What are the three times during which prayer is prohibited?
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) has prohibited praying at three specific times. However, some people in mosques have written that one should avoid praying 20 minutes before and after the times of sunrise, zenith, and sunset as per their schedules. Is this correct? Please explain the boundaries of the prohibited times for prayer.
Answer:
The hadith states:
وَحَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ وَهْبٍ عَنْ مُوسَى بْنِ عُلَيٍّ عَنْ أَبِيهِ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ عُقْبَةَ بْنَ عَامِرٍ الْجُهَنِيَّ يَقُولُ ثَلَاثُ سَاعَاتٍ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَنْهَانَا أَنْ نُصَلِّيَ فِيهِنَّ أَوْ أَنْ نَقْبُرَ فِيهِنَّ مَوْتَانَا حِينَ تَطْلُعُ الشَّمْسُ بَازِغَةً حَتَّى تَرْتَفِعَ وَحِينَ يَقُومُ قَائِمُ الظَّهِيرَةِ حَتَّى تَمِيلَ الشَّمْسُ وَحِينَ تَضَيَّفُ الشَّمْسُ لِلْغُرُوبِ حَتَّى تَغْرُبَ
Uqba b. ‘Amir said:
There were three times at which Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) forbade us to pray, or bury our dead: When the sun begins to rise till it is fully up, when the sun is at its height at midday till it passes over the meridian, and when the sun draws near to setting till it sets.
Source: Sahih Muslim 1373
Explanation of Prohibited Times:
This hadith clearly specifies the times when prayer is prohibited. The reasoning for these times is rooted in the significance of the sun’s positions in Islamic tradition and their symbolic associations.
- Similarly, sunset does not happen in a single moment. It starts when the sun begins to sink below the horizon and ends when it is completely out of sight. The prohibition applies during this interval.
Sunrise, zenith, and sunset are natural phenomena that take some time to complete. For example:
- Sunrise: It takes several minutes for the sun to rise fully from the horizon.
- Zenith: After the sun reaches its highest point, it takes a few minutes before it starts to cast shadows.
- Sunset: From the time the sun begins to set until it is fully below the horizon, there is an observable interval.
The prohibition applies specifically during these intervals and not beyond them.