Short answer
Not in the Hanafi school. There is no sunnah before the Maghrib fard, and praying two rakats between the adhan and Maghrib is disliked because it delays Maghrib, which should be prayed straight away. The Shafi'i school holds those two rakats are recommended, based on a hadith in Bukhari.
Two rakats before Maghrib are not sunnah in the Hanafi school, and praying them is makruh tanzihi because hastening Maghrib is recommended. Some later Hanafi scholars, such as Ibn al-Humam, held that they are permissible if brief and they do not delay the congregation.
Other madhhabs
- Shafi'i
- Two light rakats between the adhan and the iqamah of Maghrib are recommended in the preferred view.
- Maliki
- They are not recommended.
- Hanbali
- They are permissible, but not one of the regular sunnahs.
Explanation
The Prophet ﷺ said: "Pray before Maghrib", and the third time he added "for whoever wishes", because he did not want people to take it as a fixed sunnah. The schools read this differently. The Shafi'i school takes it as a recommendation. The Hanafi school takes it as showing the prayer is allowed in principle, but not a sunnah, and notes that he is not reported to have prayed it regularly himself.
The Hanafi reasoning is about time. Maghrib is the one prayer the sunnah urges you to pray immediately, and praying extra rakats after the adhan pushes it back. So the main Hanafi position is that these two rakats are mildly disliked. Ibn al-Humam, a leading later Hanafi, said they are permissible if kept short and they delay nothing.
- In a Hanafi masjid, the iqamah for Maghrib usually comes straight after the adhan, so there is no gap for them.
- In other masjids, you will see people praying two rakats before Maghrib. They are following a sound view; there is no need to object.
- The sunnah of Maghrib is two rakats after the fard, which are sunnah mu'akkadah.
See what are the sunnah prayers and when Maghrib starts and ends.
The evidence
Sahih al-Bukhari 1183
Sahih... صلوا قبل صلاة المغرب ...
"Pray before the Maghrib prayer."
The hadith on the two rakats, which the Prophet ﷺ followed with 'for whoever wishes'.
Sunan Abi Dawud 418
Grading to be checked... لا تزال أمتي بخير ما لم يؤخروا المغرب إلى أن تشتبك النجوم ...
"My community will remain in good as long as they do not delay Maghrib until the stars crowd together."
Maghrib is to be prayed promptly.
Where the ruling is recorded
- Radd al-Muhtar (Ibn Abidin), Kitab al-Salah, chapter on witr and nawafil. Voluntary prayer before Maghrib is disliked because it delays Maghrib.
- Fath al-Qadir (Ibn al-Humam), Kitab al-Salah, chapter on nawafil. Argues that two short rakats before Maghrib are permissible.
- al-Majmu' (Nawawi), Chapter on voluntary prayer. The Shafi'i school recommends two rakats before Maghrib.
This answer is pending review by the scholars on our team. Quran translation by Sahih International. Hadith Arabic from the standard editions of the six books and the Muwatta, with gradings as recorded there; the English is our own rendering. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.