A person regularly performs two rak‘ahs of the Duha prayer daily. However, some people criticized him, claiming that the minimum number of rak’ahs for the Duha prayer is four. We kindly request a clarification regarding the minimum number of rak‘ahs for the Duha prayer.

The Duha prayer is a Sunnah established by the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), to be performed during the forenoon after the sun has risen high in the sky. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) established it as a substitute for the daily charity required for each bone in the body, as an expression of gratitude to Allah Almighty for His blessings and bounty.

Abu Dharr al-Ghifari (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said,
"Each morning, there is a charity due on every bone in the body of each one of you. Every glorification (tasbiḥah) is a charity, every praise (tahmidah) is a charity, every declaration of Allah's greatness (takbirah) is a charity, every declaration of Allah's oneness (tahlilah) is a charity, enjoining good is a charity, and forbidding evil is a charity. The two rak’ahs [of Duha] which one prays in the forenoon is equal to all of this” (Muslim in Ṣaḥiḥ).

According to the consensus of jurists, the minimum number of rak‘ahs for the Duha prayer is two. This is premised on the hadith of Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him), who said, "The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) advised me to perform two rak’ahs" (recorded by Bukhari in his Sahih)

Mu‘adh Ibn Anas al-Juhani narrated from his father (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Whoever remains in their place of prayer following the Dawn prayer, making tasbih until the Duha prayer while speaking only words of goodness, will have all their sins forgiven, even if they are as numerous as the foam of the sea" (Abu Dawud).

Imam ‘Ala` al-Din al-Hasakafi, the Hanafi scholar, noted in Al-Durr Al-Mukhtar (p. 92),
"The soundest opinion recommends praying four rak‘ahs or more for Duha, from after sunrise until just before noon. The preferred time for praying Duha is after a quarter of the day has passed. In Al-Munya, the minimum number of rak’ahs is two.” Commenting on this, Imam Ibn ‘Abidin said in Radd al-Muhtar (2:23),
that the position mentioned in Al-Munya — namely, that the minimum number of rak’ahs for Duha is two — was also transmitted by Sheikh Isma’il from Al-Ghaznawiyyah, Al-Hawi, Al-Shar‘ah, and Al-Samarqandiyyah. Moreover, what the author stated was also adopted in Al-Tabyin, Al-Miftah, and Al-Durar. According to Ibn ‘Abidin, the correct position indicated by some verifying scholars, is that two rak‘ahs represent the lowest level [of performing Duha], while four rak‘ahs reflect the minimum level of perfection [of the prayer].

Imam Shihab al-Din al-Nafrawi, the Maliki scholar, wrote in Al-Fawakih al-Dawani (2:271), alongside Imam al-Nawawi in Al-Majmū‘, that the Duha prayer is a highly recommended supererogatory act of worship, with a minimum requirement of two rak‘ahs.

Imam Abu al-Sa‘adat al-Buhuti, the Hanbali scholar, noted in Daqa’iq Uli Al-Nuha (1:249),
“The Duha prayer is recommended, as indicated by the hadiths of Abu Huraira, Abu al-Darda`, and others … The minimum requirement is two rak‘ahs as it has not been transmitted that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed fewer than this number.”

And Allah Almighty knows best.