Times Not to Pray

In these two Hadīths, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade praying after the Fajr prayer up until the sun rises and goes beyond its zenith, as seen by the normal eye for as much as the height of a spear fixed in the horizon. This period is estimated to be between 5 to 15 minutes. He also forbade praying after the ‘Asr prayer up until the sun sets, i.e. few minutes before the Adhān of the Magrib prayer. That is because offering prayer at these two times involves resemblance to the polytheists who worship the sun upon its rising and setting, and Muslims are forbidden from acting like them in their worship, because whoever imitates a people becomes one of them.

الإلمام بشرح عمدة الأحكام لإسماعيل الأنصاري، ط1، دار الفكر، دمشق، 1381ه. تيسير العلام شرح عمدة الأحكام للبسام، حققه وعلق عليه وخرج أحاديثه وصنع فهارسه: محمد صبحي بن حسن حلاق، ط10، مكتبة الصحابة، الإمارات - مكتبة التابعين، القاهرة، 1426 هـ. تنبيه الأفهام شرح عمدة لأحكام لابن عثيمين، ط1، مكتبة الصحابة، الإمارات، 1426ه. عمدة الأحكام من كلام خير الأنام صلى الله عليه وسلم لعبد الغني المقدسي، دراسة وتحقيق: محمود الأرناؤوط، مراجعة وتقديم: عبد القادر الأرناؤوط، ط2، دار الثقافة العربية، دمشق ، بيروت، مؤسسة قرطبة، 1408 هـ. صحيح البخاري، تحقيق: محمد زهير بن ناصر الناصر، ط1، دار طوق النجاة (مصورة عن السلطانية بإضافة ترقيم: محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي)، 1422ه. صحيح مسلم، تحقيق: محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي، دار إحياء التراث العربي، بيروت، 1423 هـ.

‘Amr ibn ‘Abasah As-Sulami (may Allah be pleased with him) informs us about his situation in the pre-Islamic times and how Allah guided him to Islam. Before Islam, he had light in his heart that showed him that the unbelievers were misguided, as they worshiped false objects, which they associated with Allah. He did not share their beliefs. However, when he heard of someone in Makkah telling prophetic news, he mounted his camel and went to him. Prophet Muhammad was then hiding to avoid the abuse of the Makkans. ‘Amr says that he used gentle ways to get access to the Prophet. He then approached him and asked him about his message. The Prophet told him that Allah sent him with a message of upholding kinship relations, breaking idols, and worshiping Allah alone without associating partners with Him. Here the Prophet was inviting him to Allah, explaining to ‘Amr great aspects of Islam. The most important thing he told him was to believe in the oneness of Allah and to have good manners. He told ‘Amr what people would realize with their reason that idols were a falsehood. Before coming to Islam, ‘Amr knew that the polytheists were on a false course of worship. He was searching for the truth. So when he reached the Prophet and asked him about his message, he told him that Allah sent him with a message that maintains kinship relations. Indeed, the Makkans had spread rumors that the Prophet came with a message that severs kinship ties. Against these backdrop, the Prophet asserted that his message maintained kinship ties. The Prophet further told ‘Amr that his message included the breaking of idols, i.e. everything that is worshipped besides Allah, so that Allah is worshipped alone, without any partners associated with Him. Upom hearing that, ‘Amr asked the Prophet about his followers, and the Prophet told him that a free man (i.e. Abu Bakr) and a slave man (i.e. Bilāl) were following him. So he said that he too would follow the Prophet. However, the Prophet told him that he can not do so on that day. This means that if ‘Amr joined the Prophet in Makkah, thus leaving his own people, the Prophet would not be able to protect him from the Makkans. So he told him to stay as a Muslim among his people until Islam is strong enough, then ‘Amr would join Muslims. This was an aspect of the Prophet’s compassion. ‘Amr was weak and the Makkans were plenty in number and hostile towards the Prophet, who could not defend himself rather than someone else. ‘Amr went back to his own people as a Muslim, and thus he would often check on the Prophet's news. However, he kept his conversion a secret, fearing for his own life. When some of his people came back from a visit to Madīnah, ‘Amr asked them about the Prophet. They told him that people were quick in responding to him and that the Makkans wanted to kill him but failed. So ‘Amr travelled to Madīnah and entered upon the Prophet, who recognized him. ‘Amr asked the Prophets about the teachings of Islam; so as to learn what he is unaware of the divine knowledge. The Prophet told him that he should pray the morning prayer on time and then stop praying until the sun rises, because when it rises the unbelievers prostrate themselves to it. A Muslim, however, is not allowed to delay his morning prayer, nor to pray optionally when the sun rises. The time for sunrise can be known from the calendar. Now, the Prophet forbade that Muslims emulate the disbelievers by praying at sunrise, because the sun rises between two horns of a devil. Later, however, angels attend the prayers, so as to record a Muslim's prayer and be witness for him. No prayer is allowed when the sun is in the middle of the sky, because then Hell is fired up. At this time, one's shade is under his feet. It is a short time that lasts for only two Rak‘ahs. However, when the shade shrinks under one's feet and moves to the other direction, marking the noon time, the angels attend the prayer, so a Muslim may pray from Zhuhr until ‘Asr. This is an open time for prayer. After praying ‘Asr, one does not pray until sunset. Before sunset, it is forbidden to pray because the sun sets, as it rises, between two horns of a devil. A Muslim, meanwhile, is not allowed to delay praying ‘Asr until shortly before sunset, because in doing so he emulates the unbelievers. The Prophet called it the prayer of hypocrites, who wait until the sun is orange and pray four Rak‘ahs quickly, with little remembrance of Allah. So a Muslim should not behave like unbelievers and hypocrites, willingly delaying the 'Asr prayer until the sun is going to set. ‘Amr then asked the Prophet about ablution. The Prophet told him that doing ablution as prescribed eliminates sins, which fall with water when one washes his limbs. ‘Amr used to tell others about this Hadīth, yet Abu Umāmah warned him, concluding that he was exaggerating. He might have thought that the reward was too large for doing ablution, that a Muslim becomes sin-free as if he is just born. ‘Amr, however, explained that he did not have to lie, because he was already old, weak, and about to die. He further said that he heard the Hadīth not only once or even seven times, but more than that.

كنوز رياض الصالحين، تأليف: حمد بن ناصر بن العمار، الناشر: دار كنوز أشبيليا، الطبعة الأولى: 1430 هـ بهجة الناظرين، تأليف: سليم بن عيد الهلالي، الناشر: دار ابن الجوزي ، سنة النشر: 1418 هـ- 1997م نزهة المتقين، تأليف: جمعٌ من المشايخ، الناشر: مؤسسة الرسالة، الطبعة الأولى: 1397 هـ، الطبعة الرابع دليل الفالحين لطرق رياض الصالحين؛ لمحمد بن علان الشافعي، دار الكتاب العربي-بيروت صحيح مسلم؛ للإمام مسلم بن الحجاج، حققه ورقمه محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي، دار عالم الكتب-الرياض، الطبعة الأولى، 1417هـ.

In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) commands us to not offer prayer when the edge of the sun that appears first at sunrise shows until the entire sun rises and becomes high in the sky. We should also avoid prayer when the edge of the sun disappears until the sun has completely set. The Prophet has forbidden us from praying at times of sunrise and sunset because the sun rises and sets between the two horns of the devil, i.e. the two sides of his head. This is because the devil faces the sun when it rises so that it rises between his two horns, so that he becomes a Qiblah for those who prostrate themselves before the sun. The same happens during sunset. Therefore, we are prohibited from praying at these times to avoid resembling those people in their false worship.

- صحيح البخاري، نشر: دار طوق النجاة (مصورة عن السلطانية بإضافة ترقيم محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي)، الطبعة: الأولى، 1422ه. - صحيح مسلم، تحقيق: محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي، نشر: دار إحياء التراث العربي – بيروت. - عمدة القاري شرح صحيح البخاري، لمحمود بن أحمد بن موسى الحنفى بدر الدين العينى، الناشر: دار إحياء التراث العربي – بيروت. - مرقاة المفاتيح شرح مشكاة المصابيح، لعلي بن سلطان الملا الهروي القاري، الناشر: دار الفكر، بيروت – لبنان، الطبعة: الأولى، 1422هـ - 2002م. - شرح الطيبي على مشكاة المصابيح المسمى بـ (الكاشف عن حقائق السنن), شرف الدين الحسين بن عبد الله الطيبي, المحقق: د. عبد الحميد هنداوي, الناشر: مكتبة نزار مصطفى الباز - مكة المكرمة - الرياض, الطبعة: الأولى، 1417 هـ - 1997 م.

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade offering a voluntary prayer or burying the deceased at three times during the day: The first time: When the sun begins to rise, from the moment it appears until it ascends to the height of a spear, which is estimated to be approximately a quarter of an hour. The second time: When the sun is in the middle of the sky and there is no shadow either to the east or the west, until it begins to decline from the middle of the sky and a shadow appears on the eastern side, marking the start of the time for Zhuhr prayer. This is a brief period, approximately five minutes. The third time: When the sun inclines and starts setting until it completely sets.

1. The times when prayer is prohibited, as indicated by this and other Hadīths, are as follows: 1. After the Fajr prayer until the sun rises. 2. When the sun is rising until it ascends to the height of a spear by the sight of the eye, approximately 15 minutes. 3. When the sun is at its zenith, directly overhead, until it starts to decline. This is when there is no shadow to the east or the west, estimated by some to last about five minutes. 4. After the ‘Asr prayer until the sun sets. 5. When the sun turns yellow until it sets.
2. The prohibition of praying during these five specified times excludes obligatory prayers and those performed for specific reasons.
3. The prohibition of intentionally delaying burial until these three restricted times mentioned in the Hadīth, while permitting burial at any other time during the day or night.
4. The wisdom behind the prohibition of praying during these times: The fundamental principle is that a Muslim submits to the commands of Allah and avoids His prohibitions as an act of worship and does not stop acting upon them until he fully understands the wisdom or reason behind them. Rather, he must submit. Other Hadīths have clarified some of the rationales behind this: 1. At the time of noon, just before the sun passes its zenith, it is a time when Hellfire is intensely heated. 2. As for the rationale behind the prohibition of praying during sunrise and sunset, it lies in avoiding imitation of the polytheists, who prostrate to the sun when it rises and when it sets. 3. As for the prohibition of prayer after Fajr prayer until sunrise and after ‘Asr prayer until sunset, it serves to block any means of resemblance with the disbelievers. A Muslim avoids imitating them in their polytheism, as they prostrate to the sun during its rising and setting.

صحيح مسلم (1/ 568) (831). توضيح الأحكام مِن بلوغ المرام، لعبد الله البسام (1/ 488). فتح ذي الجلال والإكرام شرح بلوغ المرام، لابن عثيمين (1/ 438). منحة العلام في شرح بلوغ المرام، لعبد الله الفوزان (2/ 202). سبل السلام، لمحمد الصنعاني (1/ 167).

In this Hadīth, the custodians of the Sacred House during the Prophet's time, namely Banu ‘Abd Manāf, are addressed, saying: You may not prevent anyone from circumambulating the House or praying in it at any time of the day or night as they wish. The prayer, here, is the two Rak‘ahs of circumambulation. The instruction applies to all times, including the times during which prayer is forbidden.

سنن أبي داود، سليمان بن الأشعث أبوداود، تحقيق: محمد محيي الدين عبد الحميد، المكتبة العصرية، صيدا، بيروت. مسند الإمام أحمد بن حنبل، أحمد بن حنبل أبو عبدالله الشيباني، تحقيق: شعيب الأرنؤوط و عادل مرشد، وآخرون، تحت إشراف: عبد الله بن عبد المحسن التركي، مؤسسة الرسالة، الطبعة: الأولى1421هـ، 2001م. سنن الترمذي، محمد بن عيسى الترمذي، تحقيق وتعليق: أحمد محمد شاكر، ومحمد فؤاد عبد الباقي، وإبراهيم عطوة عوض، شركة مكتبة ومطبعة مصطفى البابي الحلبي، مصر، الطبعة: الثانية، 1395هـ، 1975م. المجتبى من السنن (السنن الصغرى)، أحمد بن شعيب النسائي، تحقيق: عبد الفتاح أبو غدة، مكتب المطبوعات الإسلامية، حلب، الطبعة: الثانية 1406هـ، 1986م. سنن ابن ماجه، ابن ماجه محمد بن يزيد القزويني، تحقيق: محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي، دار إحياء الكتب العربية، فيصل عيسى البابي الحلبي. سنن الدارمي، تحقيق: حسين سليم أسد الداراني، دار المغني للنشر والتوزيع، المملكة العربية السعودية، الطبعة: الأولى 1412هـ، 2000م. مشكاة المصابيح، محمد ناصر الدين الألباني، نشر: المكتب الإسلامي، بيروت، الطبعة: الثالثة 1985م. سبل السلام، محمد بن إسماعيل الصنعاني، دار الحديث، الطبعة: بدون طبعة وبدون تاريخ. توضيح الأحكام مِن بلوغ المرام، عبد الله بن عبد الرحمن البسام، مكتبة الأسدي، مكة المكرّمة، الطبعة: الخامِسَة 1423هـ، 2003م. فتح ذي الجلال والإكرام شرح بلوغ المرام، محمد بن صالح العثيمين، تحقيق: صبحي بن محمد رمضان، وأم إسراء بنت عرفة، المكتبة الإسلامية، الطبعة: الأولى 1427هـ. منحة العلام في شرح بلوغ المرام، عبد الله صالح الفوزان، دار ابن الجوزي، الطبعة: الأولى 1428هـ، 1432هـ.

‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) saw his freed slave, Yasār, pray a voluntary prayer after the break of dawn and before the Fajr prayer. He said to him: "O Yasār, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) came to us while we were offering this prayer," meaning: he saw them pray a voluntary prayer after the break of dawn and before the Fajr prayer. He then said to them: "Those who are present should inform those who are absent." He asked those who were present to inform those who were not there. He then said to them: "Do not offer any prayer after (the break of) dawn." This narration is supported by another related by Ahmad that reads: "No prayer is to be offered after the break of dawn except two Rak‘ahs." These Rak‘ahs are the voluntary ones that are prayed before the Fajr prayer. This corresponds with the way of the Messenger (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) as he had never prayed anything after the rise of dawn except for two short Rak‘ahs. Therefore, a Muslim is not permitted to pray voluntary prayers after the rise of dawn, which is according to the guidance of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) which is the best guidance. Accordingly, praying after the break of dawn other than its respective supererogatory prayer is thereby impermissible, as this time has become prohibited to pray in.

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