Asr Rakats

In the Hanafi school, the Asr prayer consists of four obligatory rakats.

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In addition to the fard, Hanafi scholars also encourage extra rakats before the fard prayer of Asr as a Sunnah (optional) practice.

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Here’s the breakdown for Asr in Hanafi fiqh:

• 4 Rakats Fard (Obligatory): These are the required units of Asr prayer. Every Muslim must perform these four fard rakats of Asr in the prescribed time.
• 4 Rakats Sunnah (Optional) Before Asr: These are Sunnah Ghair Mu’akkadah (non-emphasized Sunnah) prayed before the four fard. They are optional and not required, but it is recommended to pray them for extra reward  .
• 0 Rakats After Asr: There are no Sunnah or Nafl rakats prescribed after the fard of Asr.

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In summary, according to the Hanafi madhab, you should pray 4 fard rakats for Asr. Additionally, you may pray 4 optional Sunnah rakats before Asr for extra reward, but there are no Sunnah rakats after Asr.

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The total number of rakats (including optional ones) for Asr can be up to 8 (4 optional + 4 fard), but the only obligatory part is the 4 fard.

Optional Sunnah Rakats Before Asr Prayer

In the Hanafi perspective, it is recommended (but not required) to perform four rakats of Sunnah before the Asr fard prayer. These 4 rakats are considered Sunnah Ghair Mu’akkadah, meaning the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) did not consistently perform them every day, but he did encourage them.

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There are narrations that the Prophet ﷺ said: “May Allah have mercy on the person who prays four rakats before Asr” (Reported in Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi) – highlighting the virtue of these extra rakats.

• Importance of the 4 Optional Rakats: Praying these additional four rakats before Asr is a way to gain extra blessings and prepare oneself spiritually for the obligatory prayer. According to Hanafi (and also Shafi’i) scholars, a Muslim is recommended to pray four rakahs before the Asr Prayer, as there are hadiths indicating their merit.
  
  • Because they are ghair mu’akkadah (non-confirmed Sunnah), it is not sinful to skip them. However, performing them regularly is virtuous and rewarded, as it follows the Prophet’s practice and advice.
  • You can pray these 4 rakats as two sets of 2 rakats each (performing tasleem after each two rakats).
• Flexibility (2 or 4 Rakats): Some narrations also mention praying 2 rakats before Asr. Due to various reports, Hanafi scholars say one may pray either 2 or 4 optional rakats before Asr.
  
  • ‍Praying 4 is considered better for those who are able, as it brings more reward and aligns with the more emphasized practice, but praying 2 is also beneficial if one cannot do all four. The key is that these are nawafil (voluntary prayers), so any amount you pray (2 or 4) before Asr is an extra reward on top of the required fard.

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Practical Summary for Asr Prayer (Hanafi)

To recap, here’s a quick summary of how many rakats you should pray for Asr according to the Hanafi school:

• Obligatory: 4 rakats Fard – these must be prayed.
• Before Asr (Optional): Up to 4 rakats Sunnah (non-mandatory) before the fard. It’s recommended to perform these for extra reward, especially as 4 rakats in two sets of 2 . If pressed for time, you can skip them without sin, or at least pray 2.
• After Asr: No Sunnah or nafl prayers after the fard of Asr. Simply conclude your prayer with the fard, as this time is not designated for extra salah.

By adhering to this, you fulfill your duty for Asr and also take advantage of the optional worship the Hanafi scholars encourage before Asr. Remember that the four fard rakats of Asr are the core obligation. The additional Sunnah before Asr are there to increase your devotion and reward but are not strictly required. It’s always good to perform them if you have time and ability, following the Prophetic example, but your prayer is still complete with just the fard.