Teaching the Times of Salah: The Guidance of Jibril (Gabriel) Peace Be Upon Him
Jibril (Gabriel) peace be upon him taught the Prophet ﷺ the times and sequence of the prayers after the night of Mi’raj. According to a reliable hadith of Tirmidhi (Hadith No. 149), Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates that after the night of Mi’raj, the next morning Jibril peace be upon him came to the House of Allah and taught the Prophet ﷺ the five prayers over two days. On the first day, Jibril peace be upon him performed the prayers at the beginning of their times, and on the second day at the end of their times, so that the Prophet ﷺ would know the beginning and the final limits of the times of prayer.
➊ The Times of Prayer on the First Occasion
On the first day, Jibril peace be upon him led the Prophet ﷺ in prayer in this sequence:
- Zuhr: when the shadow became equal to the strap of a sandal.
- Asr: when the shadow of everything became equal to it.
- Maghrib: when the sun set and it became time for the fasting person to break the fast.
- Isha: when the twilight (the redness after sunset) disappeared.
- Fajr: when the light of dawn appeared and eating became forbidden for the fasting person.
➋ The Times of Prayer on the Second Occasion
On the second day, Jibril peace be upon him performed the prayers at the end of their times:
- Zuhr: when the shadow of everything became equal to it (that is, close to the time of Asr).
- Asr: when the shadow of everything became twice its length.
- Maghrib: at its fixed time, that is, at sunset.
- Isha: when one third of the night had passed.
- Fajr: when the earth was filled with light, that is, after true dawn.
➌ The Guidance of Jibril Peace Be Upon Him
After teaching the Prophet ﷺ the times of prayer, Jibril peace be upon him said: “O Muhammad! This is the time that was set for the prophets before you. And it is permissible to perform the prayers during the time between these two days.”
Summary
Jibril peace be upon him taught the Prophet ﷺ the times of prayer over two days, on the first day at the beginning of the times and on the second day at the end of the times, so that the beginning and final limits of the times of prayer could be made clear.
