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Text and translation
English translation
667. It was narrated from Sulaimân bin Buraidah that his father said: "A man came to the Prophet ﷺ and asked him about the times of prayer. He said: 'Pray with us for two days.' When the sun passed its zenith he commanded Bilâl to call the Adhân, then he commanded him to give the Iqâmah for Zuhr; then he commanded him to give the Iqâmah for 'Asr' when the sun was high and clearly white. Then he commanded him to give the Iqâmah for Maghrib when the sun had set; then he commanded him to give the Iqâmah for 'Ishâ' when the red afterglow had disappeared; then he commanded him to give the Iqâmah for Fajr when dawn came. On the following day he commanded him to give the Adhân for Zuhr when the extreme heat had passed and it had cooled down; then he prayed 'Asr' when the sun was still high, but he delayed it more than he had done the day before; then he prayed Maghrib before the red afterglow disappeared; he prayed 'Ishâ' when one-third of the night had passed; and he prayed Fajr at the time when it was already light. Then he said: 'Where is the one who was asking about the times of Prayer?' The man said: 'Here I am, O Messenger of Allâh.' He said: 'The times of your prayer
are between the times you have seen.'" (Sahih)
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Commentary
a. With regard to any prayer, it is best to perform it at the earliest after the onset of the permissible time for it, although it is also permissible to delay it as long as it does not cross the prescribed limit of time for that particular prayer.
b. It is permissible to sometimes leave the optimum for something other than optimum, but only for purposes prudent or educative. It is not, however, proper to make a habit of it.
c. Cooling down of the day for Zuhr (early afternoon prayer) means waiting for reduction in the intensity of the heat. It is, as we all know, extremely hot at noon in the summer season. The Zuhr prayer can, therefore, wait a little after the sun has passed its zenith. There is, however, no justification for such delays in colder weathers.
d. It may be noted that the time for Asr (afternoon prayer), for both the days mentioned in the Hadith, has been expressed in similar terms, namely: (i) "When the sun was high and clearly white," and (ii) "When the sun was still high." We will read more discussion about the sun's height in coming Ahādith.
e. The time for Maghrib (early evening prayer) starts with the sinking of the sundisk on the horizon, and ends with the disappearance of the red afterglow appearing on the west.
f. The time for 'Ishā' (night prayer) starts with the disappearance of the red afterglow. As inferred from the Hadith, its end seems to be the passing of one-third of the night. Some other Ahādith suggest it to be until the passing of half of the night.
