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Is this Hadith authentic: "Whoever prays four rak'ahs after 'Isha, they will be like their equivalent of Laylat al-Qadr"?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

It has been authentically reported from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, that he prayed four rak'ahs after Ishā' prayer. It has also been mentioned in the Prophet's Sunnah that he regularly performed this prayer, and scholars have unanimously agreed upon its legitimacy as a supererogatory prayer.

As for the marfūʿ ḥadīths that speak of its virtue, claiming that it is equivalent to praying on Laylat al-Qadr, all of them are very weak.

However, the athar (reports) transmitted from the Companions and the Tābiʿīn regarding its virtue, even if they are mawquf (stopped at the Companion), indicate that the Salaf practiced this Sunnah and that it was widespread among them. Some scholars have even concluded that such reports are considered to have the ruling of marfūʿ because they cannot be based on personal opinion. Nevertheless, the statement that it is equivalent to praying on Laylat al-Qadr remains a point of contention.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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