227. The Five Prohibited Times To Pray

By Asmâ bint Shameem 

*There are FIVE times during the day in which the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam forbade us from praying Salaah.* 

1. *From Fajr until sunrise* 

2. *At the time of sunrise*

3. *At Midday when the sun reaches its zenith*

4. *From Asr until Maghrib*

5. *At the time of sunset*

 *PROOF:*

The Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam said:

“Pray Fajr, then refrain from praying until the sun has risen and become high, for when it rises, it rises between the horns of the Shaytaan and at that time the kuffaar prostrate to it. 

Then pray, for the prayer is witnessed and attended until the shadow of a spear falls directly north (midday). 

Then refrain from praying, for at that time Hell is stoked up.

Then when the shadow moves forward, pray, for the prayer is witnessed and attended, until you have prayed ‘Asr. 

Then refrain from praying until the sun has set, for it sets between the horns of the Shaytaan and at that time the kuffaar prostrate to it.” 

(Saheeh Muslim)

And Uqbah ibn Aamir al-Juhani radhi Allaahu anhu said: 

“There are three times at which the Messenger of Allaah Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam forbade us to pray or to bury our dead: 

1. when the sun has clearly started to rise until it is fully risen, 

2. when it is directly overhead at midday until it has passed its zenith, and 

3. when the sun starts to set until it has fully set.” (Muslim)

Are ALL kinds of prayers prohibited at these times?

No. The prohibition to pray at these specific times applies to GENERAL VOLUNTARY prayers, which the scholars call al-nafl al-mutlaq (general nafl prayer). 

But IF there’s a NEED and a REASON to pray, it’s ALLOWED EVEN at the prohibited times. 

For example if you have to pray Tahiyyatul Masjid, or Tahiyyatul wudhu, or the two rak’ah after Tawaaf, or you have to pray the  istikhaarah Prayer, or you missed the Sunnah associated with the obligatory Salaah, and other scenarios, then it’s allowed to pray such prayers even at the prohibited times because there’s a REASON why these prayers are being done. 

Shaikh Ibn Uthaymeen said about the hadeeth regarding prayer during the prohibited times:

“To sum up, this hadeeth is specific; if a person offers a prayer for which there is a reason, then it is not prohibited. 

What I have mentioned....is the correct view, because there is no prohibition on the prayers for which there is a reason.”

[Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (14/344)]

PROOF that it’s allowed to read nawaafil IF there’s a NEED even during prohibited times 

There are many ahaadeeth that prove that it's ok to pray in these prohibited times IF  there's a NEED for it. 

Some examples: 

1. If you missed your regular Sunnah rakaat:

One time the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam missed his Sunnah of dhuhr and he couldn't pray them until the time of Asr. So he prayed them after he prayed Asr. 

When the people saw him they were confused at the two rakah that he Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam prayed after the Asr salah was over. So he Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam explained:

“Some people from ‘Abd al-Qays came to me and distracted me from praying two rak’ahs after Zuhr, so I did them now.” 

(Bukhaari, Muslim)

2. If you miss your Sunnah of Fajr and the Jama'ah has already started, you should join the Jama'ah and pray the sunnah later. 

One time a man prayed two rakah after the fardh of fajr. 

The Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam asked him:

"Are you praying Fajr twice?” The man said, “I did not pray the two rakah that come before it, so I prayed them now.” The Prophet didn't say anything." 

(Meaning he didn't think it was wrong) (Ibn Maajah-saheeh by al-Albaani)

3. When we enter a masjid regardless of the time, we're supposed to pray Tahiyyatul masjid 

The Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam said:

“When any one of you enters the Masjid, he should not sit down until he has prayed two rakaat” (Bukhaari, Muslim)

4. if someone already prayed Fajr or Asr then went to the masjid and saw the people of the masjid praying in Jama'ah then it's recommended for him to join the Jama'ah 

The sahaabi Yazeed ibn al-Aswad said:

"I performed Hajj with the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam and prayed Fajr with him in Masjid Al-Khayf. When he completed his prayer and turned around, he found two people who did not pray with him. 

He said: I have to talk to them. 

So he came to them and they were trembling. 

He asked them: 

“What prevented you two from praying with us?”

They said: 

“O Prophet of Allah! We had already prayed in our places.”

He said: 

“Do not do that. If you already prayed at your places and then came to a congregational mosque, pray with them too and it will become a supererogatory prayer for you." 

(at-Tirmidhi saheeh by al-Albaani)

5. Two rak’aat after Tawaaf 

The Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam said:

“O Banu ‘Abd Manaaf, do not prevent anyone from circumambulating this House and praying at any time of night or day.” (Ahmad- saheeh)

And there are many others. 

What about Qur’aan or sajdah at-Tilaawah at this time?

It’s allowed to read the Qur’aan during  the prohibited times of prayers, and it’s ALSO ALLOWED to do the SAJDAH for tilaawah at these times. 

That’s because sajdah at-Tilaawah is NOT ‘Salaah’. 

And the prohibition in the hadeeth  is for ‘Salaah’ at these specific times and not for reading Qur’aan or making ‘sujood’ or other ibaadaat. 

And Allaah knows best