Maghrib prayer: 3 rak‘ahs, step by step
The sunset prayer: what is recited, aloud then silently
Maghrib, the sunset prayer, has 3 obligatory rak‘ahs. The imam recites aloud in the first two, Al-Fatiha then a surah, and silently in the third, Al-Fatiha alone. You sit for a first tashahhud after the second rak‘ah, and for the last one after the third, before the salam.
What the schools agree on
Maghrib is the only one of the five prayers with 3 rak‘ahs. The imam recites the first two aloud and the third silently.
The first tashahhud follows the second rak‘ah; the last one follows the third, before the salam.
Ibn ‘Umar memorised ten sunnah rak‘ahs from the Prophet ﷺ: two before Dhuhr and two after, two after Maghrib, two after Isha and two before Fajr.
Maghrib, rak‘ah by rak‘ah
3 rak‘ahs: two aloud, one silent, and two sittings. The table shows them one by one; the positions page details each movement.
| Rak‘ah | Recitation | Imam’s voice | Then |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Al-Fatiha, then a surah | aloud | stand up |
| 2 | Al-Fatiha, then a surah | aloud | first tashahhud, then stand up |
| 3 | Al-Fatiha alone | silent | last tashahhud, prayers upon the Prophet ﷺ, salam |
The four schools, all valid
Which surahs to recite at Maghrib?
Practice is to recite the short surahs at the end of the Quran at Maghrib. The Prophet ﷺ also recited At-Tur there, a longer surah.
Jubayr ibn Mut‘im heard the Prophet ﷺ recite Surah At-Tur at Maghrib.
Abu Hurayra described a prayer very close to the Prophet’s ﷺ: the first two rak‘ahs of Dhuhr long, Asr lighter, short surahs at Maghrib, surahs like Ash-Shams at Isha and two long surahs at Fajr.
| Surah | Verses | Listening | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| At-Tur | 49 | 8 min 09 s | Sahih al-Bukhari 765 |
| Ad-Duhaa | 11 | 1 min 06 s | Mufassal, short |
| Ash-Sharh | 8 | 34 s | Mufassal, short |
| At-Tin | 8 | 52 s | Mufassal, short |
| Al-'Alaq | 19 | 1 min 47 s | Mufassal, short |
| Al-Qadr | 5 | 46 s | Mufassal, short |
| Al-Bayyinah | 8 | 2 min 55 s | Mufassal, short |
| Az-Zalzalah | 8 | 58 s | Mufassal, short |
| Al-'Adiyat | 11 | 58 s | Mufassal, short |
| Al-Qari'ah | 11 | 56 s | Mufassal, short |
Frequently asked questions
How many rak‘ahs does Maghrib have?
3 obligatory rak‘ahs, followed by 2 sunnah rak‘ahs.
What is recited in the third rak‘ah of Maghrib?
Al-Fatiha alone, silently. You then sit for the last tashahhud.
When praying without an imam, is it recited aloud?
The schools differ; the box of the four schools, above, sums up their positions.
How can I check my Fatiha and the surahs I recite in prayer?
Recite them out loud in the Tilawa app: it follows your recitation word by word and shows you the words and tajweed rules to work on. During prayer, it can also follow the verses you recite.
Tilawa editorial team · Updated 2026-10-24 · Report an error