How many rakats in Asr?
4 fard rakats. Asr has none of the twelve regular sunnah. Hanafi charts show 8, adding 4 optional sunnah before the fard.
| Count | Sunnah before | Fard | Sunnah after | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The twelve sunnah | – | 4 | – | 4 |
| Hanafi charts | 4 | 4 | – | 8 |
In order
- 4 rakats sunnah optional, on Hanafi charts
- 4 rakats fard
Why Asr has no regular sunnah
None of the twelve sunnah rakats in the hadith (Jami’ at-Tirmidhi 415) belong to Asr. Many pray four rakats before it as a voluntary sunnah, and Hanafi charts include them. There are none after it: voluntary prayer is avoided from after Asr until sunset (Sahih al-Bukhari 586).
The middle prayer
The Quran asks the believers to guard the prayers, and the middle prayer especially (Surah al-Baqarah 2:238), and a hadith names the middle prayer as Asr (Sahih Muslim 627).
When is Asr?
Asr begins when an object’s shadow is as long as the object, beyond its shadow at noon; in the Hanafi school, when it is twice as long. Its time runs until sunset. See today’s prayer times for New York City and nearby, by either timing.
When travelling
Asr’s 4 fard rakats are shortened to 2. Most schools also allow joining it with Dhuhr; the Hanafi school doesn’t, outside Hajj.
Questions people ask
How many fard rakats are in Asr?
Four, in every school; two when shortened while travelling.
Are the 4 sunnah before Asr required?
No. They’re voluntary: good to pray, and not part of the twelve regular sunnah.
The rakats of Fajr, Dhuhr, Maghrib and Isha, or all five on one free rakat chart to print. Different schools count the optional rakats differently; ask your local imam what yours teaches.