Mereka berselisih pendapat mengenai solat sunat, sama ada ia dikerjakan dua rakaat, empat rakaat, atau tiga rakaat. Malik dan al-Shafi‘i berpendapat bahawa solat sunat sama ada pada waktu malam atau siang hendaklah dikerjakan dua rakaat sekali, dengan salam selepas setiap dua rakaat. Abu Hanifah berpendapat bahawa jika seseorang beribadah itu mahu, dia boleh mengerjakannya dua rakaat sekali, atau tiga, atau empat, atau enam, atau lapan, tanpa memberi salam di antaranya. Sekumpulan ahli fiqh membezakan antara solat pada waktu malam dengan solat pada waktu siang, dengan mengatakan bahawa solat pada waktu malam dikerjakan dua rakaat sekali, manakala solat pada waktu siang dikerjakan empat rakaat sekali.

They disagreed about supererogatory prayers, whether they are to be observed as two rak'as, four, or three. Malik and al-Shafi‘1 said that voluntary prayers during the night or the day are to be offered as two at a time with a salutation after every two rak^as. Abu Hanifa said that if the worshipper likes he may offer them as two at a time, or three, or four, or six, or eight, without offering a salutation in between. A group of jurists distinguished between prayers during the night and those during the day, saying that prayers during the night are two at a time while prayers during the day are four at a time.

Sebab perselisihan mereka dalam perkara ini timbul daripada percanggahan hadis-hadis mengenai subjek tersebut. Diriwayatkan daripada Ibnu Umar, bahawa seorang lelaki bertanya kepada Nabi ﷺ tentang solat pada waktu malam, lalu baginda bersabda, "Solat malam itu dua rakaat dua rakaat, dan apabila engkau bimbang waktu subuh akan menjelang, maka kerjakanlah satu rakaat sebagai witir." Juga telah thabit daripada Nabi ﷺ bahawa baginda biasa solat dua rakaat sebelum zuhur dan dua rakaat selepasnya, dua rakaat selepas maghrib, dua rakaat selepas solat Jumaat, dan dua rakaat sebelum asar. Mereka yang berpegang kepada kedua-dua hadis ini berpendapat bahawa solat sunat pada waktu malam mahupun siang ialah dua rakaat dua rakaat. Telah thabit melalui hadis 'Aisyah, yang menggambarkan solat Rasulullah ﷺ dengan katanya, "Baginda solat empat rakaat, dan engkau tidak dapat membayangkan betapa indah dan panjangnya. Kemudian baginda solat empat rakaat lagi, dan engkau tidak dapat membayangkan betapa indah dan panjangnya. Kemudian baginda solat tiga rakaat." Lalu aku bertanya, "Wahai Rasulullah, adakah engkau tidur sebelum mengerjakan witir?" Baginda menjawab, "Wahai 'Aisyah, mataku tidur, tetapi hatiku tidak tidur." Juga telah thabit melalui riwayat Abu Hurairah bahawa Nabi ﷺ bersabda, "Sesiapa yang solat selepas jumaah hendaklah dia solat empat rakaat." Al-Aswad meriwayatkan daripada 'Aisyah bahawa Rasulullah ﷺ biasa solat sembilan rakaat pada waktu malam, tetapi apabila baginda semakin tua, baginda solat tujuh rakaat. Mereka yang berpegang kepada makna zahir hadis-hadis ini membenarkan solat sunat empat atau tiga rakaat sekaligus tanpa rehat dan tanpa salam di antaranya. Majoriti ulama pula berpendapat bahawa solat sunat tidak dikerjakan dengan satu rakaat sahaja, dan saya berpandangan bahawa dalam perkara ini terdapat sedikit perselisihan yang menyimpang.

The reason for their disagreement in this arises from the conflict of the traditions on the subject. A tradition from Ibn TJmar is related that a man asked the Prophet (God’s peace and blessings be upon him) about prayers during the night, and he said, “The prayer during the night is two at a time, and if you find that the morning is going to overtake you, then, offer one rak^a as witr”. It is also established from the Prophet (God’s peace and blessings be .upon him) “that he used to pray two rak^as before zuhr and two after it, two rakfas after maghrib, two rakfas after the Friday prayer, and two rak'as before casr”. Those who adopted these two traditions said that prayers during the night as well as the day are two rakcas at a time. It is established through a tradition of ‘Arisha in which she describes the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (God’s peace and blessings be upon him) by saying “He prayed four rak^as and you cannot imagine how beautiful they were or how long! He then then prayed four and you cannot imagine how beautiful they were or how long! He then prayed three, and I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, do you sleep before observing the wilrP He said, CO c Arisha, my eyes go to sleep, but my heart does not”*. It is also established, through a narration of Abu Hurayra, that the Prophet (God’s peace and blessings be upon him) said, “He who prays after the jumida should pray four”. Al-Aswad has related from <A>isha “that the Messenger of Allah (God’s peace and blessings be upon him) used to offer nine ra&as during the night”—“but when he grew older, he prayed seven”. Those who adopted the apparent meaning in these traditions permitted supererogatory prayers as four or three at a time without a break between them with the salutation. The majority maintained that super­ erogatory prayers are not offered through a single rak*a, and I think there is some deviant disagreement in this.