بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Prayer Times

Each of the five fard prayers has a time period within which it must be performed.

Allah Almighty says in the Quran:

"Surely the prayer is a timed prescription for the believers." (4:103)

The time of five prayers

Fajr stars with the appearance of true dawn. It lasts until right before sunrise. True dawn is when the light spreads across the horizon before the sun rises in the morning.

Dhuhr starts immediately after midday, once the sun passes its highest point (zenith). It lasts until the 'Asr time.

'Asr starts when the shadow of any object equals its own length plus the length of shadow at midday. 'Asr lasts until right before the sunset. A strong opinion in Hanafi school is that the shadow should be twice the length of the object plus the shadow at midday.

Maghrib starts from the moment sun has fully set. It lasts until the time of 'Isha.

'Isha starts at the disappearance of twilight. It lasts until Fajr. The majority opinion is that twilight is no more when the sun's red color disappears from the horizon. Another opinion is that the white light should disappear too for 'Isha time to kick in.

The three prohibited times

There are three times during which we do not pray:

1. While the sun is rising, from the appearance of the top of disk on the horizon until it is fully risen above it

2. When the sun is at its zenith, i.e. the astronomical midday. (about 10 minutes before dhuhr starts)

3. During the sunset, until the sun fully sets

An exception to this rule is 'Asr prayer, which can be prayed while the sun is setting if the person is about to miss the 'Asr of that day. However, it is prohibitively disliked to delay 'Asr that much.

When is it best to pray

A general rule is that it's best to pray each prayer at the beginning of its time. Though for Fajr, it is advisable to wait for about 10 minutes to make sure that the true dawn actually began. Importantly, do not delay prayers till the very end without a reason, as it is a trait of a hypocrite to do so.

Difference of opinion

As has been mentioned above, some prayer times are subject to a difference of opinion among the scholars. This difference can translate into varying prayer timetables. Important to understand that these opinions have some basis behind them. A beginner should pick a timetable and stick with it most of the time, and not be jumping from one opinion to another for convenience.

Staying connected

Praise be to Allah, who gave us a way to stay connected with Him thoughout the day. Praying on time with sincerety and devotion is among the greatest blessings a slave can attain. May Allah grant us this huge honor and accept our prayers. Ameen!

Questions for self-evaluation

When does each prayer start and end?
What are the three prohibited times for prayer?
Why is it important to observe prayer times?

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