Three Prohibited Times for Performing Salah During the Day

Hadith 1​

Abu Sa’id al-Khudri (رضي الله عنه) narrated:
"I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say:
'There is no prayer after Fajr until the sun rises, and there is no prayer after Asr until the sun sets.'”
[Agreed upon - متفق عليه]

• Authentication & References:
  • Sahih al-Bukhari: 586
  • Sahih Muslim: 827
  • This hadith is mentioned in Sahih Muslim, under the chapter "Times When Salah is Prohibited" (باب الأوقات التي نهى عن الصلاة فيها).

Hadith 2​

Abu Salamah (رضي الله عنه) narrated:
He asked A’ishah (رضي الله عنها) regarding the two rak’ahs that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to perform after Asr.
She replied:
"He used to perform these two rak’ahs before Asr. However, one day he became preoccupied or forgot them, so he performed them after Asr. Thereafter, he continued to pray them regularly. It was the practice of the Prophet (ﷺ) that whenever he started an act of worship, he would remain steadfast in it."

[Sahih Muslim]

• Authentication & References:
  • Sahih Muslim: 835
  • This hadith is recorded in Sahih Muslim, under the chapter "Recognition of the Two Rak'ahs That Were Performed After Asr" (باب معرفة الركعتين اللتين كان يصليهما بعد العصر).

Key Points & Lessons Derived from the Hadith​

① Three times during the day when Salah is prohibited:

• Salah (including Janazah prayer and burial) is prohibited without any valid reasonduring these times:
  • When the sun is at its zenith (directly overhead, before it begins to decline towards the west).
  • During sunrise, until the sun rises completely.
  • During sunset, until the sun fully sets.

② Deeds performed within designated times are considered more virtuous and bear witness to one's devotion.

③ Imitating disbelievers is prohibited:

• Sun worshippers bow to the sun at the time of its rising.
• The Prophet (ﷺ) mentioned that the sun rises between the horns of Satan, hence prayer is forbidden at that time.

④ Making up the missed Fajr prayer:

• If a person misses Fajr prayer, they should wait until the sun rises one spear’s length above the horizon and its light spreads properly before performing it.

⑤ Exception on Fridays:

• On Fridays, Nafl prayers can be performed at the time of Zawal (midday) as well as Jumu’ah prayer itself.
• This exception applies only to Fridays.

⑥ Making up missed prayers after Fajr and Asr:

• If a person has missed a required prayer, they may make it up after Fajr or Asr, as indicated by the Prophet (ﷺ) performing two rak’ahs after Asr.
• Similarly, Janazah prayer and prostration of gratitude (Sujood al-Shukr) are permissible during these times.

⑦ Importance of consistency in worship:

• The Prophet (ﷺ) maintained a habit of praying regularly. If he ever missed a habitual act of worship, he would make it up later and continue with it.
• This teaches that if one has a routine of performing certain voluntary (Nafl) prayers, they may make them up to maintain consistency. However, making up Nafl or Sunnah prayers is not obligatory.

⑧ The concept of Qada (making up missed prayers) is established from the Sunnah.

• Forgetting something is not a flaw in Prophethood; even Prophets may forget matters of daily life, but they do not forget matters of divine revelation.

Reference Source:
This content has been extracted from the book "Diya al-Islam fi Sharh al-Imam bi Ahadith al-Ahkam" by Sheikh Taqi al-Din Abi al-Fath, translated by Maulana Mahmood Ahmad Ghaznfar.