Does the Time of Maghrib Last Until the Disappearance of Twilight?

24-5-2026 | IslamWeb

Question:

Assalaamu Alaykum,
What are the names of the scholars or Madhabs that says that the Maghrib prayer lasts for 10 minutes or so, and what evidence do they use for this opinion?
Is this a valid opinion for a Muslim layman to follow?
This was mentioned on Islamweb Fatwa no: 307522

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad () is His Slave and Messenger.

The view that the time of Maghrib prayer is restricted and has no extended duration is a recognized scholarly opinion. It is the well-known position in the Maliki school and the later opinion of the Shafiʿi school.

What they mean is that the time of Maghrib does not extend beyond the amount of time needed for a person to purify himself, cover his ʿawrah, make the adhan and iqamah, and then pray three rakʿahs according to the Malikis, or five rakʿahs according to the later Shafiʿi view, which includes the two rakʿahs of Sunnah after Maghrib.

They based this upon reports stating that Jibril led the Prophet in Maghrib prayer at the same time on both days while clarifying the prayer times, as mentioned in the narration of Abu Dawood .

However, the stronger opinion is the view held by the Hanafis, Hanbalis, the earlier opinion of the Shafiʿis, and a less well-known narration from the Malikis; namely, that the time of Maghrib extends until the disappearance of the red twilight.

This is based on what is reported in Sahih Muslim that the Prophet said: “When you pray Maghrib, its time lasts until the twilight disappears.”

And in another narration: “The time of Maghrib remains as long as the redness of the twilight has not disappeared.”

And in another narration: “The time of Maghrib prayer lasts so long as the twilight has not vanished.”

Allah Knows best