What are the times for each prayer that a prayer is valid in?

Question Summary

What are the times for each prayer that prayer is valid in?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate

Each prayer has its own discernible time frame and is valid if performed within that time. Below are listed the times for each prayer.

Prayer Times for Valid On-Time Performance

(1) Fajr Prayer – Fajr prayer enters when the light of the sun rises horizontally over the horizon and continues until some part of the sun’s sphere peaks out over the horizon. [Ala’ al-Din Abidin, al-Hadiyya al-`Ala’iyya]

(2) Dhuhr Prayer – Dhuhr prayer enters when the sun declines from its zenith such that the shadow of the sun starts to protrude toward the east and continues until the shadow of every object becomes twice its size or similar to its size. [Ala’ al-Din Abidin, al-Hadiyya al-`Ala’iyya]

(3) Asr Prayer – Asr Prayer enters when the shadow of every object grows double its size and continues until the actual sphere of the sun disappears below the horizon. [Ala’ al-Din Abidin, al-Hadiyya al-`Ala’iyya]

The secondary opinion in the Hanafi school regarding ‘Asr prayer time is that ‘Asr prayer enters when the shadow of each object becomes equal its size.  [Ala’ al-Din Abidin, al-Hadiyya al-`Ala’iyya]

See this link for more details.

(4) Maghrib Prayer – Maghrib prayer enters as soon as the sun disappears below the horizon and continues until the twilight (the redness of the sky) disappears. [Ala’ al-Din Abidin, al-Hadiyya al-`Ala’iyya]

(5) Isha prayer – Isha prayer enters when the twilight (the redness of the sky) disappears and continues until Fajr time enters. [Ala’ al-Din Abidin, al-Hadiyya al-`Ala’iyya]

As long as each prayer is performed within their appropriate windows of time,,, the prayer is valid and considered on time – not missed. [Ala’ al-Din Abidin, al-Hadiyya al-`Ala’iyya]

Thus your performance of Maghrib prayer 20 mins before ‘Isha is valid.

Disliked Prayer Times

Although still valid, it is prohibitively disliked to delay certain prayers. These prayers are listed below:

(1) Asr Prayer – Delaying the Asr prayer until the strength of the sun rays weakens such that one can comfortably look at the sun with the naked eye. [Shurunbulali, Maraqi al -Falah]

(2) Maghrib Prayer – Delaying the Maghrib prayer until the stars become visible in the dark sky. [Ibn ‘Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar]

(3) Isha Prayer – Delaying ‘Isha prayer until past half-night. [Tahtawi,Shurunbulali; Hashiyat Maraqi al-Falah]

Recommend Times

It is recommended and more virtuous to prayer each prayer in its recommended time. They are as follows:

(1) Fajr Prayer – It is recommended to pray the Fajr prayer when the sky starts to brighten – such that one could pray the Fajr prayer reciting therein 40 verses with methodical recitation and be able to repeat the prayer in that same manner – in the hypothetical situation that one’s original performance was invalid. [Ala’ al-Din Abidin, al-Hadiyya al-`Ala’iyya]

(2) Dhuhr Prayer – It is recommended to pray the Dhuhr prayer when the mid-day heat begins to cool,, and shadows are long enough that one could walk to the mosque in the shade of the surrounding buildings. [Ala’ al-Din Abidin, al-Hadiyya al-`Ala’iyya]

(3) Asr Prayer – It is recommended to pray Asr prayer just before the strength of the sun’s rays weakens. [Ala’ al-Din Abidin, al-Hadiyya al-`Ala’iyya]

(4) Maghrib Prayer – It is recommended to pray the Maghrib prayer immediately after it comes in. [Ala’ al-Din Abidin, al-Hadiyya al-`Ala’iyya]

(5) Isha Prayer – It is recommended to pray the Isha prayer before the first third of the night passes. [Ala’ al-Din Abidin, al-Hadiyya al-`Ala’iyya]

Hope this helps
Allah knows best
[Shaykh] Yusuf Weltch

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Yusuf Weltch is a teacher of Arabic, Islamic law, and spirituality. After accepting Islam in 2008, he then completed four years at the Darul Uloom seminary in New York where he studied Arabic and the traditional sciences. He then traveled to Tarim, Yemen, where he stayed for three years studying in Dar Al-Mustafa under some of the greatest scholars of our time, including Habib Umar Bin Hafiz, Habib Kadhim al-Saqqaf, and Shaykh Umar al-Khatib. In Tarim, Shaykh Yusuf completed the memorization of the Qur’an and studied beliefs, legal methodology, hadith methodology, Qur’anic exegesis, Islamic history, and a number of texts on spirituality. He joined the SeekersGuidance faculty in the summer of 2019.