The Book of Prayer
Times of Prohibition of (Supererogatory) Prayer

بَابُ السَّاعَاتِ الَّتِيْ نُهِيَ عَنِ الصَّلاَةِ فِيْهَا

Times of Prohibition of (Supererogatory) Prayer

Times When Ṣalâh Is Prohibited 323


323 The connection between the individual and his or her Lord must be nurtured all the time. The prayers were prohibited at these times for various reasons, including distinguishing oneself from the disbelievers who prostrated to the sun and/or their ‘gods’ during them. However, the connection with Allah (ST) remains, and dhikr is particularly prescribed before sunrise and sunset, which could be said to compensate for the lack of formal prayer at those times.

These are five:324 (a) After fajr until sunrise,325 and after the sun rises until it is one spear-length above the horizon. [prohibited periods 1 & 2] (b) From the time the sun is at its zenith until it moves (to the west).326 [3] (c) After ‘aṣr (prayer) until the sun is close to setting, and from that time until it actually sets. [4 & 5]

وَهِيَ خَمْس: أ‌) بَعْدَ الْفَجْرِ حَتَّى تَطْلُعَ الشَّمْسُ ، وَبَعْدَ طُلُوْعِهَا حَتَّى تَرْتَفِعَ قِيْدَ رُمْحٍ. ب‌) وَعِنْدَ قِيَامِهَا حَتَّى تَزُوْلُ. ت‌) وَبَعْدَ الْعَصْرِ حَتَّى تَتَضَيَّفَ الشَّمْسُ لِلْغُرُوْبِ، وَإِذَا تَضَيَّفَتْ حَتَّى تَغْرُب


324 There are certain reports that are essential on this topic: first, the hadith of ‘Amr ibn ‘Abasah (RA), who said, “O Prophet of Allah, inform me about the prayers.” The Prophet (SA) said:

"Pray the morning prayer and then abstain from praying until the sun rises and moves up [away from the horizon], for it rises between the horns of a devil, and that is when the unbelievers prostrate to it. Then pray, as your prayer will be witnessed and attended [by the angels] until the shadow of the spear does not exist to the east or west from it [the shortest shadow then is seen north of the spear if you live above the equator, and to the south if you live south of it, and that is when the sun is reaching its zenith]. At that time, stop praying, for at that time, hellfire gets fueled. When the sun passes its zenith, you may pray, for your prayer will be witnessed and attended until you pray the ‘aṣr prayer. Then abstain from praying until the sun sets, for it sets between the horns of a devil, and that is when the unbelievers prostrate to it." (M – from ‘Amr ibn ‘Abasah)

صَلِّ صَلَاةَ الصُّبْحِ ثُمَّ أَقْصِرْ عن الصَّلَاةِ حتى تَطْلُعَ الشَّمْسُ حتى تَرْتَفِعَ فَإِنَّهَا تَطْلُعُ حين تَطْلُعُ بين قَرْنَيْ شَيْطَانٍ وَحِينَئِذٍ يَسْجُدُ لها الْكُفَّارُ ثُمَّ صَلِّ فإن الصَّلَاةَ مَشْهُودَةٌ مَحْضُورَةٌ حتى يَسْتَقِلَّ الظِّلُّ بِالرُّمْحِ ثُمَّ أَقْصِرْ عن الصَّلَاةِ فإن حِينَئِذٍ تُسْجَرُ جَهَنَّمُ فإذا أَقْبَلَ الْفَيْءُ فَصَلِّ فإن الصَّلَاةَ مَشْهُودَةٌ مَحْضُورَةٌ حتى تُصَلِّيَ الْعَصْرَ ثُمَّ أَقْصِرْ عن الصَّلَاةِ حتى تَغْرُبَ الشَّمْسُ فَإِنَّهَا تَغْرُبُ بين قَرْنَيْ شَيْطَانٍ وَحِينَئِذٍ يَسْجُدُ لها الْكُفَّارُ


This hadith mentions the five times mentioned in the text, and the following one mentions the three (out of these five) when the prohibition is stressed to the point where it is not even permissible to bury the dead then.

“Three times during which the Prophet prohibited us from praying or burying our dead: when the sun rises and is just above the horizon, when it is at its zenith, and when it is setting until it has completely set.” (M – from ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Amir)


325 Except for the 2 rak‘ahs of sunnah before the subḥ (fajr) prayer.

These are the times when voluntary prayers should not be performed except: a. repeating a congregational prayer if it is called for while one is at the masjid; 327 b. the two rak‘ahs after ṭawâf; 328 c. the funeral prayer;

فَهذِهِ السَّاعَاتُ لاَ يُصَلَّى فِيْهَا تَطَوُّعًا إِلاَّ: أ) إِعَادَةَ الْجَمَاعَةِ إِذَا أُقِيْمَتْ وَهُوَ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ. ب) وَرَكْعَتَيْ الطَّوَافِ بَعْدَهُ. ت) وَالصَّلاَةَ عَلَى الْجَنَازَةِ. وَقَضَاءَ السُّنَنِ الرَّوَاتِبِ فِيْ وَقْتَيْنِ مِنْهَا، وَهُمَا: بَعْدَ الْفَجْرِ


326(A/SM): An exception is on Jumu‘ah when someone walks into the masjid at that time, while the imam is delivering the khuṭbah; they should still perform the salutation of the masjid. This is because of a controversial hadith reported by Abu Dâwood and others, from Abu Qatâdah, which reported that the Prophet (SA) disliked (or forbade) the prayer at midday except on Jumu‘ah.


327 For example, if someone has already prayed, whether alone or in congregation, then enters another masjid, and the iqâmah is called while he is inside. In this case, he must pray with them, as instructed by the Messenger of Allah (SA) who said:

“… Do not do that [sit while the main congregation is praying]; when you pray in your dwellings and then come to a masjid with a congregation, pray with them. That will count as a voluntary prayer for you.” (T – from Yazeed al-‘Âmiri. T:R)

فَلاَ تَفْعَلاَ إذَا صَلّيْتُمَا فِي رِحَالِكُمَا ثُمّ أَتَيْتُمَا مَسْجِدَ جَمَاعَةٍ فَصَلّيَا مَعَهُمْ فَاِنّهَا لَكُمَا نَافِلَةٌ


328 The Prophet (SA) said:

“O Banu Abd Manâf, do not prevent anyone who made ṭawâf around this House, and prayed, whichever hour it is of the night or day.” (D, T – from Jubayr ibn Muṭ‘im. T:R)

يَا بَنِي عَبْدِ مَنَافٍ لاَ تَمْنَعُوا أَحَدًا طَافَ بِهَذَا الْبَيْتِ وَصَلَّى أَيَّةَ سَاعَةٍ شَاءَ مِنْ لَيْلٍ أَوْ نَهَارٍ

d. making up for the missed routine voluntary prayers. 329 (He can perform these prayers) during two of these (prohibited) times which are after fajr and ‘aṣr. 330 The obligatory prayers can be made up at all times. 331

وَبَعْدَ الْعَصْرِ. وَيَجُوْزُ قَضَاءُ الْمَفْرُوْضَاتِ فِيْ جَمِيْعِ الأَوْقَاتِ


329 For example, if someone is used to praying the sunnah prayer after dhuhr and did not pray it one day, they would make it up after ‘aṣr, as was done by the Messenger of Allah (SA). (Ag) (A/SM): Making up this routine sunnah prayer after ‘aṣr is only allowed if the ‘aṣr prayer was combined with dhuhr (whether at the time of dhuhr or ‘aṣr).


330 These exceptions apply only to these two times: after fajr until sunrise, and after ‘aṣr until shortly before sunset. All prayers other than the mandatory ones (and janâzah in the case of fear for the body of the deceased) should be avoided during the three times when the prohibition is stressed: when the sun rises until it is above the horizon by a spear-length, when the sun reaches its zenith until it moves away from it, and right before sunset. There is wide disagreement over the exceptions among the madh-habs: (-H, -M) gave precedence to the prohibition in the face of all other reports or considerations, and generally speaking, they forbade voluntary prayers during the times of prohibition. (A) gave precedence to the prohibition, except when there was a text explicitly indicating that the Prophet (SA) ordered a certain prayer or did it during those times. (-S) added by analogy other prayers that have a particular reason during those times. For example, the salutation of the mosque, the sunnah after wuḍoo’, and the like. As for the salutation of the mosque, the Messenger of Allah (SA) said:

“When one of you enters the masjid, let him not sit until he prays two rak‘ahs.” (Ag – from Abi Qatâdah)

"إذا دخل أحدكم الْمَسْجِدَ فلا يَجْلِسْ حتى يُصَلِّيَ رَكْعَتَيْنِ."


(S) used this hadith to exclude them (prayers that have a specific reason) from the general prohibition during those times. The rest gave precedence to the prohibition over this command.


331 According to (A) + (+M, +S), because the Messenger of Allah (SA) said:

“Whoever forgets a [mandatory] prayer; let him pray it once he remembers it.” (Ag – Anas ibn Mâlik)

"مَنْ نَسِيَ صَلَاةً فَلْيُصَلِّهَا إِذَا ذَكَرَهَا