Concerning the Hadeeth of Six (6) Rak’ats of Nawaafil Prayer after Salatul Maghrib found in At Tirmidhee

ان الحمدلله نحمده و نستعينه و نستغفره. و نعوذ بالله من شرور انفسنا و من سيءات اعمالنا. من يهده الله فلا مضلل له و من يضلل فلا هادي له. أشهد ان لا اله الا الله وحده لا شريك له و أشهد ان محمدا رسول الله 

Indeed all praise belongs to Allah, we praise Him and seek his assistance and forgiveness, we seek refuge in Allah from the evil of ourselves and the evil consequences of our deeds. Whomever Allah guides, none can lead astray. Whomever Allah allowed to go astray none can guide aright. I bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah alone, without partners. And I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave-servant and Messenger.

What follows are the gradings of two hadeeths found in at Tirmidhee concerning the six rak’at voluntary prayer after Salatul Maghrib. This humble hadeeth research was entirely done using the software Al Maktabah Ash Shamilah.

Hadeeth found in At Tirmidhee

( سنن الترمذي )
435 حدثنا أبو كريب يعني محمد بن العلاء الهمداني حدثنا زيد بن الحباب حدثنا عمر بن أبي خثعم عن يحيى بن أبي كثير عن أبي سلمة عن أبي هريرة قال قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم من صلى بعد المغرب ست ركعات لم يتكلم فيما بينهن بسوء عدلن له بعبادة ثنتي عشرة سنة قال أبو عيسى وقد روي عن عائشة عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال من صلى بعد المغرب عشرين ركعة بنى الله له بيتا في الجنة قال أبو عيسى حديث أبي هريرة حديث غريب لا نعرفه إلا من حديث زيد بن الحباب عن عمر بن أبي خثعم قال و سمعت محمد بن إسمعيل يقول عمر بن عبد الله بن أبي خثعم منكر الحديث وضعفه جدا .

تحقيق الألباني :
ضعيف جدا ، ابن ماجة ( 1167 ) // ضعيف سنن ابن ماجة ( 244 ) ، الضعيفة ( 469 ) ، الروض النضير ( 719 ) ، التعليق الرغيب ( 1 / 204 ) ، ضعيف الجامع الصغير ( 5661 ) //

The Isnaad (Chain of Narration)

Abu Kuraib, or, Muhammad ibn Al ‘Ala al Hamdaani from Zaid ibn Habbaab reported from Umar ibn Abi Khat’am form Yahya ibn Abee Katheer from Abu Salamah from Abu Hurairah that he said,

The Matn (Text)

On the authority of Abu Hurairah that the Prophet s.a.w. said “Whoever prays after maghrib six Rak’at without talking evil between them have a reward equal to 12 years of worship. “

Abu ‘Eesa (At-Tirmidhee) said, this is (also) related by Aishah that the Prophet s.a.w. said “Whoever prays 20 rak’ats after maghrib, Allah will build for him 20 houses in Paradise.”

Abu ‘Eesa (At Tirmidhee) said, ‘This hadeeth of abu Huraira is Ghareeb (strange) and we don’t know this except from the hadeeth of Zaid ibn Habbab’ from ‘Umar from Abu Khat’am’.

He [At Tirmidhee] said. ‘I heard Muhammad ibn Ismaeel (Imam Bukhari?) said: the hadeeth of Abdullah ibn Umar ibn Khat’am is Munkar (rejected) and very weak.’

Al Albani’s Grading: Da’eef Jiddan. Very Weak. Ibn Majah (1167), Da’eef Sunan Ibn Majah (244) [Weak]; Rawdah an Nadeer (719), Ta’leeq ar Ragheeb (1/204), Da’eef al Jaami’ as Sagheer (5661).


Footnotes:
1. http://abulayth.multiply.com/links/item/13/13. Arabic link: http://www.shamela.ws/. August 12, 2010.

2. A list of all those who transmitted the saying of the Prophet  beginning with the last transmitter to the one who reported it in his book and ending with the companion who narrated it from the Prophet . Dr. Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips. Usool al Hadeeth pg. 40.

3. The narrated saying, action, approval or physical description of the Prophet . Ibid pg. 40

4. A narration which has a single transmitter at any point in the Isnaad after the Companion – narrator. M. Azami, Studies in Hadith Methodology pg. 43.

5. A Munkar hadeeth refers to a weak hadeeth which contradicts an authentic hadeeth. This is the definition preferred by Ibn Hajr (Al Asqalani). Other scholars defined Munkar as (1) a narration containing a transmitter known for committing excessive mistakes (2) A narration containing a transmitter known for indecent conduct. Dr. Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips. Usool al Hadeeth pg. 104-5.

6. Therefore even at Tirmidhee, the collector of this hadeeth ruled it to be weak.