Why do we read Salli and Barik supplications in the first sitting of the first sunnah prayers of the afternoon and night prayers?

- Does sajdah as-sahw become necessary if we forget?

Dear Brother / Sister,

It is sunnah to say salli and barik supplications in the first sitting of the first sunnah prayers of the afternoon and night prayers. Nothing becomes necessary if one does not say them. When a sunnah is abandoned, one becomes deprived of its thawab. Sajdah as-sahw is not necessary.

The first sunnah prayers of the afternoon and night prayers can be performed as two rak’ahs too. The Prophet (pbuh) sometimes performed them by saluting after the second rak’ah and performing another two rak’ahs separately. Therefore, salli and barik supplications are said in the first sunnah prayers of the afternoon and night prayers.

According to a hadith reported from Abu Dawud, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) performed the sunnah of the afternoon prayer as four rak’ahs but he saluted after every two rak’ahs. According to the narration of Hz. Aisha, “The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) performed four rak’ahs before the fard of the night prayer and four rak’ahs after it; then, he would go to bed.”

There are also narrations stating that the Prophet (pbuh) performed the sunnah of the afternoon prayer as two rak’ahs. According to Nasai’s narration from Hz. Ali, “the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) performed a prayer of two rak’ahs before the fard of the afternoon prayer.”

According to those hadiths, it is mandub to perform four rak’ahs before the fards of the afternoon and night prayers. It is a deed of worship with great thawabs and virtues. Imam Muhammad did not distinguish between two and four rak’ahs of the sunnah prayers performed before the afternoon and night prayers. That is, the sunnah of the afternoon prayer can also be performed as two rak’ahs. However, the other imams of Hanafi madhhab regard it more virtuous to perform it as four rak’ahs.

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