The prayer is a type of worship consisting of specific
statements and actions. It is begun by pronouncing the
greatness of Allah, and is concluded with salutations of
peace. As prayer is the essence of Islam, we will discuss it
here in detail.
To state it simply, prayer must exist, for without it Islam
can not stand. The Prophet, upon whom be peace, said,
"The head of the matter is Islam, its pillar is the
prayer, and the top of its hump is jihad in the way of
Allah." It was the first act of worship that was made
obligatory by Allah. Its obligation was revealed directly to
the Prophet, during his ascension to heaven. Said Anas,
"The prayers were made obligatory on the Prophet, upon
whom be peace, the night of his ascension to heaven. At first,
they were fifty in number, but were reduced several times
until they were five. Then it was proclaimed, 'O Muhammad, the
order is not changed. These five are (equivalent) to the
fifty.''
As to the authenticity of the report, it is related by
Ahmad, an-Nasa'i and at-Tirmizhi, who said it is sahih.
Salah is the first act that the person will be held
accountable for. 'Abdullah ibn Qart related that the Messenger
of Allah, upon whom be peace, said "The first act that
the slave will be accountable for on the Day of Judgement will
be prayer. If it is good, then the rest of his acts will be
good. And if it is evil, then the rest of his acts will be
evil." (Related by at-Tabarani.) It is the last thing
that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, recommended to his
nation before he died, saying, "Prayer, prayer and what
your right hand possesses." It will be the last thing
taken away from the religion. When it perishes, Islam will
perish. The Messenger of Allah, upon whom be peace, said,
"If Islam were stripped away, piece by piece, people
would hold tight to the next one. The first thing taken would
be ruling and governance, and the last thing would be
prayer." (Related by Ibn Hibban from the hadith of Abu
Umamah.) In many verses of the Qur'an, Allah follows up prayer
with the remembrance of Allah. "Lo! Worship preserves
(one) from lewdness and iniquity, but verily, remembrance of
Allah is more important." (al-'Ankabut 45); "He is
successful who grows and remembers the name of his Lord, so
pray (al-A'la 14-15); "So serve Me and establish worship
for My remembrance" (Taha 74). Sometimes He mentions
prayer along with zakah: "Establish prayer and pay zakah"
(al-Baqarah 110). And at times, with patience: "Seek help
in patience and prayer" (al-Baqarah 45), and with hajj:
"So pray unto your Lord and sacrifice" (al-Kauthar
2); "Say: Lo! my worship and my sacrifice and my living
and my dying are for Allah, Lord of the Worlds. He has no
partner. This am I commanded, and I am the first of those who
surrender (unto Him)" (al-An'am 162-163). At other times,
Allah begins the acts of piety with prayers and ends with
them, as in the verses about the ma'arij (ascension to
heaven): "Successful indeed are the believers who are
humble in their prayers," and the verses, "And who
pay heed to their prayers. These are the heirs who will
inherit Paradise. There will they abide" (al-Mu'minun
1-29-11).
The importance of salah is so great that one is ordered to
observe it while travelling or not, while one is safe or in
fear: "Be guardians of your prayers, and of the mid-most
prayer, and stand up with devotion to Allah. And if you go in
fear, then (pray) standing or on horseback. When you are safe,
remember Allah, as He has taught you that which (heretofore)
you knew not" (al-Baqarah 238-239).
"And when you are among them and arrange their prayers
for them, let only a party of them stand with you (to worship)
and let them take their arms. Then, when they have performed
their prostrations, let them fall to the rear and let another
party come to pray with you, and let them take their
precautions and arms. They who disbelieve long for you to
neglect your arms and your baggage, that they may attack. It
is no sin for you to lay aside your arms, if rain impedes you
or if you are sick. But take your precautions. Lo! Allah
prepares for the disbelievers shameful punishment. When you
have performed your prayer, remember Allah, standing, sitting
and reclining. And when you are in safety, observe your prayer
properly. Prayer at fixed hours has been enjoined on the
believers" (an-Nisa' 102-103).
Says Allah in the Qur'an, "Now there has succeeded
them a later generation who have ruined their prayers and have
followed lusts. But they will meet deception" (Maryam
59); "Ah, woe unto worshippers who are heedless of their
prayers" (al-Ma'un 4-5).
Prayer is one of the most important acts in Islam, and thus
it requires a special guidance
Ibrahim asked his Lord to give him descendants who abided
by their prayers: "My Lord! Cause me and (some) of my
offspring to remain constant in prayer. And O our Lord! Accept
my supplication" (Ibrahim 40).
Not praying and denying its obligation is seen as disbelief
and places the person outside the religion of Islam. All
scholars agree on this piont. They base their opinion on
several hadith, some of which are:
Jabir reports that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, said,
"Between a person and disbelief is discarding
prayer." (Related by Ahmad, Muslim, Abu Dawud, at-Tirmizhi
and Ibn Majah.)
Buraidah reported that the Prophet, upon whom be peace,
said, "The pact between us and them is prayer. Whoever
abandons it is a disbeliever." (Related by Ahmad, Abu
Dawud, at-Tirmizhi, anNasa'i and Ibn Majah.)
'Abdullah ibn 'Amr ibn al-'Aas reported that the Prophet,
upon whom be peace, one day mentioned the prayer and said,
"Whoever guards and observes his prayer, they will be a
light and a proof and a savior for him on the Day of
Resurrection. Whoever does not guard and obvserve them, they
will not be a light or a proof or a savior for him. On the Day
of Resurrection, he will be with Qarun, Fir'aun, Haman and
Ubayy ibn Khalf." (Related by Ahmad, at-Tabarani and Ibn
Hibban. Its chain is excellent.)
That one who does not pray will be with the leaders of the
unbelievers in the Hereafter makes it evident that such a
person is an unbeliever. Says Ibn al-Qayyim, "The one who
does not pray may be preoccupied with his wealth, kingdom,
position or business. If one is kept away from his prayers by
his wealth, he will be with Qarun. One whose kingdom keeps him
away from the prayers will be with Haman, and one whose
business keeps him away from the prayers will be with Ubayy
ibn Khalf."
Says 'Abdullah ibn Shaqiq al-'Aqeely, "The companions
of Muhammad, peace be upon him, did not consider the
abandonment of any act, with the exception of prayer, as being
disbelief." (Related by at-Tirmizhi and al-Hakim, who
said it met al-Bukahri's and Muslim's conditions.)
Says Muhammad ibn Nasr al-Mirwazi, "I heard Ishaq say,
'It is authentic (that) the Prophet (said or ruled): One who
does not pray is an unbeliever." It is from the Prophet
himself that one who intentionally does not pray until the
time for the prayer is over is an unbeliever."
Says Ibn Hazm, "It has come from 'Umar, 'Abdurahman
ibn 'Auf, Mu'azh ibn Jabal, Abu Hurairah and other companions
that anyone who skips one obligatory prayer until its time has
finished becomes an apostate. We find no difference of opinion
among them on this point." This was mentioned by al-Munzhiri
in at-Targheeb wa atTarheeb. Then he comments, "A group
of companions and those who came after them believed that an
intentional decision to skip one prayer until its time is
completely finished makes one an unbeliever. The people of
this opinion incude 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud,
'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas, Mu'azh ibn Jabal, Jabir ibn 'Abdullah
and Abu ad-Darda'. Among the non-companions who shared this
view were Ibn Hanbal, Ishaq ibn Rahwaih, 'Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak,
an-Nakha'i, al-Hakim ibn 'Utaibah, Abu Ayyub as-Sakhtiyani,
Abu Dawud at-Tayalisi, Abu Bakr ibn Abu Shaibah, Zuhair ibn
Harb, and others.
Some hadith make it clear that such a person should be
killed. For example:
Ibn 'Abbas reported that the Prophet, upon whom be peace,
said, "The ties of Islam and the principles of the
religion are three, and whoever leaves one of them becomes an
unbeliever, and his blood becomes lawful: testifying that
there is no god except Allah, the obligatory prayers, and the
fast of Ramadan." (Related by Abu Ya'la with a hassan
chain.) Another narration states, "If anyone leaves one
of them, by Allah he becomes an unbeliever and no voluntary
deeds or recompense will be accepted from him, and his blood
and wealth become lawful." This is a clear indication
that such a person is to be killed.
Ibn 'Umar related that the Messenger of Allah, upon whom be
peace, said, "I have been ordered to kill the people
until they testify that there is no god except Allah, and that
Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, and they establish prayer
and pay the zakah. If they do that, their blood and wealth are
protected from me save by the rights of Islam. Their reckoning
will be with Allah." (Related by al-Bukhari and Muslim.)
Umm Salamah related that the Prophet, upon whom be peace,
said, "There will be rulers over you who will do good and
evil things. Whoever hates these (latter) acts will be
innocent of them. Whoever denies them will be safe, but (not)
one who accepts and follows them." They asked,
"Should we kill them?" He said, "Not if they
pray." (Related by Muslim.) Therefore, he made it
unlawful to kill even an unjust ruler who observes his
prayers.
Abu Sa'eed reported that 'Ali, while he was in Yemen, sent
the Prophet some gold, which he then divided among four
people. A man said, "O Messenger of Allah, beware of
Allah." The Prophet said, "Woe to you. Of all the
people of the earth, am I not the most dutiful in being aware
of Allah?" Khalid ibn al-Walid said, "O Messenger of
Allah, shall I kill him?" He said, "Perhaps he is
one of those who pray." Khalid said, "How many
people say with their tongues what is not in their
hearts?" The Prophet said, "I have not been ordered
to look into the hearts of people, nor to rip open their
bellies." (Abridged from al-Bukhari and Muslim.) In this
hadith also, prayer is given as the reason for not killing a
person. It is understood, therefore, that not praying would
have resulted in the person's killing.
Even though the preceding hadith clearly rule that one who
discards salah becomes an unbeliever and should be killed,
many early and later scholars (excluding Abu Hanifah, Malik
and ash-Shafi) believe that such people become evildoers who
must repent. If such a person does not repent, he is to be
killed, that being the prescribed punishment, according to
Malik, ash-Shai'i and others. Abu Hanifah maintains that such
a person is not to be killed, but must be given a minor
punishment and confined until he prays. They say the hadith
that calls such people unbelievers refer to those who deny the
prayers, and so on. They say that any other interpretation is
contradicted by other texts. For example, Allah says,
"Lo! Allah does not pardon one who gives Him partners. He
pardons all save whom He wills" (an-Nisa' 116). There is
also a hadith related by Abu Hurairah and recorded by Ahmad
and Muslim in which the Prophet, upon whom be peace, said,
"Every prophet has a special supplication that is
answered. Every prophet hastened to make his supplication, but
I concealed mine and will use it for my nation on the Day of
Resurrection. It will be granted--Allah willing--to whoever
dies without associating any partners with Allah." Al-Bukhari
also recorded that Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet,
upon whom be peace, said, "The person who will be the
happiest due to my intercession is the one who says, 'There is
no god but Allah' sincerely from his heart."
Says ash-Shaukani, "The truth of the matter is that he
becomes an unbeliever who is to be killed for his unbelief.
The hadith authenticates that Islamic law calls one who does
not pray an unbeliever. It has also put the performance as the
barrier between a believer and an unbeliever. Abandoning
prayer means he may be called an unbeliever. We need not
concern ourselves with arguments presented by those of the
opposing opinion. We can say to them: It is not impossible
that some types of unbelievers may obtain forgiveness or may
have a right to intercession, such as the unbelief of those
who pray to ( our) qiblah. Nevertheless, the fact remains that
they commit some sins which the Islamic law views as unbelief.
To turn to the other narrow interpretations is just
redundant."
Prayer is obligatory upon every sane, adult Muslim. 'Aishah
related that the Messenger of Allah, upon whom be peace, said,
"The pen is raised for three (meaning: there is no
obligation upon three): one who is sleeping until he wakens,
the child until he becomes an adult, and one who is insane
until he becomes sane."
As to the authenticity of this report, it is recorded by
Ahmad, Abu Dawud, at-Tirmizhi, an-Nasa'i, Ibn Majah, and al-Hakim,
who grades it sahih according to the criterion of al-Bukhari
and Muslim. At-Tirmizhi classifies it as hassan.
Although it is not obligatory for a child to pray, it is a
must that his guardian order him to do so when he is seven,
and he should beat him if he does not pray after he reaches
the age of ten. A minor should practice praying until he
reaches puberty. 'Amr ibn Shu'aib related from his father on
the authority of his grandfather that the Prophet, peace be
upon him, said, "Order your children to pray when they
reach the age of seven. Beat them (if they don't pray) when
they reach the age of ten. And have them sleep
separately."
The hadith is related by Ahmad, Abu Dawud, and al-Hakim.
The latter grades it sahih according to Muslim's criteria.
The number of prayers prescribed by Allah is five. Ibn
Mahyraiz narrated that al-Makhdaji, from the tribe of Kananah,
heard Abu Muhammad--a man in ash-Shams--saying, "The witr
prayer is obligatory." He said he went to 'Ubadah ibn as-Samit
and informed him of this. 'Ubadah corrected him, saying,
"Abu Muhammad is mistaken. I heard the Messenger of
Allah, upon whom be peace, say 'Allah has laid five prayers
upon His slaves. Whoever fulfills them and does not miss any
of them will have a pact with Allah that He will let him enter
Paradise. Whoever does not come with them will have no pact
with Allah. If He wishes, He may punish him, and if He wishes,
He may forgive him." (Related by Ahmad, Abu Dawud, an-Nasa'i
and Ibn Majah.) In one version it states, "Or one who
comes with a deficiency in them or who degrades their
duties." Talhah ibn 'Ubaidullah narrated that a bedouin
with unkempt hair came to the Messenger of Allah, upon whom be
peace, and said, "O Messenger of Allah, inform me of what
Allah has made obligatory on me as regards praying." He
said, "Five prayers, unless you do others
voluntarily." He asked the Prophet to inform him about
fasting, and he said, "The fast of Ramadan, unless you do
others voluntarily." Then he asked him about
charity...and the Messenger of Allah informed him of the
Islamic legislations. The bedouin then said, "By the One
who has honored you, I shall not voluntarily add anything to
it, nor shall I be deficient in what Allah has ordered me to
do." The Messenger of Allah, upon whom be peace, then
said, "He will enter Paradise if he is truthful (to what
he said)." (Related by al-Bukhari and Muslim.)
Each prayer has its own particular time at which it must be
performed. Says Allah, "Prayer at fixed hours has been
enjoined upon the believers" (an-Nisa' 103).
The Qur'an itself points to these different times
Allah says, "Pray at the two ends of the day and in
some watches of the night. Lo! Good deeds annul evil deeds.
This is a reminder for the mindful" (Hud 114). Surah al-Isra'
states, "Establish prayer at the setting of the sun until
the dark of the night, and (the recital) of the Qur'an at
dawn. Lo! The recital of the Qur'an at dawn is ever
witnessed" (al-Isra' 78), and "Celebrate the praises
of your Lord before the rising of the sun and before its
setting. Glorify Him some hours of the night and at the two
ends of the day, that you may find acceptance" (Taha
130). This verse specifically refers to the dawn prayer and
the afternoon prayer, as it is recorded in the two Sahihs.
Jarir ibn 'Abdullah al-Bajali reported, We were sitting with
the Messenger of Allah and we looked at the moon on a clear
night. The Prophet said, 'You will see your Lord as you see
this moon, and you will not be harmed by seeing Him. So, if
you can, do not let yourselves be overpowered in the case of
prayer before the rising of the sun and its setting,' and he
recited the above verse."
Those are the times of the prayers that the Qur'an
mentions. From the sunnah, we have the following:
'Abdullah ibn 'Amr reported that the Messenger of Allah,
upon whom be peace, said, "The time of the noon prayer is
when the sun passes the meridian and a man's shadow is the
same length as his height. It lasts until the time of the
afternoon prayer. The time of the afternoon prayer is until
the yellowing of the sun (during its setting). The time of the
evening prayer is as long as twilight. The time of the night
prayer is to the middle of a night of medium duration. And the
time of the morning prayer is from the appearance of the dawn
until the time of sunrise. When the sun rises, abstain from
praying, as it rises between the horns of Satan."
(Related by Muslim. )
Jarir ibn 'Abdullah narrated that the angel Gabriel came to
the Messenger of Allah and said to him, "Stand and
pray," and they prayed the noon prayer when the sun had
passed its meridian. He then came to him for the afternoon
prayer and said,"Stand and pray," and they prayed
the afternoon prayer while the length of a shadow of something
was similar to the length of the object. Then he came a t
sunset and said, "Stand and pray," and they prayed
the sunset prayer when the sun had just disappeared. Then he
came at night and said, "Stand and pray,"and they
prayed the night prayer when the twilight had disappeared. He
cameagain when dawn broke (and they prayed the morning
prayer). Then Gabriel came on the next day at noon and said
(to the Messenger of Allah), "Stand and pray," and
they prayed the noon prayer when the length of the shadow of
something was close to the length of the object. Then he came
for the afternoon prayer and said, "Stand and pray,"
and they prayed when the shadow of something was twice as long
as the length of the object. Then he came at the same time (as
the previous day) for the sunset prayer, without any change.
Then he came for the night prayer after half of the night had
passed ("or," he said, "one-third of the
night"). Then he came when the sky was very yellow and
said, "Stand and pray," and they prayed the morning
prayer. Then Gabriel said, "Between these times are the
times for the prayers."
As to the authenticity of the report, it is recorded by
Ahmad, an-Nasa'i and at-Tirmizhi. Al-Bukhari observes,
"It is the most authentic report concerning the prayer
times."
The previous two hadith make it clear that the noon prayer
begins when the sun passes its meridian and it continues until
an object's shadow is approximately the same length as the
object itself. If it is extremely hot, it is preferred to
delay the noon prayer until it is cooler. This is done in
order to retain the humility and awe of the prayer. If this is
not the case, it should be prayed early in its time. This
opinion is based on the following hadith: Reported Anas,
"If it was extremely cold, the Prophet, upon whom be
peace, would pray early. If it was extremely hot, he would
wait for it to cool down." (Related by al-Bukhari.) Abu
Zharr relates, "We were with the Prophet, upon whom be
peace, on a journey. When the caller to prayer wanted to give
the azhan, the Prophet said 'Let it cool down.' This happened
two or three times, until we saw the shadows of the hills.
Then the Prophet said, 'The extreme heat is from the fragrance
of Hell. If the heat becomes extreme, delay the prayer until
it becomes cool." (Related by al-Bukhari and Muslim.)
However, this delay does have a limit. According to Ibn Hajr's
Fath al-Bari, "The scholars differ over how long one may
wait to let the temperature cool. Some say, 'Until the shadow
of an object becomes an arm's length,' or 'Until the shadow
becomes one-fourth of one's height.' Others say one-third or
one-half, and so on. Its ruling is according to its basic
principle, and it changes with different circumstances,
provided that the prayer is not delayed until the end of its
time."
This prayer begins in the afternoon when the shadow of an
object is of the same length as the object itself, and
continues until the sun sets. Abu Hurairah reported that the
Prophet, upon whom be peace, said, "Whoever catches one
rak'ah of the afternoon prayer before the sun sets and then
prays the remainder of the prayer after the sun has set has
not missed the afternoon prayer."
The best and most preferred time to pray the afternoon
prayer ends when the sun becomes yellowish on the horizon.
This is implied by the preceding hadith of Jabir and 'Abdullah
ibn 'Umar. To delay the prayer until the sun becomes
yellowish, although it is permissiable, is greatly disliked,
unless there is some need to do so. Anas reported that he
heard the Prophet, upon whom be peace, say, "The
following is the prayer of the hypocrite: he waits until the
sun is between the horns of Satan, then he gets up and prays
four quick rak'ah, and he does not remember Allah therein save
a little bit." (Related by "the group," except
for al-Bukhari and Ibn Majah.)
Says an-Nawawi in his commentary on Sahih Muslim, "Our
companions (the Shafiyyah) hold that the afternoon prayer time
can be divided into five categories: the most virtuous time,
the preferred time, the allowable time in which there is no
disliked aspect, the allowable time that contains some aspect
of dislike, and the time that is due to some excuse or
necessity. The most virtuous time is at the beginning of the
permissible time. The preferred time is until the shadow of an
object is twice the length of the object itself. The
permissible time without any aspect of dislike is from the
time the sun becomes yellowish. The permissible time with some
aspect of dislike is from the time the sun becomes yellowish
until the setting of the sun. The time of excuse or necessity
begins, in fact, at the time of the noon prayer for one who is
to combine the noon and afternoon prayers, due to travelling
or rain. If the afternoon prayer is made during any of those
times, it has been fulfilled properly. If all of those times
pass and the sun has set, then one must make up the
prayer."
On a cloudy day, it should be prayed earlier in its time.
Buraidah al-Aslami reported, "We were with the Messenger
of Allah, upon whom be peace, during a battle and he said,
"Hasten in praying on a cloudy day, for one who misses
the afternoon prayer has destroyed all of his works."
(Related by Ahmad and Ibn Majah.)
Of the subjecat, Ibn al-Qayyim says, "Leaving the
prayer is of two types: leaving it completely and never
praying it (which destroys all of one's deeds), and leaving it
during a particular day, which destroys all of the deeds of
that day."
Says Allah in the Qur'an, "Observe and guard the
prayers and the mid-most prayer, and stand with total
submission to Allah. Authentic hadith have made it clear that
the afternoon prayers is the "mid-most" prayer.
'Ali reported that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, said on
the day of al-Ahzab (the battle of the clans), "May Allah
fill their graves and houses with fire, as they kept us
preoccupied from the "mid-most" prayer until the sun
had set." (Related by al-Bukhari and Muslim. Muslim, Abu
Dawud and Ahmad have "the afternoon prayer" inserted
after "the mid-most" prayer.")
Explaining the context of this hadith, Ibn Mas'ud said,
"The idol-worshippers kept the Prophet from the afternoon
prayer until the sun had become reddish and yellowish. The
Messenger of Allah said, "They kept us preoccupied from
the "mid-most" prayer, the afternoon prayer--may
Allah fill their bellies and graves with fire."' (Related
by Ahmad, Muslim, and Ibn Majah.)
The time for the sunset prayer begins with the
disappearance of the sun and lasts until the red twilight
ends. 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr reported that the Prophet, upon whom
be peace, said, "The time for the sunset prayer is when
the sun has disappeared and the twilight has not gone."
(Related by Muslim.) Abu Musa related that a man asked the
Prophet about the prayer times, and he mentioned the hadith
which states that he ordered the sunset prayer when the sun
had set and, on the next day, he prayed it when the red
twilight was ending and he said, "The time (for the
sunset prayer) is between these two times."
An-Nawawi says in his commentary on Sahih Muslim, "It
is the opinion of the research scholars of our companions (the
Shaf'iyyah) that ... it is allowed to delay it as long as it
is twilight. It is allowed to begin the prayer at any time
during that period. There is no sin in delaying it from its
earliest time." Concerning the earlier quoted hadith in
which Gabriel led the prayers and prayed the sunset prayer at
the same time on both days, it only shows that it is greatly
preferred to perform the sunset prayer as early as possible.
This point is made clear by some other hadith:
As-Sa'ib ibn Yazid related that the Messenger of Allah,
upon whom be peace, said, "My nation will always be along
the natural path as long as they pray the sunset prayer before
the stars appear." (Related by Ahmad and at-Tabarani).
In Ahmad's Musnad it is related from Abu Ayyub al-Ansari
that the Prophet said, "Pray the sunset prayer when the
fasting person breaks his fast and when the stars are about to
appear."
In Sahih Muslim it is related from Rafa' ibn Khadeej that
"We prayed the sunset prayer with the Messenger of Allah,
and one of us would leave (afterwards) and would still be able
to see where he shot his arrow, (because there was still so
much light left in the sky)."
In Sahih Muslim it is recorded from Salamah ibn al-Aku'
that the Messenger of Allah, upon whom be peace, would pray
the sunset prayer when the sun had set and disappeared (
behind the horizon).
This prayer begins when the red twilight disappears and
continues up to half of the night. Reported 'Aishah,
"They used to pray the night prayer between the
disappearance of the twilight and the final third of the
night's beginning." (Related by al-Bukhari.) Abu Hurairah
reported that the Messenger of Allah, upon whom be peace,
said, "If it were not to be a hardship upon my nation, I
would order them to delay the night prayer until a third or a
half of the night had passed." (Related by Ahmad, Ibn
Majah and at-Tirmizhi, who said it is sahih.) Reported Abu
Sa'eed, "Once, we waited for the Messenger of Allah to
lead the night prayer until half the night had passed, at
which time he came and prayed with us. He said, 'Stay in your
places of sitting while the people have gone to their places
of lying down (for sleep), for you are in prayer as long as
you are waiting for the prayer. If it were not for the
weakness of the weak, the illness of the ill and the need of
those who have needs, I would have delayed the time of this
prayer to a half of the night."
As to the authenticity of this report, it is recorded by
Ahmad, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, an-Nasa'i and Ibn Khuzaimah. Its
chain is sahih). The hadith describes the best time to pray.
As for the allowable time and the time due to need, it lasts
until dawn. Abu Qatadah reported that the Messenger of Allah,
upon whom be peace, said, "There is no negligence in
sleeping, but the negligence lies in not praying a prayer
until the time of the next prayer has come." (Related by
Muslim.) This hadith shows that the time of every prayer
continues until the beginning of the time for the next prayer,
except for the morning prayer, as all scholars agree that its
time lasts only until sunrise.
It is most virtuous to delay the night prayer until the end
of the preferred time for it, which is half the night.
Reported 'Aishah, "One night the Prophet, upon whom be
peace, prayed the night prayer after most of the night had
gone and most of the people in the mosque had fallen aleep.
Then he came out, prayed, and said, "This would be the
proper time if it were not a hardship on my nation."'
(Related by Muslim and an-Nasa'i.) The Prophet, upon whom be
peace, did not do this on a regular basis, as he heard that it
would be a hardship on his nation. He would take into
consideration the situation of those in the mosque. Sometimes
he would hasten in performing the prayer and at other times he
would delay it. Said Jabir, "The Messenger of Allah would
pray the noon prayer during the hottest time of noon, the
afternoon prayer when the sun was clear, the sunset prayer
when the sun had gone down, and the night prayer he would
sometimes delay and sometimes hasten if he found people
gathered (in the mosque). If he noticed that they were
lingering, he would delay it. He would pray the morning prayer
while it was still dark." (Related by al-Bukhari and
Muslim.)
One should not sleep before the night prayer, nor have
discussions after it. Abu Barza al-Aslami related that the
Prophet, upon whom be peace, loved to delay the night prayer
(which was called darkness, al-'atmah) and he hated sleeping
before it and talking or discussions after it." (Related
by "the group.") In another saying by Ibn Mas'ud, it
is reported, "The Messenger of Allah ordered us not to
talk after the night prayer." (Related by Ibn Majah.)
The reasons behind this are: sleep may make a person miss
the night prayer in its best time, or it may cause him to miss
the congregational prayer, and talking and socializing
afterwards would cause one to misappropriate a time from which
he could greatly benefit. If one wants to sleep and has
someone to wake him up, or he is discussing a beneficial
matter, then it is not disliked. Said Ibn 'Umar, "The
Prophet would discuss with Abu Bakr some of the affairs of the
Muslims during the night, and I was with him." (Related
by Ahmad and at-Tirmizhi, who said it is hassan.) Reported Ibn
'Abbas, "I slept in the home of Maimunah one night when
the Prophet, upon whom be peace, was there. I watched to see
how the Prophet prayed during the night. He talked with his
wife for a while and then slept." (Related by Muslim.)
The time of the morning prayer begins with the true dawn
and lasts until sunrise. It is preferred to pray it early in
its permissible time. Abu Mas'ud al-Ansari reported that the
Messenger of Allah prayed the morning prayer in the darkness
(of the dawn). Another time, he prayed it when the dawn was
shining (or glowing). Then after that, he always prayed in the
darkness (of the dawn) until he died." (Related by Abu
Dawud and al-Baihaqi. Its chain is sahih.) Said 'Aishah,
"Believing women would pray the morning prayer with the
Prophet, upon whom be peace, being enveloped in their
clothing. They would return to their homes after the prayer
and no one could recognize them due to the darkness (of the
dawn)." (Related by "the group.")
Rafa' ibn Khadeej related a hadith in which the Prophet,
upon whom be peace, said, "Make the morning prayer at
daybreak, as your reward will be greater." In another
version it states, "Make the morning prayer at the
shining (time of the dawn), as your reward will be
greater." (Related by "the five." At-Tirmizhi
and Ibn Hibban grade it as sahih.) It refers to the time that
one finishes the prayer, not the time when one begins it. That
is, one should make the recital long so that one is in prayer
until the dawn becomes "shiny." This is what the
Prophet, upon whom be peace, used to do, for he would recite
between 60 and 100 verses. It also means to make sure that the
dawn has come.
Whoever catches a rak'ah of prayer before its time has
expired has caught the entire prayer in its time. Abu Hurairah
reported that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, said,
"Whoever catches one rak'ah of the prayer has caught the
prayer." (Related by "the group.") This refers
to any of the prayers. Al-Bukhari has recorded, "Whoever
of you catches one prostration of the afternoon prayer before
the sun has set should complete his prayer. If one of you
catches one prostration of the morning prayer before the sun
has risen, he should complete his prayer." Here the
meaning of prostration is rak'ah. The clear meaning of the
hadith is that one who catches one rak'ah of the morning or
afternoon prayer should complete the prayer even if the sun is
setting or rising, also those are times in which it is not
liked to pray. If one rak'ah is performed, then the prayer is
to be completed and the obligation of prayer will have been
fulfilled, although it is not allowed to intentionally delay
those prayers until such times.
Whoever sleeps through or has forgotten to pray a certain
prayer should pray it when he wakes up or remembers the
prayer. Abu Qatadah related that sleeping through the prayer
time was mentioned to the Prophet, upon whom be peace, and he
said, "There is no negligence in sleep, but negligence
occurs while one is awake. If one of you forgets a prayer or
sleeps through its time, then he should pray it when he
remembers it."
As to the authenticity of the report, it is recorded by
an-Nasa'i and at-Tirmizhi, who said it is sahih.
Anas related that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, said,
"Whoever forgets a prayer should pray it when he
remembers it, and there is no expiation for it save
that." (Related by al-Bukhari and Muslim.) Reported
'Imran ibn Husain, "We went with the Messenger of Allah
during the night. When the last portion of the night came, we
became tired and fell asleep. We did not wake until we felt
the heat of the sun. Some of us tried hurriedly to purify
ourselves. The Prophet ordered us to be calm. Then we rode on
until the sun had risen and we made ablution. He ordered Bilal
to make the call to prayer, and then prayed two rak'ah before
the (obligatory) morning prayer. Then we stood and prayed. We
said, 'O Messenger of Allah, should we not repeat it tomorrow
in its proper time?' He said, 'Would your Lord the Most High
forbid you from interest and accept it from you?"'
(Related by Ahmed and others.)
It is forbidden to pray after the morning prayer until the
sunrise and from the sunrise until the sun has completely
risen to the length of a spear above the horizon, and when the
sun is at its meridian until it moves sightly to the west, and
after the afternoon prayer until the sun sets. Abu Sa'eed
reported that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, said,
"There is no prayer after the morning prayer until the
sun rises." (Related by al-Bukhari and Muslim.) 'Amr ibn
'Abbas related that he said, "O Prophet of Allah, inform
me about the prayers." He said, "Pray the morning
prayer and then abstain from prayer until sunrise and the sun
has completely risen, for it rises between the horns of Satan.
That is when the unbelievers prostrate to it. Then pray, as
your prayer will be witnessed and attended to until the shadow
of a spear becomes less than its length. At that time stop
praying, for at that time the hell-fire is fed with fuel. When
the shade comes, you may pray, for your prayer will be
witnessed and attended (to by angels) until you pray the
afternoon prayer. Then abstain from praying until the sun
sets, for its sets between the horns of Satan, and that is
when the unbelievers make prostrations to it." (Related
by Ahmad and Muslim.)
Said 'Uqbah ibn 'Amr, "There are three times during
which the Prophet prohibited us from praying or burying our
deceased: sunrise until the sun has risen (some distance),
when the sun is at its meridian, and when the sun is setting
until it has completely set." (Related by "the
group," except for al-Bukhari.)
Most scholars agree that one can make up missed prayers
after the morning or afternoon prayers. This is based on the
Prophet's words, "If someone forgets the prayer, he
should pray it when he remembers it." (Related by
al-Bukhari and Muslim.)
Concerning voluntary prayers, the following companions
disliked such prayers during those times: 'Ali, Ibn Mas'ud,
Abu Hurairah and Ibn 'Umar. 'Umar used to beat those who
offered two rak'ah after the afternoon prayers (in the
presence of other companions), and was not rebuked. Khalid ibn
al-Waleed also used to do this. Those tabi'een who disliked
such prayers were al-Hassan and Sa'eed ibn al-Musayyab. Abu
Hanifah and Malik also hated such prayers. Ash-Sahf i reasoned
that prayers at such times are allowable if the person has a
reason for that prayer (the prayer of salutation to the
mosque, or the prayers after one performs the ablution, and so
on). He uses as a proof the fact that the Prophet, upon whom
be peace, prayed the two noon sunnah rak'ah after the
afternoon prayers. The Hanbaliyyah say that it is forbidden to
pray during such times even if one has a reason to do so,
except in the case of the two rak'ah for the circumambulation
of the Ka'bah. This is based on the hadith from Jabir ibn
Mut'am that the Prophet said, "O tribe of 'Abd Manat, do
not prevent anyone from circumambulating this house (the
Ka'bah) or from praying therein at any time they wish."
As to the authenticity of thie report, it is related by Abu
Dawud, an-Nasa'i, at-Tirmizhi and Ibn Majah. At-Tirmizhi and
Ibn Khuzaimah called it sahih.
The Hanifiyyah are of the opinion that prayer during such
times is not valid, regardless of whether the prayer was
obligatory or voluntary, or if one was making up a prayer or
fulfilling a requirement. But, they make an exception for the
afternoon prayer of that particular day and the funeral prayer
(if the funeral is at any of these times, the funeral prayer
is still to be made). They also permit the prostration in
response to Qur'anic recitation if the respective verses were
recited at such times. Abu Yusuf also makes an exception for
voluntary prayers on Friday while the sun is at its meridian.
The Shariyyah say that voluntary prayers which are not offered
for a particular reason are disliked at such times. Obligatory
prayers, voluntary prayers because of some occasion, voluntary
prayers on Friday when the sun is at its meridian and the
prayer of the circumambulation of the Ka'bah are all
permissible at such times without any disliked aspects. The
Malikiyyah say that voluntary prayers during sunrise and
sunset are forbidden, even if there is some occasion for them.
The same applies to a prayer that was vowed, prostration owing
to Qur'anic recitation, and the funeral prayer (unless they
fear some decay or alteration in the deceased). But they
always allow prayer, voluntary or obligatory, at the time when
the sun is at its meridian. Al-Baji wrote in his commentary to
alMuwatta, "In al-Mubsut it is related from Ibn Wahb that
Malik was asked about praying at mid-day and he said, 'I found
the people praying at mid-day of Friday. Some hadith do not
consider it desirable (to pray at such times), but I do not
stop the people from praying. I do not like to pray at that
time because it is not desirable to do so." The
Hanbaliyyah say that no voluntary prayers should be made
during such times, regardless of whether or not there is a
reason for such prayers, and regardless of whether it is
Friday or not, save for the prayer of salutations to the
mosque on Friday (they allow this without any disike for it
while the sun is at its meridian or while the imam is making
his address). They also say that the funeral prayer is
forbidden at that time, unless there is a fear of alteration
or decay in the corpse. They allow the making up of missed
prayers, the vowed prayers and the prayer of the
circumabulation of the Ka'bah (even if it is voluntary) at any
of these three times.
Yasar, the client of Ibn 'Umar, said, "Ibn 'Umar saw
me while I was praying after the dawn had begun, and he said,
'The Messenger of Allah came to us while we were praying at
this time and he said, 'Let your witness reach those who are
absent that there is no prayer after (the beginning of) the
dawn except two rak'ah."
As to its place in the corpus of hadith, it is recorded by
Ahmad and Abu Dawud. Although the hadith is weak, its numerous
chains strengthen each other.
We can conclude from this that it is disiked to make
voluntary prayers beyond the two sunnah rak'ah after the dawn
has begun. This was stated by ash-Shaukani. Al-Hassan,
ash-Shaifi, and Ibn Hazm say voluntary prayers are permissible
at that time without any aspect of dislike. Malik openly
allowed prayers during that time for those who missed the
voluntary prayers during the night due to some excuse. It is
mentioned that it reached him that 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas,
al-Qasim ibn Muhammad, and 'Abdullah ibn 'Aamar ibn Rabi'ah
would pray the witr prayer after the dawn had begun. Said
'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, "It does not bother me if they make
the iqamah (the second call) to prayer while I am praying
witr." Yahya ibn Sa'eed reported, " 'Ibadah ibn
as-Samit was the imam for the people. One day he went to the
morning prayer and the caller to prayer made the iqamah for
the prayer. 'Ibadah kept quiet until he prayed the witr prayer
and then he led them in the morning prayer." Sa'eed ibn
Jubair reported that Ibn 'Abbas slept (one night), woke up and
told his servant, "Look to see what the people are
doing." (By that time he had lost his eyesight). The
servant returned and told him that they were dispersing from
the morning prayer. Ibn 'Abbas then stood, prayed witr and
prayed the morning prayer.
If the prayer has already started, it is disliked to
preoccupy one's self with voluntary prayers. Abu Hurairah
reported that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, said, "If
the prayer is beginning, there is no prayer save the
obligatory one." In another narration it states,
"Save for the one for which iqamah has been made."
(Related by Ahmad, Muslim, Abu Dawud, at-Tirmizhi, an-Nasa'i
and Ibn Majah.)
Reported 'Abdullah ibn Sarjis, "A man entered the
mosque while the Prophet was leading the morning prayer. The
man prayed two rak'ah at the side of the mosque and then
entered (the congregation) behind the Messenger of Allah. When
the Prophet had finished the prayer he said, 'O so and so,
which of the two prayers do you count --the one you prayed by
yourself or the one you prayed with us?" (Related by
Muslim, Abu Dawud and an-Nasa'i.) The Messenger objected to
this act, but he did not order him to repeat his prayer. This
shows that such a prayer is valid but disliked. Reported Ibn
'Abbas, "I was praying while the caller to prayer was
making the iqamah. The Messenger of Allah pulled me and said,
'Do you pray four rak'ah for the morning (obligatory)
prayer?" The hadith is related by al-Baihaqi,
at-Tabarani, Abu Dawud, at-Tayalisi and al-Hakim, who said it
is sahih according to the criterion of al-Bukhari and Muslim.
Abu Musa al-Ash'ari related that the Prophet saw a man praying
two rak'ah of the morning prayer while the caller to prayer
was making the (second) call. The Prophet touched his elbow
and said, "Shouldn't this be before that?" (Related
by at-Tabarani. Al-'Iraqi says it is good.)
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