[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to pray four units of prayer when the sun sets. Abu Ayyub said, "O Messenger of Allah, what is this prayer?" He said, "Indeed, the gates of heaven are opened when the sun sets, and they do not close until the noon prayer is offered. So, I love to ascend to Allah in them before the gates of the heavens are closed." Abu Ayyub said, "O Messenger of Allah, do you recite in them or are they recited in them?" He said, "Yes." Abu Ayyub then asked, "Is there a specific supplication in them?" He said, "No, except in the last unit, and by implication."  

كَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ يُصَلِّي حِينَ تَزُولُ الشَّمْسُ أَرْبَعَ رَكَعَاتٍ فَقَالَ أَبُو أَيُّوبَ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ مَا هَذِهِ الصَّلَاةُ؟ قَالَ إِنَّ أَبْوَابَ السَّمَاءِ تُفْتَحُ حِينَ تَزُولُ الشَّمْسُ فَلَا تُرْتَجُ حَتَّى يُصَلَّى الظُّهْرُ فَأُحِبُّ أَنْ يَصْعَدَ لِي فِيهِنَّ خَيْرٌ قَبْلَ أَنْ تُرْتَجَ أَبْوَابُ السَّمَاوَاتِ قَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ تَقْرَأُ فِيهِنَّ أَوْ يُقْرَأُ فِيهِنَّ كُلِّهِنَّ؟ قَالَ نَعَمْ قَالَ فِيهِنَّ سَلَامٌ فَاصِلٌ؟ قَالَ لَا إِلَّا فِي آخِرِهِنَّ وَبِمَعْنَاهُ  

[Machine] On the authority of the Prophet ﷺ , Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn Muhammad al-Muqri informed us that al-Hasan ibn Muhammad ibn Ishaq narrated to him from Yusuf ibn Ya'qub, who narrated from Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr, who narrated from Mu'ammar, who heard from Sufyan, who heard from Al-Amash, who heard from Al-Musayyab ibn Rifa', who heard from a man, who heard from Abu Ayyub that the Prophet ﷺ used to pray four units before Dhuhr (noon prayer). It was said to him, "Indeed, you are consistent in performing this prayer." He said, "When the sun declines and the gates of the heavens are opened, I like to precede before the time of recitation as mentioned in the hadith of Sufyan. And this hadith is also mentioned in the confirmed narration where permission is given for five (units of prayer) without witnessing (tashahhud) or salaam except in the last one which is in Witr (odd-numbered prayer units) and with permission for nine (units of prayer) where one should not sit except in the eighth and should not salaam except in the ninth, and this is also mentioned in Witr."  

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ ح وَأنبأ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ الْمُقْرِئُ أنبأ الْحَسَنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِسْحَاقَ ثنا يُوسُفُ بْنُ يَعْقُوبَ ثنا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ أَبِي بَكْرٍ ثنا مُؤَمَّلٌ عَنْ سُفْيَانَ عَنِ الْأَعْمَشِ عَنِ الْمُسَيَّبِ بْنِ رَافِعٍ عَنْ رَجُلٍ عَنْ أَبِي أَيُّوبَ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ كَانَ يُصَلِّي أَرْبَعًا قَبْلَ الظُّهْرِ فَقِيلَ لَهُ إِنَّكَ تُدِيمُ هَذِهِ الصَّلَاةَ فَقَالَ إِذَا زَالَتِ الشَّمْسُ فُتِحَتْ أَبْوَابُ السَّمَاءِ وَأُحِبُّ أَنْ أُقَدِّمَ قَبْلَ أَنْ تُرْتَجَ لَفْظُ حَدِيثِ سُفْيَانَ وَقَدْ وَرَدَ الْحَدِيثُ الثَّابِتُ بِإِجَازَةِ خَمْسٍ لَا يُتَشَهَّدُ وَلَا يُسَلَّمُ فِيهِنَّ إِلَّا فِي آخِرِهِنَّ فِي الْوِتْرِ وَبِإِجَازَةِ تِسْعٍ لَا يُقْعَدُ إِلَّا فِي الثَّامِنَةِ وَلَا يُسَلَّمُ إِلَّا فِي التَّاسِعَةِ وَذَلِكَ أَيْضًا فِي الْوِتْرِ مَذْكُورٌ