Author: Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Ameenpuri
Validity of Offering Optional Prayers After Asr and Before Sunset
It is proven that performing Nafl (optional) prayers after Asr and before the sun turns yellow is permissible:❀ It is narrated by Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him):"The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) forbade praying after Asr until the sun sets and after Fajr until the sun rises." [Sahih Bukhari: 588, Sahih Muslim: 825]
↰ This hadith and other similar narrations will be interpreted as applying the prohibition after the sun has turned yellow. The evidence for this interpretation is:
➊ It is narrated by Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him):"The Prophet (peace be upon him) forbade praying after Asr except when the sun is high (i.e., still bright)." [Musnad Ahmad: 1/80-81, 129, 141; Sunan Abi Dawud: 1274; Sunan Nasa'i: 574; Sunan al-Kubra al-Bayhaqi: 2/559, with a Hasan chain]
◈ Imam Ibn Khuzaymah [1284], Imam Ibn Hibban [1547], Imam Ibn Jarud [281], and Hafiz al-Diya [763-766] have declared its chain as "Sahih".◈ Hafiz Ibn al-Iraqi [Tahrib al-Tahdhib: 2/187] has called its chain "Sahih".
◈ Hafiz al-Mundhiri has called its chain "Jayyid".
◈ Hafiz Ibn Hajar has called it "Hasan" [Fath al-Bari: 2/161] and "Sahih Qawi" [Fath al-Bari: 2/163].
◈ Hafiz Ibn Hazm has stated: "This is an addition from a trustworthy person, and it is not permissible to leave it." [al-Muhalla Ibn Hazm: 3/31]
➋ Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:"Do not pray at the time of sunrise or sunset, for it rises and sets between the two horns of the devil. Pray as much as you like in between these times."
[Musnad Abi Ya'la: 4612, with a Hasan chain]
◈ Asim bin Dhamrah said:"We were with Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) on a journey. He led us in praying two Rak'ahs for Asr, then entered his tent and prayed two Rak'ahs. I observed this." [Sunan al-Kubra al-Bayhaqi: 2/459, with a Hasan chain]↰ The narrator of the hadith, Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), himself performed these two Rak'ahs.
Benefit:
Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) stated:"The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) used to pray two Rak'ahs after every obligatory prayer except Fajr and Asr." [Sunan Abi Dawud: 1275; al-Kubra al-Nasa'i: 441; Musnad Ahmad: 1/124; Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah: 1195; Sunan al-Kubra al-Bayhaqi: 2/459]
This chain is "weak" because Abu Ishaq al-Sabi'i is a "mudallis" and narrates "an" from his sources. Anyone claiming its authenticity must prove hearing.
◈ Abu Ishaq himself said:"I asked Abu Juhaifa about them (the two Rak'ahs). He said: 'If they do not benefit you, they will not harm you either.'" [Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah: 2/353; al-Awsat by Ibn al-Mundhir: 2/393, with a Sahih chain]
◈ Urwah bin Zubair narrated that Tamim Dari (may Allah be pleased with him) used to pray two Rak'ahs after Asr and said:"Zubair and Abdullah bin Zubair also used to pray two Rak'ahs after Asr." [al-Awsat by Ibn al-Mundhir: 2/394; Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah: 2/353, with a Sahih chain]
In Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah, Tamim Dari (may Allah be pleased with him) is not mentioned.
◈ Tawus bin Kisan, the Tabi'i, said:"Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) allowed two Rak'ahs after Asr." [Sunan Abi Dawud: 1284; Sunan al-Kubra al-Bayhaqi: 2/476, with a Hasan chain]
◈ Imam Sa'id bin Jubayr, the Tabi'i, said:"I saw Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) praying two Rak'ahs after Asr while standing. Maymuna (may Allah be pleased with her) prayed four while sitting." [al-Awsat by Ibn al-Mundhir: 2/394, with a Hasan chain]
Hammad bin Salamah heard from Ata bin Sa'ib before his confusion.
◈ Ash'ath bin Abi al-Sha'tha said:"I traveled with my father, Amr bin Maimun, al-Aswad bin Yazid, and Abu Wa'il. They all prayed two Rak'ahs after Asr."
[Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah: 2/352, with a Sahih chain]
◈ Abdullah bin Awn said:"I saw Abu Burda bin Abi Musa praying two Rak'ahs after Asr."
[Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah: 2/352, with a Sahih chain]
◈ Ibrahim bin Muhammad bin Muntaashir narrated from his father that he prayed two Rak'ahs after Asr. When asked about it, he said:
"If I only prayed them because I saw Masruq praying them, that would be enough. But I asked Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) did not leave two Rak'ahs before Fajr and two Rak'ahs after Asr."
[Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah: 2/352, with a Sahih chain]
↰ If someone argues that the Prophet (peace be upon him) habitually continued actions once started, then these two Rak'ahs are those missed after Dhuhr, performed after Asr, and then regularly. Our response is: What prayer did Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) perform after Asr? It was the same prayer the Prophet (peace be upon him) permitted. Many Companions and Tabi'in accepted and practiced two Rak'ahs after Asr.
Those who prevent two Rak'ahs after Asr allow other prayers after Asr, such as:
➊ Missed Sunnahs of Dhuhr.
➋ Joining congregation after praying Asr alone, thus praying Asr again in congregation, making four Rak'ahs of Nafl.
➌ Rain prayer.
➍ Solar eclipse prayer.
➎ Funeral prayer, etc.
↰ If someone argues that Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) used to beat those praying after Asr, the response is:Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) himself said:"Do not seek the time of sunrise and sunset for your prayers."
[Muwatta Imam Malik: 1/173, with a Sahih chain]
↰ This proves Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) did not beat for praying after Asr in general but for praying during the prohibited times of sunset.
↰ If someone says Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said:
"Umar was mistaken; the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) only forbade praying at the specific times of sunrise and sunset."
[Sahih Muslim: 833]
The response is that Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) only knew about Umar's general beating but not the specific reason. Hence, she thought Umar was mistaken. When she learned the actual reason, she approved of Umar's action.
◈ Shurayh bin Hani said:
"I asked Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) about the Prophet's (peace be upon him) prayers. She said he prayed two Rak'ahs after every obligatory prayer except Fajr and Asr. I asked, Umar used to beat for these two Rak'ahs and prohibit them. She replied, Umar himself prayed these two Rak'ahs and knew the Prophet (peace be upon him) did the same. However, your devout people were ignorant and continued praying from Dhuhr until Asr, and then from Asr until Maghrib. Therefore, Umar beat them and rightly so."
[Musnad al-Siraj: 1530, with a Sahih chain]
◈ Imam Ibn al-Mundhir said:"The authentic narrations from the Prophet (peace be upon him) indicate the prohibition relates only to the specific times of sunrise and sunset. These narrations include those from Ali, Ibn Umar, and Aisha (may Allah be pleased with them), all of which are authenticated by sound chains."
[al-Awsat Ibn al-Mundhir: 2/388]