Nasai

560. Commentary:

➊ In the hadiths, the prohibition of performing prayer at five times has been mentioned:
• Exactly at sunrise, until the sun has risen to the height of a spear.
• At midday, that is, when the sun is at its zenith.
• From when the sun begins to turn yellow until it sets.
• After the dawn (Fajr) prayer until the sun rises.
• After the afternoon (Asr) prayer. All scholars agree on the prohibition of performing obligatory and supererogatory (nafl) prayers without a valid reason during these times. However, if there is a prayer with a specific cause (sabab), such as a necessary prayer that was missed, the greeting of the mosque (tahiyyat al-masjid), the Sunnah of ablution (wudu), the eclipse prayer (salat al-kusuf), the prayer for rain (salat al-istisqa), the two units (rak‘ahs) after circumambulation (tawaf), or repeating the obligatory prayer if one is present in the mosque and the iqamah is called, etc., then there is a difference of opinion among the scholars. The three Imams (Abu Hanifah, Malik, Ahmad except in one narration) are of the view that all supererogatory prayers, whether they have a cause or not, are prohibited except for the obligatory prayers, and their evidence is the generality of the narrations of prohibition. However, Imam Shafi‘i and, according to one narration, Imam Ahmad rahimahullah, hold the view that it is permissible to perform any supererogatory prayer with a cause during these prohibited times. They say that when two generalities are in conflict, it should be seen which generality has been specified (by another text); thus, the generality that remains unqualified should be given precedence over the weaker, specified generality (al-‘umum al-makhsoos). In light of this principle, it is evident that when the prohibition excludes the missed prayer, which is to be performed whenever it is remembered or upon waking up—because the hadith permits this—similarly, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam performed the two Sunnah rak‘ahs of Fajr after sunrise, and he made up supererogatory prayers after Asr. Therefore, when the Shari‘ah permits these mentioned prayers in these disliked times and has made exceptions for these cases, then why can’t other supererogatory prayers with causes also be excepted? Thus, whenever a person enters the mosque, he may perform the greeting of the mosque (tahiyyat al-masjid) without dislike, and similarly, other prayers performed out of necessity may be performed during these prohibited times, because their performance is due to specific causes. Therefore, regardless of the time, whenever the cause exists, it is permissible to perform supererogatory prayers, because if the causes are ignored, many religious benefits would be lost, and this is not the spirit of the Shari‘ah. In this way, all the evidences are reconciled, and it is possible to act upon the various hadiths on the issue. And Allah knows best. For further details, see: [فتاوی شیخ الإسلام : 33؍187 ، و توضیح الأحکام شرح بلوغ المرام : 1؍492 ، والفقه الإسلامي وادلته : 1؍524 ، وشرح النسائي للإتیوبي : 7؍299]

(2) The reason for Satan joining the sun at the time of its rising and setting is that people worship the sun at these times. In the hadith it is stated: «وحینئذ یسجد لھا الکفار» “At that time, the disbelievers prostrate to the sun.” [صحیح مسلم ، صلاة المسافرین ، حدیث : 532 ، وإرواء الغلیل : 2؍237] Satan desires that he too be worshipped, so he stands between the sun and its worshippers, in front of the sun. The reason for the prohibition of prayer at the exact time of the sun’s zenith is also mentioned in the hadith, where it is said: «فإنه حینئذ تسجرجھنم» “Because at that time Hell is kindled.” [صحیح مسلم ، صلاة المسافرین ، حدیث : 832] These are the literal meanings, and there is nothing irrational or far-fetched in them, although some people interpret them metaphorically.

➌ The prohibition of supererogatory prayer applies to these three times, not to missed obligatory prayers; those may be performed whenever they are remembered or upon waking up. However, in another hadith regarding the time of prohibition after Asr, a specification is mentioned, and that is the time when the sun turns yellow; that is, it is prohibited to perform any prayer without cause at that time. However, as long as the sun remains bright and shining after Asr and has not turned yellow, supererogatory prayers may be performed without restriction. The evidence for this is the authentic hadith of Ali radi Allahu anhu (no. 574) which will be mentioned later. See: [حدیث : 574 ، وإرواء الغلیل : 2؍237 ، وشرح سنن النسائي للإتیوبي : 7؍363]

➍ According to Shaykh al-Albani rahimahullah, the mentioned hadith is authentic except for the words: «فاذا استوت قارنھا فاذا زالت فارقھا». See: [إرواء الغلیل : 2؍238]

Fu'ad and Issues:
The aforementioned narration has been declared authentic by our esteemed researcher, and the researchers of Al-Mawsu‘ah Al-Hadithiyyah have also considered it authentic due to its chain being mursal and on the basis of other supporting narrations.

Whereas Shaykh Al-Albani rahimahullah, regarding this narration, writes that this narration (فَإِذَا كَانَتْ فِي وَسَطِ السَّمَاءِ قَارَنَهَا فَإِذَا دَلَكَتْ فَارَقَهَا)
“When the sun reaches the middle of the sky,
then Satan joins it.
When it declines, he separates from it.”
—apart from this sentence, it is authentic.

However, their opinion appears to be closer to correctness.
Because those who have declared the aforementioned narration authentic, the supporting narrations they have mentioned,
do not contain this sentence.
Rather, in them, it is stated in general terms that performing prayer at three times is disliked (makruh).
However, in some narrations which are more authentic than the aforementioned narration,
the reason for the prohibition has been mentioned:
that at noon, Hellfire (Jahannam) is shown.
Therefore, the reason for the prohibition of prayer mentioned in the aforementioned narration is not correct; rather, what is authentic and correct is
that at noon, Hellfire is kindled.
And Allah knows best.

For details, see: (Da‘if Sunan Ibn Majah by Al-Albani, no. 2588; Sunan Ibn Majah by Dr. Bashar ‘Awwad, hadith: 1253; and Al-Mawsu‘ah Al-Hadithiyyah, Musnad Al-Imam Ahmad: 212/31)