Authored by: Imran Ayub Lahori
Islam teaches the safeguarding of the prayer times.
حَافِظُوا عَلَى الصَّلَوَاتِ وَالصَّلَاةِ الْوُسْطَى وَقُومُوا لِلَّهِ قَنِتِينَ [البقرة: 238]
"Guard strictly the prayers, especially the middle prayer, and stand before Allah in a devout frame of mind."
إِنَّ الصَّلَاةَ كَانَتْ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ كِتبًا مَّوْقُوتًا [النساء: 103]
"Indeed, the prayer is prescribed upon the believers at fixed times."
It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Dharr رضي الله عنه that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to him:
"How will you be when rulers will be appointed over you who will delay the prayer from its proper time or neglect it altogether?"
Hazrat Abu Dharr رضي الله عنه said: "What do you order us to do?" The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
وصل الصلاة لوقتها
"Perform the prayer at its appointed time."
[Ahmad 5/147, Muslim 648, Kitab al-Masajid wa Mawadi' al-Salah: Chapter on the Dislike of Delaying Prayer from Its Chosen Time; Abu Dawood 431, Tirmidhi 176, Nasa’i 2/75, Ibn Majah 1256, Ibn Khuzaymah 1637, Abu Awanah 4/448, Ibn Hibban 1482, Abdul Razzaq 3780, Bayhaqi 2/301]
It is narrated from Hazrat Umm Farwah رضي الله عنها that it was asked from the Prophet ﷺ:
"Which deed is the best?" He ﷺ replied:
الصلاة لأول وقتها
"To perform the prayer at its earliest time."
[Authentic: Mishkat 607, Tirmidhi 100, Kitab al-Salah: Chapter on the Virtue of the First Time, Abu Dawood 362]
The following Ahadith are sufficient for learning the prayer times:
It is narrated from Hazrat Abdullah bin Amr رضي الله عنهما that the Prophet ﷺ said:
"The time of Dhuhr begins when the sun passes its zenith and lasts until the time of the Asr prayer. The time of Asr begins when a person's shadow is equal to his height and lasts until the sun turns yellow. The time of Maghrib lasts from sunset until the twilight disappears. The time of Isha lasts until the middle of the night. The time of Fajr lasts from the break of dawn until sunrise."
In Sahih Muslim, it is narrated from Hazrat Buraidah رضي الله عنه regarding the Asr prayer: والشمس بيضاء نقية "The sun is white and clear."
And it is narrated from Hazrat Abu Musa رضي الله عنه: والشمس مرتفعة "The sun is high." (This marks the end time of the Asr prayer).
[Muslim 612, Kitab al-Masajid wa Mawadi' al-Salah: Chapter on the Times of the Five Prayers; Tiyalisi 2249, Ahmad 2/210, Abu Dawood 396, Sharh Ma'ani al-Athar 1/150, Bayhaqi 1/366, Abu Awanah 1/371]
The Hadith in which Hazrat Jibreel عليه السلام led the Prophet ﷺ in prayer and taught him the prayer times is narrated from Hazrat Ibn Abbas, Hazrat Abu Hurairah, Hazrat Ibn Umar, Hazrat Anas, Hazrat Abu Mas'ud, Hazrat Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri, and Hazrat Amr bin Hazm رضي الله عنهم. Hafiz Suyuti رحمه الله has counted it among the Mutawatir Ahadith due to the numerous narrators.
[Qatf al-Azhar p. 73, 23]
It is narrated from Hazrat Ibn Abbas رضي الله عنهما that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
"At the House of Allah, Hazrat Jibreel عليه السلام led me in prayer for two days:
فصلي بي الظهر حين زالت الشمس
"He led me in Dhuhr when the sun had passed its zenith, and in Asr when everything's shadow was equal to it. He led me in Maghrib when the fasting person breaks his fast, in Isha when the redness disappeared, and in Fajr when it becomes unlawful for the fasting person to eat or drink. On the second day, he led me in Dhuhr when the shadow was equal to its length, in Asr when the shadow was twice its length, in Maghrib when the fasting person breaks his fast, in Isha at the end of the first third of the night, and in Fajr when there was much light. Then Hazrat Jibreel عليه السلام turned to me and said, 'O Muhammad! These are the times of the Prophets before you, and the times of prayer are between these two limits.'"
[Hasan: Sahih Abu Dawood 416, Kitab al-Salah: Chapter on the Prayer Times, Mishkat 583, Abu Dawood 393, Tirmidhi 149, Ahmad 1/333, Abdul Razzaq 1/531, Daraqutni 1/208, Ibn Khuzaymah 1/168, Hakim 1/193, Bayhaqi 1/364]
Islam teaches the safeguarding of the prayer times.
حَافِظُوا عَلَى الصَّلَوَاتِ وَالصَّلَاةِ الْوُسْطَى وَقُومُوا لِلَّهِ قَنِتِينَ [البقرة: 238]
"Guard strictly the prayers, especially the middle prayer, and stand before Allah in a devout frame of mind."
إِنَّ الصَّلَاةَ كَانَتْ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ كِتبًا مَّوْقُوتًا [النساء: 103]
"Indeed, the prayer is prescribed upon the believers at fixed times."
It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Dharr رضي الله عنه that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to him:
"How will you be when rulers will be appointed over you who will delay the prayer from its proper time or neglect it altogether?"
Hazrat Abu Dharr رضي الله عنه said: "What do you order us to do?" The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
وصل الصلاة لوقتها
"Perform the prayer at its appointed time."
[Ahmad 5/147, Muslim 648, Kitab al-Masajid wa Mawadi' al-Salah: Chapter on the Dislike of Delaying Prayer from Its Chosen Time; Abu Dawood 431, Tirmidhi 176, Nasa’i 2/75, Ibn Majah 1256, Ibn Khuzaymah 1637, Abu Awanah 4/448, Ibn Hibban 1482, Abdul Razzaq 3780, Bayhaqi 2/301]
It is narrated from Hazrat Umm Farwah رضي الله عنها that it was asked from the Prophet ﷺ:
"Which deed is the best?" He ﷺ replied:
الصلاة لأول وقتها
"To perform the prayer at its earliest time."
[Authentic: Mishkat 607, Tirmidhi 100, Kitab al-Salah: Chapter on the Virtue of the First Time, Abu Dawood 362]
The following Ahadith are sufficient for learning the prayer times:
It is narrated from Hazrat Abdullah bin Amr رضي الله عنهما that the Prophet ﷺ said:
"The time of Dhuhr begins when the sun passes its zenith and lasts until the time of the Asr prayer. The time of Asr begins when a person's shadow is equal to his height and lasts until the sun turns yellow. The time of Maghrib lasts from sunset until the twilight disappears. The time of Isha lasts until the middle of the night. The time of Fajr lasts from the break of dawn until sunrise."
In Sahih Muslim, it is narrated from Hazrat Buraidah رضي الله عنه regarding the Asr prayer: والشمس بيضاء نقية "The sun is white and clear."
And it is narrated from Hazrat Abu Musa رضي الله عنه: والشمس مرتفعة "The sun is high." (This marks the end time of the Asr prayer).
[Muslim 612, Kitab al-Masajid wa Mawadi' al-Salah: Chapter on the Times of the Five Prayers; Tiyalisi 2249, Ahmad 2/210, Abu Dawood 396, Sharh Ma'ani al-Athar 1/150, Bayhaqi 1/366, Abu Awanah 1/371]
The Hadith in which Hazrat Jibreel عليه السلام led the Prophet ﷺ in prayer and taught him the prayer times is narrated from Hazrat Ibn Abbas, Hazrat Abu Hurairah, Hazrat Ibn Umar, Hazrat Anas, Hazrat Abu Mas'ud, Hazrat Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri, and Hazrat Amr bin Hazm رضي الله عنهم. Hafiz Suyuti رحمه الله has counted it among the Mutawatir Ahadith due to the numerous narrators.
[Qatf al-Azhar p. 73, 23]
It is narrated from Hazrat Ibn Abbas رضي الله عنهما that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
"At the House of Allah, Hazrat Jibreel عليه السلام led me in prayer for two days:
فصلي بي الظهر حين زالت الشمس
"He led me in Dhuhr when the sun had passed its zenith, and in Asr when everything's shadow was equal to it. He led me in Maghrib when the fasting person breaks his fast, in Isha when the redness disappeared, and in Fajr when it becomes unlawful for the fasting person to eat or drink. On the second day, he led me in Dhuhr when the shadow was equal to its length, in Asr when the shadow was twice its length, in Maghrib when the fasting person breaks his fast, in Isha at the end of the first third of the night, and in Fajr when there was much light. Then Hazrat Jibreel عليه السلام turned to me and said, 'O Muhammad! These are the times of the Prophets before you, and the times of prayer are between these two limits.'"
[Hasan: Sahih Abu Dawood 416, Kitab al-Salah: Chapter on the Prayer Times, Mishkat 583, Abu Dawood 393, Tirmidhi 149, Ahmad 1/333, Abdul Razzaq 1/531, Daraqutni 1/208, Ibn Khuzaymah 1/168, Hakim 1/193, Bayhaqi 1/364]
