الْفَجْرِ مَا لَمْ تَطْلُعِ الشَّمْسُ فَإِذَا طَلَعَتِ الشَّمْسُ فَأَمْسِكْ عَنِ الصَّلاَةِ فَإِنَّهَا تَطْلُعُ بَيْنَ قَرْنَىْ شَيْطَانٍ
From Abdullah bin Amr reported, that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alaihi wa sallam said: The time of the noon prayer is when the sun passes the meridian and a man’s shadow is the same (length) as his height, (and it lasts) as long as the time for the afternoon prayer has not come; the time for the afternoon prayer is as long as the sun has not become pale; the time of the evening prayer is as long as the twilight has not ended; the time of the night prayer is up to the middle of the average night and the time of the morning prayer is from the appearance of dawn, as long as the sun has not risen; but when the sun rises, refrain from prayer for it rises between the horns of the devil.
عَنْ أَبِيْ هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ ؛ قَالَ رَسُوْلُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ؛ أَثْقَلُ الصَّلَاةِ عَلَى الْمُنَافِقِيْنَ صَلَاةُ الْعِشَاءَ وَصَلَاةُ الْفَجْرِ ، وَلَوْ يَعْلَمُوْنَ مَا فِيْهِمَا لَأَتَوْهُمَا وَلَوْ حَبْواً . مُتَّفَقٌ عَلَيْهِ
From Abu Hurairah radliyallahu anhu, he said, “Allah’s Messenger sallallahu alaihi wa sallam said, “The most difficult prayers performed by hypocrites are Isha prayer and Subuh prayer. If they know the rewards that are in the two prayers, then they will do both though by crawling.” The hadith is narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim.
All readers! There are three important things about the three hadiths above that we can conclude in this discussion:
One: Isha prayer is one of the obligatory prayers in Islam. The two hadiths above are some of the evidences for that.
Two: the time for Isha prayer is after the red clouds on the western horizon have disappeared until before the dawn of sadiq (second dawn) rises.
Three: the Isha prayer is one of the hardest prayers. In general, at night, a person is tired due to activities during the day. That’s why only true believers do it.
That is a brief explanation of the hadith about Isha prayer and Isha prayer times. As Muslims, we must understand that.
Read Also:
How Many Rakats in Isha?
The second important thing about “how many rakats in Isha?” what I’m going to explain now is a specific answer. I want you to understand that because that is the main topic of this article. So, you must read the explanations below carefully.
Before I give a specific answer to this question, I would like to quote two hadiths that are specifically related to this discussion. The hadith I mean is as follows:
عَنْ عَائِشَةَ زَوْجِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَتْ كَانَ أَوَّلَ مَا افْتُرِضَ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ الصَّلَاةُ رَكْعَتَانِ رَكْعَتَانِ إِلَّا الْمَغْرِبَ فَإِنَّهَا كَانَتْ ثَلَاثًا ثُمَّ أَتَمَّ اللَّهُ الظُّهْرَ وَالْعَصْرَ وَالْعِشَاءَ الْآخِرَةَ أَرْبَعًا فِي الْحَضَرِ وَأَقَرَّ الصَّلَاةَ عَلَى فَرْضِهَا الْأَوَّلِ فِي السَّفَرِ
From Aisha, the wife of the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, she said: Among that which was obligated on Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was Salat which was two Rakats two Rakats except for Maghrib which was three, and then Allah made Zuhr Asr and Isha four while one is not Traveling, and made it the same as it was obligated the first time while Traveling (meaning Two Rakats).
عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ سَمُرَةَ قَالَ : شَكَا أَهْلُ الْكُوفَةِ سَعْدًا إِلَى عُمَرَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ فَعَزَلَهُ وَاسْتَعْمَلَ عَلَيْهِمْ عَمَّارًا فَشَكَوْا حَتَّى ذَكَرُوا أَنَّهُ لَا يُحْسِنُ يُصَلِّي فَأَرْسَلَ إِلَيْهِ فَقَالَ : يَا أَبَا إِسْحَاقَ إِنَّ هَؤُلَاءِ يَزْعُمُونَ أَنَّكَ لَا تُحْسِنُ تُصَلِّي . قَالَ أَبُو إِسْحَاقَ : أَمَّا أَنَا وَاللَّهِ فَإِنِّي كُنْتُ أُصَلِّي بِهِمْ صَلَاةَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَا أَخْرِمُ عَنْهَا أُصَلِّي صَلَاةَ الْعِشَاءِ فَأَرْكُدُ فِي الْأُولَيَيْنِ وَأُخِفُّ فِي الْأُخْرَيَيْنِ
From Jabir bin Samura, he said: The People of Kufa complained against Sa’d to Umar and the latter dismissed him and appointed Ammar as their chief. They lodged many complaints against Saad and even they alleged that he did not pray properly. Umar sent for him and said, “O Aba Ishaq! These people claim that you do not pray properly.” Abu Ishaq said, “By Allah, I used to pray with them a prayer similar to that of Allah’s Apostle and I never reduced anything of it. I used to prolong the first two rakats of Isha prayer and shorten the last two rakats.”
All readers! If we read the two hadiths above, we will understand that the rakats in Isha are four rakats. That’s the answer.
All readers! That’s a brief explanation of “how many rakats in Isha?” and some important things about it. Do you understand? If you want to ask, please ask!
I think that’s enough for this article. Hope it is useful. Amen.
See you again in the next article!
