❖ Disliked Times for Prayer from Fajr Until Sunrise
Written by: Imran Ayub Lahori
✦ Defined Times of Karāhah (Dislike) for Prayer
There are three specific times in the day during which offering prayers is prohibited, as proven from authentic narrations:
➊ Hadith of Uqbah bin ‘Āmir (رضي الله عنه)
The Prophet (ﷺ) forbade us from offering prayers and burying the dead at three times:
“حين تطلع الشمس بازغة حتى ترتفع، وحين يقوم قائم الظهيرة حتى تزول الشمس، وحين تتضيف الشمس للغروب”
“When the sun rises until it is fully up; when it is at its zenith until it begins to decline; and when it is close to setting until it sets.”
➋ Hadith of Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri (رضي الله عنه)
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
“ولا صلاة بعد الصبح حتى تطلع الشمس، ولا صلاة بعد العصر حتى تغيب الشمس”
“There is no prayer after Fajr until the sun rises, and no prayer after Asr until the sun sets.”
[Bukhari 586; Muslim 827; Abu ‘Awanah 1/380; Nasa’i 567; Ahmad 3/95; Abu Dawood 2417; Ibn Majah 1249; Bayhaqi 2/452]
➌ Statement of Ibn Mas‘ud (رضي الله عنه)
“كنا ننهى عن الصلاة عند طلوع الشمس وعند غروبها ونصف النهار”
“We were prohibited from praying at the time of sunrise, sunset, and midday.”
[Sharh Ma‘ani al-Athar by Tahawi 1/304]
❖ Exception for Jumu‘ah Prayer
Midday (Zawāl) is a disliked time, but Jumu‘ah prayer is an exception.
Hadith of Abu Qatadah (رضي الله عنه):
“إنه كره أن يصلي نصف النهار إلا يوم الجمعة”
“He (ﷺ) disliked praying at midday except on Friday.”
[Weak: Da‘if Abu Dawood 236, 1083; Da‘if al-Jami‘ 1849; Mishkat 1047; Bayhaqi 3/193]
Despite the weakness of this narration, the following Hadith supports this understanding:
Hadith of Salamah bin al-Akwa‘ (رضي الله عنه):
“كنا نصلي مع رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم الجمعة ثم ننصرف، وليس للحيطان ظل يستظل به”
“We used to pray Jumu‘ah with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), then we would leave, and there would be no shade by the walls.”
[Sahih: Sahih Abu Dawood 961; Abu Dawood 1085]
This indicates that Jumu‘ah was held before the sun declined, making it an exception to the midday prohibition.
❖ Is Masjid al-Haram Exempt from These Times?
The following Hadith is cited as evidence to exempt Masjid al-Haram from the prohibition of prayer during these disliked times:
✦ Hadith of Jubayr bin Mut‘im (رضي الله عنه):
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
“يا بني عبد مناف لا تمنعوا أحدا طاف بهذا البيت وصلى أية ساعة شاء من ليل أو نهار”
“O Banu ‘Abd Manaf! Do not prevent anyone from performing Tawaf around this House or offering prayer at any time of the night or day.”
[Sahih: Tirmidhi 688, 868; Abu Dawood 1894; Nasa’i 2924; Ibn Majah 1254; Bayhaqi 2/461; Ahmad 4/80]
✦ Scholarly Opinions:
❖ Permissibility of Prayer During Disliked Times in Makkah
(Makkah al-Mukarramah)
✔ Ahmad, Shafi‘i, Ishaq, Tahawi — prayer and Tawaf are permissible during disliked times in Makkah
✔ Siddiq Hasan Khan, ‘Abdur Rahman Mubarakpuri — same opinion
✔ Abu Hanifah, Muhammad, Abu Yusuf, and the majority — preferred the dislike and applied prohibition to Makkah as well
[Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi 3/710–714; Al-Rawdah al-Nadiyyah 1/212; Subul al-Salam 1/238]
❖ Imam Nawawi (رحمه الله)
He states:
✔ The Ummah has consensus that performing voluntary prayers without a specific reason during the forbidden times is disliked
✔ It is permissible to offer obligatory prayers during these times
✔ There is difference of opinion regarding Nawafil with specific reasons, such as:
• Tahiyyat al-Masjid
• Sujood al-Tilawah
• Sujood al-Shukr
• Eid prayer
• Solar Eclipse prayer
• Funeral prayer
[Sharh Muslim 3/274]
✦ Commentary of Contemporary Scholars
❖ Muhammad Subhi Hasan Hallaq
He writes:
The Hadith does not prove permissibility of prayer in forbidden times; it merely prohibits preventing anyone from performing Tawaf or praying — without specifying that such acts are permissible at all times.
[Al-Ta‘liq ‘ala al-Rawdah al-Nadiyyah 1/212]
❖ Shaykh al-Albani (رحمه الله)
✔ He agrees with the above understanding
✔ Adds: This Hadith should not be misunderstood to suggest that the prohibition only applies outside the Haram
[Al-Ta‘liqat al-Radiyyah ‘ala al-Rawdah al-Nadiyyah 1/241]
✔ Preferred Opinion (راجح):
The view of Shaykh al-Albani (رحمه الله) appears to be the strongest.
✔ All mosques, including Masjid al-Haram, fall under the general ruling of prohibited times for voluntary prayers,
✔ Unless the prayer is obligatory or based on a specific reason
✅ Summary of Disliked Times for Prayer
The three prohibited time periods are:
① From Fajr until the sun fully rises
② At midday (zawāl) until the sun begins to decline
③ From Asr until the sun sets
✅ Permitted Exceptions
✔ Fard (obligatory) prayers
✔ Qada (missed) prayers
✔ Nawafil with reason (disputed)
✔ Jumu‘ah prayer at zawāl time
✔ No exemption proven definitively for Masjid al-Haram
والله أعلم
