Authored by: Imran Ayub Lahori
❀ The Time of Maghrib Prayer: From Sunset Until the Disappearance of the Redness
❶ Hazrat Jibreel عليه السلام led the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم in Maghrib prayer on both days:
“حِينَ وَجَبَتِ الشَّمْسُ“
“When the sun had set (i.e., when it disappeared).”
[Sahih: Sahih Tirmidhi: 127]
❷ It is narrated from Hazrat Salamah bin Akwa’ رضي الله عنه:
“إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَانَ يُصَلِّي الْمَغْرِبَ إِذَا غَرَبَتِ الشَّمْسُ“
“Indeed, the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم used to perform the Maghrib prayer when the sun had set.”
In Sahih Bukhari, these words are also mentioned:
“إِذَا تَوَارَتْ بِالْحِجَابِ“
“When the sun disappeared behind the curtain (horizon).”
[Ahmad: 4/54; Bukhari: 561, Kitab Mawaqit al-Salah: Bab Waqt al-Maghrib; Muslim: 636; Abu Dawud: 417; Tirmidhi: 164; Ibn Majah: 688; Tabarani al-Kabir: 6289; Bayhaqi: 1/446; Abu Awanah: 1/361; Darimi: 1/275; Ibn Hibban: 1523]
❸ There is consensus that the time of Maghrib prayer begins at sunset.
[Nayl al-Awtar: 1/458]
❹ It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Musa Ash’ari رضي الله عنه that a questioner asked the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم about the times of prayer (in a long Hadith, in which it states):
“فَأَقَامَ الْمَغْرِبَ حِينَ وَقَعَتِ الشَّمْسُ“
“He صلى الله عليه وسلم performed the Maghrib prayer when the sun had set.”
And on the second day:
“ثُمَّ أَخَّرَ الْمَغْرِبَ حَتَّى كَانَ عِنْدَ سُقُوطِ الشَّفَقِ“
“Then he delayed the Maghrib prayer until the redness (shafaq) had disappeared.”
[Muslim: 614, Kitab al-Masajid wa Mawadi’ al-Salah: Bab Awqat al-Salawat al-Khams; Nasa’i: 523; Abu Dawud: 395; Ahmad: 4/416; Tirmidhi: 152; Ibn Majah: 667; Abu Awanah: 1/373; Ibn Khuzaymah: 1/166; Daraqutni: 1/262; Bayhaqi: 1/371]
❺ It is narrated from Hazrat Abdullah bin Amr رضي الله عنه that the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
“وَقْتُ صَلَاةِ الْمَغْرِبِ مَا لَمْ يَسْقُطْ ثَوْرُ الشَّفَقِ“
“The time of Maghrib prayer extends until the redness (shafaq) has disappeared.”
[Muslim: 612; also, Tayalisi: 2249; Ahmad: 2/210; Abu Dawud: 396; Sharh Ma’ani al-Athar: 1/150; Bayhaqi: 1/366; Abu Awanah: 1/371]
The Hadith of Hazrat Jibreel عليه السلام in which the Maghrib prayer was offered at the same time (sunset) on both days has been explained in three ways:
❶ Hazrat Jibreel عليه السلام only mentioned the preferred time, not the entire period of permissibility.
❷ The Hadith of Hazrat Jibreel عليه السلام was earlier (in Makkah), and the Ahadith mentioning Maghrib time until the disappearance of the redness were later (in Madinah), thus they must be acted upon.
❸ These later Ahadith are also stronger in their chains of narration and thus take precedence.
[Nayl al-Awtar: 1/444; Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi: 1/527]
This is the view of the majority (Jumhur), the Hanbalis, and the Hanafis.
The Shafi’i Position
The Shafi’i scholars hold that Maghrib has only one time: the initial period (based on the Hadith of Hazrat Jibreel عليه السلام).
[Sharh al-Muhadhdhab: 3/33; al-Mabsut: 1/144; al-Mughni: 2/24; al-Insaf fi Ma’rifah al-Rajih min al-Khilaf]
Early Shafi’i books mentioning this view include:
- al-Amaali
- Majma’ al-Kafi
- Uyoon al-Masa’il
- al-Bahr al-Muheet
Modern Shafi’i works: - al-Umm
- al-Imla’
- al-Mukhtasarat
- al-Risalah
- al-Jami’ al-Kabir
[Tabaqat Ibn Hidayah Allah, p. 245]
Some among the Shafi’i scholars do mention two times for Maghrib: sunset and the disappearance of the redness.
[Nayl al-Awtar: 1/458]
Imam Nawawi رحمه الله states that this is the correct position.
[Sharh Muslim: 3/123; al-Majmu’: 3/34]
What is meant by Shafaq (the redness)?
It is narrated from Hazrat Ibn Umar رضي الله عنه:
“الشَّفَقُ الْحُمْرَةُ“
“Shafaq is the redness.”
[Abd al-Razzaq: 2122; Bayhaqi: 1/373]
According to linguistic references:
- Qamus al-Muheet: Shafaq is the redness that appears in the sky after sunset until near Isha.
- Mukhtar al-Sihah: Shafaq is the glow or redness of the sun’s rays lasting until near Isha.
- Khalil رحمه الله: Shafaq means the redness.
- al-Farra’ رحمه الله: Some Arabs likened a reddish cloth to shafaq.
- al-Munjid: The redness in the sky after sunset.
The majority of scholars, including Imam Ahmad رحمه الله and Imam Shafi’i رحمه الله, say shafaq refers to redness. This is also the view of Hazrat Ibn Umar, Hazrat Ibn Abbas, Hazrat Abu Hurairah, Hazrat Ubadah bin Samit رضي الله عنهم, Imam Ibn Abi Laila رحمه الله, and Imam Thawri رحمه الله.
Imam Abu Hanifah رحمه الله considered shafaq to be the whiteness that remains after the redness. His evidence is a Hadith:
“وَآخِرُ وَقْتِ الْمَغْرِبِ إِذَا اسْوَدَّ الشَّفَقُ“
However, this Hadith is not authentic in chain.
[Nasb al-Rayah: 1/230]
In Hanafi practice, the fatwa is given on the view of the Sahibayn (Imam Abu Yusuf رحمه الله and Imam Muhammad رحمه الله), and it is also reported that Imam Abu Hanifah رحمه الله later adopted this view.
[Nayl al-Awtar: 1/467; al-Muhadhdhab: 1/53; Ma’na al-Muhtaj: 1/123; al-Lubab: 1/60; Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi: 1/488]
Conclusion
The view of the majority is the preferred (rajih) view:
- Imam Nawawi رحمه الله: Shafaq is the redness.
[Sharh Muslim: 3/123] - Abd al-Rahman Mubarakpuri رحمه الله: Shafaq is redness.
[Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi: 1/488] - Mulla Ali Qari رحمه الله: The famous view is that shafaq is redness.
- Amir San’ani رحمه الله: Linguistic references support this, and Hazrat Ibn Umar رضي الله عنه is a recognized authority in language.
[Subul al-Salam: 1/159] - Sadiq Hasan Khan رحمه الله: All linguistic resources confirm that shafaq is redness.
[al-Rawdah al-Nadiyyah: 1/201]
