PRAYER TIMINGS

Q1:Whatismeantby"conditionoftimefor prayer"?

1. Condition of time for prayer means every prayer must be offered within its prescribed timelimit. Prayer will not be in order if offered before time and if offered after time that will be "Qadaa or Qazaa" (late time prayer). It is sinful to offer prayer after due time is over.

 

Q2:Howmanytimes'prayerisobligatory?

1. Five times' prayer in a day (day & night) is obligatory upon every sane and mature male and female Muslim i.e. Fajr (early morning prayer), Zuhr (after-noon prayer), 'Asr (late after-noon prayer), Maghrib (evening prayer) and 'Ishaa (night prayer).

 

Q3:When doesthe Fajrtime beginand end?

A.ThetimeforFajrprayerbeginsatdawnandlastsuntilraysofthesunareresplendent. (This paragraph was edited by Islamic Academy with permission)

 

Q4:Whatis"Mustahab"(commendable)timeofFajr?

1. Offering Fajr prayer at the time when the light of dawn has spread well is "Mustahab" (commendable). Prayer should be started at such a time during the stipulated period that one could offer it in accordance with Sunnah i.e. to recite about forty to sixty Qur-aanic verses and after the prayer is over there is enough time left to repeat the prayer if need be.

 

Q 5: What does "Subh-e-Saadiq" (dawn) mean? A. Subh-e-Saadiq (dawn) is the light which appears in the sky (in the east) and gradually spreads the whole sky sending light to the earth. Prior to this, there appears a pillar-like whiteness in the sky beneath which the entire horizon is black. At the time of Subh-e-Saadiq this whiteness vanishes which is called "Subh-e-Kaazib" (evanescent light before dawn).

Q6: Whatis theZuhr time?

A.ThetimeofZuhrprayerbeginswhenthesunhaspassedmeridianandlaststillshadowof everything doubles barring the real shadow.

 

Q7:What isthe "Mustahab"(commendable) timeof Zuhr?

1. Offering Zuhr prayer in the early hours of the stipulated time during winter and in the late hours in the summer is Mustahab (commendable). It is better to offer Zuhr prayer (individuallyor in Jama'at) when shadow of anything becomes equal to the original one. However, one should not miss Jama'at (congregation) if held in the early hours during summer for Mustahab time.

 

Q8:When doesthe Asrtime beginand end?

A.TheAsrtimebeginsatwheretheZuhrtimeends(i.e.whenshadowofeverythinghas become fully double excepting real shadow) and lasts till sun-set.

(Thisparagraph wasedited byIslamic Academywith permission)

 

Q9:WhatistheMustahab(commendable)timeofAsr?

A.OfferingAsrprayerinthelasthourofthestipulatedtimeinallseasonsisMustahab.However,itshouldnotbesodelayedthatthesunreachesthepointofsettinganditslight

becomes yellow. The sunlight becomes yellow when there are (about) 20 minutes left in its setting. It is Makrooh (odious) time for prayer.

(Thisparagraph wasedited byIslamic Academywith permission)

 

Q10:Whatis theMaghrib time?

A.ThetimeofMaghribprayerbeginsatthesun-setandlaststillthesettingof"Shafaq"(evening twilight). The span of time during which the Fajr and Maghrib prayers are permissible will always be equal daily.

(Thisparagraph wasedited byIslamic Academywith permission)

Q11:Whatis "Shafaq"?

1. According to Imaam 'Azam Abu Hanifah (may Allah be pleased with him) "Shafaq" is the whiteness which spreads in the sky like dawn after the redness has set in the west.

 

Q12:WhatistheMustahabtimeofMaghrib?

1. Offering Maghrib prayer in the early hour of the stipulated time is Mustahab if the sky isclear.DelayingitwithoutanycogentreasonisMakrooh(undesirable).Incasetheskyisovercast then it is Mustahab to delay the prayer.

 

Q13:Whatisthe'Ishaatime?

1. The time for 'Ishaa prayer begins after the evening twilight has set and lasts till (just before) the dawn of Fajr.

 

Q14:WhatistheMustahabtimeof'Ishaa?

1. Offering Isha prayer after the one-third of night has passed is Mustahab and till mid-night is "Mubaah" (permitted) but offering it after the midnight has passed is Makrooh.

Q15:WhatisthetimeofWitrprayer?

1. The time for 'Ishaa and Witr prayer is the same but the maintenance of sequence in the prayer is obligatory (Fard). For example, if one offers Witr prayer before 'Ishaa his Witr will not be deemed to have been offered but unlawful. It is better for one to offer Witr prayer in the last part of night if he is punctual in waking up otherwise he should offer before going to bed.

 

Q16:Whichtimingsarethereduringwhichnoprayercanbe offered?

1. The timings during which no prayer is lawful are three i.e. sun-rise, sun-setandmeridian.The duration of the sun-rise and sun-set is of (about) 20 minutes and the meridian is of 35-40minutes. During these timings no obligatory, essential, optional andmissed (Qaza) prayer andno prostration (Sajda-e-Tilaawat and Sajda-e-Sahv) is permitted.

 

Q17:During whichtimings is Nafil(voluntary) prayer unlawful?

A.TherearetwelvetimingsduringwhichNafil(voluntary,optional)prayerisnot permitted:

1. Fromdawn to sun-rise (No Nafil prayerexceptfortwoSunnatsofFajris permitted).
2. Iqaamah(callforthecommencementof prayer).
3. After Asr
4. Fromsun-settoMaghrib
5. WhenImaam(leader ofprayer)hasascendedthepulpitfor
6. During
7. Before'Eid

8. After 'Eid prayer, if one is in mosque or prayer field. However it is not Makrooh (odious) at
9. In'ArafaatbetweenZuhrandAsr
10. When time of Fard (obligatory)prayer is running out. No prayer even emphasised Sunnats of Fajr and Zuhr are permitted.
11. Anything which distracts attention and concentration. If one can get rid of that he should do, like pressing need to urinate or defecate.