Abu Dawud

400. Commentary:
Allamah Sindhi has mentioned in the marginal notes of Sunan an-Nasa’i that the meaning of this hadith is that the maximum delay you (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) would make after the zenith was such that, in the summer, the shadow would be three to five steps, and in the winter, five to seven steps. And in this shadow, both the original and the additional shadow are counted.

504. Commentary:

➊ The measurement of the sun’s shadow varies in every region; however, at the time of zenith (zawal), the shadow is shorter in summer and longer in winter. The region of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was Madinah Munawwarah, therefore, the calculation of footsteps will be according to that region. In our country, Pakistan, at the time of zenith, the shadow is longer compared to Madinah Munawwarah.

➋ Here, “shadow” refers to the total shadow, not excluding the zenith shadow. However, in Madinah Munawwarah, during summer, the zenith shadow is only about one or two footsteps, whereas in winter it is four or five footsteps. Thus, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam would delay (the prayer) by three or four footsteps from the zenith shadow in summer, and by one or two footsteps in winter. In our region, apart from the zenith shadow, we can delay (the prayer) according to the aforementioned calculation.

➌ The shadow referred to here is a person’s own shadow. Every person’s height is equal to seven of his own footsteps. By “footstep” is meant the foot itself, not the distance between two feet (i.e., not the stride).

➍ Allamah Sindhi rahimahullah has written in the margin of Sunan an-Nasa’i that the meaning of this hadith is that the maximum delay the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam would make after zenith was such that in summer the shadow would be three to five footsteps, and in winter five to seven footsteps. In this shadow, both the original and the additional shadow are counted.