How to offer the daytime four-rak’ah prayers

The majority of scholars are of the view that it is better to
offer the naafil prayers of both day and night two by two. Some scholars –
such as Imam Ahmad – were of the view that it is obligatory to do it this
way, and that these prayers are not valid if more than two rak’ahs are done
with one tasleem, except for Witr, because of the reports to that effect in
the saheeh Sunnah. 

They quoted as evidence for that the hadeeth of Ibn ‘Umar
(may Allaah be pleased with him), according to which the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The prayers of the day and night
are to be offered two by two.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 597; Abu Dawood,
1295; al-Nasaa’i, 1666; Ibn Maajah, 1322. This hadeeth was classed as saheeh
by Shaykh al-Albaani in Tamaam al-Mannah, p. 240. 

 What is meant by “two
by two” is two rak’ahs by two rak’ahs. This is how it was explained by Ibn
‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him). 

In Saheeh Muslim it is narrated that ‘Uqbah ibn
Hurayth said: I said to Ibn ‘Umar: “What does two by two mean?” He said:
“Saying the tasleem after each two rak’ahs.” 

Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen said: 

The words two by two mean that you should not pray all four
rak’ahs together, rather you should pray them two by two, because it is
proven in Saheeh al-Bukhaari and Saheeh Muslim from Ibn ‘Umar
that a man asked the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him): “What do you think about the night prayers?” He said: “Two by
two, then if any one of you fears that dawn will come, let him pray one
rak’ah and that will make what he has prayed odd-numbered for him.” 

With regard to the word al-nahaar (day), this was
narrated by the authors of al-Sunan, and the scholars differed to
whether it is saheeh or not. 

The correct view is that it is proven, as it was deemed to be
saheeh by al-Bukhaari.  

Based on this, the nighttime prayers and the daytime prayers
should both be offered two by two, saying the tasleem after each two
rak’ahs. Every hadeeth which mentions four rak’ahs without clearly stating
that the tasleem should not be said should be interpreted in this manner,
i.e., it should be understood as meaning that the tasleem should be said
after each two rak’ahs, because this is the principle, and minor issues are
to be understood in the light of the basic principles.  

‘Aa’ishah said that when she was asked about how the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) prayed in Ramadaan, she
said: “In Ramadaan and at other times he did not pray more than eleven
rak’ahs. He would pray four, and do not ask how beautiful and how long they
were.” This would appear to mean four rak’ahs with one salaam, but it should
be interpreted according to the general principle, which is that the
nighttime prayers are offered two by two, as that was proven from the
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).  It
may also be said that she mentioned four on their own, then four on their
own, because he would pray four and then rest, as is indicated by the word
thumma (then) which is indicative of the sequence of events and also
suggests a slight pause between the events described. 

Al-Sharh al-Mumti’, 4/76, 77 

In his Saheeh (2/214), Ibn Khuzaymah included the
hadeeth of Ibn ‘Umar in a chapter which he called Baab al-Tasleem fi
kulli Rak’atayn min Salaat al-Tatawwu’ Salaat al-Layli wa’l-Nahaari jamee’an
(Saying the tasleem following each two rak’ahs of voluntary prayer during
both the night and the day). He followed this with a chapter entitled
Baab Dhikr al-Akhbaar al-Mansoosah wa’l-Daallah ‘ala Khilaaf Qawli man
za’ama anna tatawwu’ al-Nahaar arba’an la mathna (Reports which indicate
the opposite of the view of those who claim that the voluntary daytime
prayers are to be offered four by four not two by two), in which he quoted a
great deal of evidence to show that the voluntary daytime prayers are to be
offered two by two. 

The hadeeth, “May Allaah have mercy on those who pray four
(rak’ahs) before ‘Asr” is to be understood in the manner explained above,
which is that they are to be offered two by two. 

Ibn Hibbaan said: 

When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said “Four”, he meant with two tasleems, because in the report of Ya’la
ibn ‘Ata’ from ‘Ali ibn ‘Abd-Allaah al-Azdi from ‘Ibn ‘Umar, it says that
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The
prayers of the night and the day are (to be offered) two by two.” 

Saheeh Ibn Hibbaan, 6/606. He
also said something similar – in 6/631 – regarding the four rak’ahs which
are to be offered after Jumu’ah prayer. 

Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: 

What is prescribed is for the Muslim to offer the naafil
prayers of the day and the night two by two, because the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The night prayers are (to be
offered) two by two” (saheeh – agreed upon). And according to a saheeh
report he said: “The prayers of the night and the day are (to be offered)
two by two.” Narrated by Imam Ahmad and the authors of al-Sunan with
a saheeh isnaad. 

Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn Baaz,
11/390 

See also the answer to question no.
1048 for more details on
the regular naafil prayers. 

And Allaah knows best.