Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.

ذِكْرُ أَمْرِ الْمُصْطَفَى ﷺ بِالرَّكْعَتَيْنِ قَبْلَ صَلَاةِ الْمَغْرِبِ

ibnhibban:1588Muḥammad b. Isḥāq b. Khuzaymah > ʿAbd al-Wārith b. ʿAbd al-Ṣamad b. ʿAbd al-Wārith from my father from my father > Ḥusayn al-Muʿallim > ʿAbdullāh b. Buraydah > ʿAbdullāh al-Muzanī

[Machine] The Prophet ﷺ prayed two units before Maghrib prayer, then he said after the third unit, "For whoever wishes." He was concerned that people would consider it a Sunnah.  

ابن حبّان:١٥٨٨أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ خُزَيْمَةَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَارِثِ بْنُ عَبْدِ الصَّمَدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْوَارِثِ حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي حَدَّثَنَا حُسَيْنٌ الْمُعَلِّمُ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ بُرَيْدَةَ أَنَّ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ الْمُزَنِيَّ حَدَّثَهُ

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ صَلَّى قَبْلَ الْمَغْرِبِ رَكْعَتَيْنِ * ثُمَّ قَالَ عِنْدَ الثَّالِثَةِ «لِمَنْ شَاءَ» خَافَ أَنْ يَحْسِبَهَا النَّاسُ سُنَّةً  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Aḥmad
ahmad:20552ʿAbd al-Ṣamad from my father > Ḥasan And ʿAffān > ʿAbd al-Wārith > Ḥusayn > ʿAbdullāh b. Buraydah > ʿAbdullāh al-Muzanī

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Pray two rak'ahs before the Maghrib prayer. He then said (again): Pray two rak'ahs before the Maghrib prayer, it applies to those who wish to do so. That was because he feared that the people might treat it as sunnah. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 1281)   

أحمد:٢٠٥٥٢حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الصَّمَدِ حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي حَدَّثَنَا حَسَنٌ وَعَفَّانُ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَارِثِ حَدَّثَنَا حُسَيْنٌ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ بُرَيْدَةَ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ الْمُزَنِيِّ

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَ صَلُّوا قَبْلَ الْمَغْرِبِ رَكْعَتَيْنِ ثُمَّ قَالَ صَلُّوا قَبْلَ الْمَغْرِبِ رَكْعَتَيْنِ ثُمَّ قَالَ عِنْدَ الثَّالِثَةِ لِمَنْ شَاءَ كَرَاهِيَةَ أَنْ يَتَّخِذَهَا النَّاسُ سُنَّةً