Ibn Majah

Benefits and Issues:

➊
In terms of the acceptance of worship and supplication, certain times are superior to others.
For example, among the months, Ramadan is superior, and among the nights, the Night of Qadr (Laylat al-Qadr) is superior.

➋
Among the times of the night, the last part of the night is the most virtuous.
In this narration, the middle part of the night is mentioned.
However, other scholars have declared this phrase to be rejected (munkar), i.e., weak, due to its contradiction with other authentic narrations, and have considered the rest of the narration to be authentic.
For details, see: (Sahih Sunan Abi Dawood (Mufassal) by al-Albani, no. 1158, and Sunan Ibn Majah by Dr. Bashar Awad, hadith: 1251)
Also, our esteemed researcher has declared it weak in its chain, but has mentioned its supporting evidences, among which is the reference to Sahih Muslim. See: Tahqiq wa Takhrij of this hadith.

➌
It is permissible to perform the night prayer (tahajjud) at any time during the night.
However, its time begins after the night prayer (‘isha).
If the ‘isha prayer is performed at its earliest time,
then tahajjud can be started after that.
But if the ‘isha prayer is delayed,
then tahajjud can only be performed after it, not before.

➍
From the true dawn (subh sadiq) until sunrise, only the obligatory and Sunnah prayers of Fajr are to be performed.
Other than these, supererogatory (nafl) prayers should not be performed during this period.

➎
Even after the sun has risen, one should wait a little before performing the Ishraq prayer,
so that the sun rises higher and the time passes
when non-Muslims worship the sun.

➏
One should also avoid performing supererogatory prayers at the exact time of midday (zenith).
Once the sun has declined (zawal), it becomes permissible.

➐
The connection between the heat of midday and Hellfire is a matter of the unseen (ghayb).
It is sufficient to have faith in it.
There is no need to investigate its modality (kayfiyyah).

➑
The meaning of the sun rising and setting between the horns of Satan is that when disbelievers prostrate to the sun at these times,
Satan comes before them in the direction of the sun.
Thus, the prostration is made to Satan, and Satan becomes pleased with this,
because he believes
that this worship of the sun is, in reality, worship of himself.

➒
It is prohibited to imitate non-Muslims, even if the intention of the Muslim is not to worship other than Allah.

585. Commentary:

➊ The researcher of the book has declared the mentioned narration weak in terms of its chain of transmission, and after that, he has written that some parts of this hadith are corroborated by evidence found in Sahih Muslim, while other scholars have, on the basis of these corroborating reports, declared it authentic. Therefore, despite the mentioned narration being weak in its chain, it is actionable and authoritative due to other supporting evidences. For details, see: [إروا الغلیل : 2؍237 ، وصحیح سنن أبي داود (مفصل) للألباني ، رقم : 1158 ، وسنن ابن ماجه للدکتور بشار عواد ، حدیث : 1251]
Accordingly, it seems appropriate to clarify some of the words. “As long as it remains like a shield.” That is, the disc of the sun is clearly visible, and the eyes are not dazzled by it.

➋ By “spreading,” what is meant is the spreading of its rays, such that it cannot be looked at. (3) Standing on the shadow of the pillar means: the sun comes overhead and the shadow disappears. This happens in Makkah Mukarramah during intense summer. (4) “Until you pray the morning prayer.” Does this refer to the time of the appearance of dawn (tulu‘ al-fajr), or the interval between the morning prayer and sunrise? There is a difference of opinion on this. Although the apparent wording of some narrations indicates that it is the time after the appearance of dawn, there is ambiguity in this and in other authentic narrations of this meaning. This ambiguity is removed by detailed narrations, and that is: this time is after the morning prayer, as is the position of Imam Shafi‘i rahimahullah and others, and the evidence for this is the following words of this very hadith: «فَصَلِّ مَا بَدَا لَكَ حَتَّى تُصَلِّيَ الصُّبْحَ» Or, the narrations indicating the general prohibition of supererogatory prayers (nawafil) after the appearance of dawn can be interpreted as a discouragement (tanzih), although some have declared all these prohibitive narrations as unauthoritative, and for this, the mentioned narration itself becomes the contextual indicator. In any case, even then, permissibility is established. This is the inclination of Imam al-Nasa’i rahimahullah as understood from the chapter heading. This is the issue of permissibility, but it is preferable that, without necessity or cause, no other supererogatory prayer be performed except the two light sunnah units of Fajr, as is apparent from hadith 584. And Allah knows best. For further details, see: [شرح سنن النسائي للإتيوبي : 7؍222 ، 223]

➎ The meaning of the sun rising between the horns of Satan has already been clarified. See: [حديث : 560]