Source: Ahkam wa Masail – Kitab al-Salat, Vol.1, p.109
Question:
If a person has missed the Zuhr prayer and the time of ‘Asr has begun, what should he do?
Should he offer the missed Zuhr first or the current ‘Asr?
Can Zuhr be included within ‘Asr, or should he first pray ‘Asr and then make up Zuhr?
Answer:
Alhamdulillah, wassalatu wassalamu ‘ala Rasulillah, amma ba‘d!
In such a case, he should first perform the missed Zuhr, then perform the current ‘Asr.
◈ Evidence from the Sunnah
On one occasion, the Prophet ﷺ missed both ‘Asr and Maghrib prayers. When the time of ‘Isha had entered, he ﷺ prayed them in this sequence:
➊ First ‘Asr
➋ Then Maghrib
➌ Then ‘Isha
This shows that missed prayers should be offered before the current one, even if the time of the current prayer has already begun.
✅ Conclusion:
- The missed prayer should be prayed first, followed by the current prayer.
- Combining Zuhr within ‘Asr is not valid.
- The Sunnah is to maintain the proper order (tartib) of prayers.
ھذا ما عندي والله أعلم بالصواب
