The Times of Prayer كتاب وقوت الصلاة [1] قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى اللَّيْثِيُّ، عَنْ مَالِكِ بْنِ أَنَسٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، أَنَّ عُمَرَ بْنَ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ، أَخَّرَ الصَّلاَةَ يَوْمًا فَدَخَلَ عَلَيْهِ عُرْوَةُ بْنُ الزُّبَيْرِ فَأَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّ الْمُغِيرَةَ بْنَ شُعْبَةَ أَخَّرَ الصَّلاَةَ يَوْمًا وَهُوَ بِالْكُوفَةِ فَدَخَلَ عَلَيْهِ أَبُو مَسْعُودٍ الأَنْصَارِيُّ فَقَالَ مَا هَذَا يَا مُغِيرَةُ أَلَيْسَ قَدْ عَلِمْتَ أَنَّ جِبْرِيلَ نَزَلَ فَصَلَّى فَصَلَّى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ثُمَّ صَلَّى فَصَلَّى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ثُمَّ صَلَّى فَصَلَّى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ثُمَّ صَلَّى فَصَلَّى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ثُمَّ صَلَّى فَصَلَّى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ثُمَّ قَالَ ‏ "‏ بِهَذَا أُمِرْتُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ عُمَرُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ اعْلَمْ مَا تُحَدِّثُ بِهِ يَا عُرْوَةُ أَوَ إِنَّ جِبْرِيلَ هُوَ الَّذِي أَقَامَ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَقْتَ الصَّلاَةِ قَالَ عُرْوَةُ كَذَلِكَ كَانَ بَشِيرُ بْنُ أَبِي مَسْعُودٍ الأَنْصَارِيُّ يُحَدِّثُ عَنْ أَبِيهِ ‏.‏ He said, "Yahya ibn Yahya al-Laythi related to me from Malik ibn Anas from Ibn Shihab that one day Umar ibn Abdal-Aziz delayed the prayer. Urwa ibn az-Zubayr came and told him that al-Mughira ibn Shuba had delayed the prayer one day while he was in Kufa and Abu Masud al- Ansari had come to him and said, 'What's this, Mughira? Don't you know that the angel Jibril came down and prayed and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, prayed.' Then he prayed again, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, prayed. Then he prayed again, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, prayed. Then he prayed again, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, prayed. Then he prayed again, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, prayed. Then Jibril said, 'This is what you have been ordered to do.' Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz said, 'Be sure of what you relate, Urwa. Was it definitely Jibril who established the time of the prayer for the Messenger of Allah?' " Urwa said, "That's how it was related to Bashir ibn Abi Masud al-Ansari by his father." [2] قَالَ عُرْوَةُ وَلَقَدْ حَدَّثَتْنِي عَائِشَةُ زَوْجُ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَانَ يُصَلِّي الْعَصْرَ وَالشَّمْسُ فِي حُجْرَتِهَا قَبْلَ أَنْ تَظْهَرَ ‏.‏ Urwa said that A'isha, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace used to pray asr while the sunlight was pouring into her room, before the sun itself had become visible (i.e. because it was still high in the sky). [3] وَحَدَّثَنِي يَحْيَى، عَنْ مَالِكٍ، عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ أَسْلَمَ، عَنْ عَطَاءِ بْنِ يَسَارٍ، أَنَّهُ قَالَ جَاءَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَسَأَلَهُ عَنْ وَقْتِ صَلاَةِ الصُّبْحِ قَالَ فَسَكَتَ عَنْهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم حَتَّى إِذَا كَانَ مِنَ الْغَدِ صَلَّى الصُّبْحَ حِينَ طَلَعَ الْفَجْرُ ثُمَّ صَلَّى الصُّبْحَ مِنَ الْغَدِ بَعْدَ أَنْ أَسْفَرَ ثُمَّ قَالَ ‏"‏ أَيْنَ السَّائِلُ عَنْ وَقْتِ الصَّلاَةِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ هَا أَنَا ذَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ مَا بَيْنَ هَذَيْنِ وَقْتٌ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ Yahya related to me from Malik from Zayd ibn Aslam that Ata ibn Yasar said, "A man came to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and asked him about the time of the subh prayer. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, did not answer him, but in the morning he prayed subh at first light. The following morning he prayed subh when it was much lighter, and then said, 'Where is the man who was asking about the time of the prayer?' The man replied, 'Here I am, Messenger of Allah.' He said,'The time is between these two.' " [4] وَحَدَّثَنِي يَحْيَى، عَنْ مَالِكٍ، عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ سَعِيدٍ، عَنْ عَمْرَةَ بِنْتِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، زَوْجِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنَّهَا قَالَتْ إِنْ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم لَيُصَلِّي الصُّبْحَ فَيَنْصَرِفُ النِّسَاءُ مُتَلَفِّعَاتٍ بِمُرُوطِهِنَّ مَا يُعْرَفْنَ مِنَ الْغَلَسِ ‏.‏ Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said from Amra bint Abd ar-Rahman that A'isha, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to pray subh and the women would leave wrapped in their garments and they could not yet be recognised in the darkness." [5] وَحَدَّثَنِي عَنْ مَالِكٍ، عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ أَسْلَمَ، عَنْ عَطَاءِ بْنِ يَسَارٍ، وَعَنْ بُسْرِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ، وَعَنِ الأَعْرَجِ، كُلُّهُمْ يُحَدِّثُونَهُ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ "‏ مَنْ أَدْرَكَ رَكْعَةً مِنَ الصُّبْحِ قَبْلَ أَنْ تَطْلُعَ الشَّمْسُ فَقَدْ أَدْرَكَ الصُّبْحَ وَمَنْ أَدْرَكَ رَكْعَةً مِنَ الْعَصْرِ قَبْلَ أَنْ تَغْرُبَ الشَّمْسُ فَقَدْ أَدْرَكَ الْعَصْرَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ Yahya related to me from Malik from Zayd ibn Aslam from Ata ibn Yasar and from Busr ibn Said and from al-Araj-all of whom related it from Abu Hurayra - that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Whoever manages to do a raka of subh before the sun has risen has done subh in time, and whoever manages to do a raka of asr before the sun has set has done asr in time." [6] وَحَدَّثَنِي عَنْ مَالِكٍ، عَنْ نَافِعٍ، مَوْلَى عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ أَنَّ عُمَرَ بْنَ الْخَطَّابِ، كَتَبَ إِلَى عُمَّالِهِ إِنَّ أَهَمَّ أَمْرِكُمْ عِنْدِي الصَّلاَةُ فَمَنْ حَفِظَهَا وَحَافَظَ عَلَيْهَا حَفِظَ دِينَهُ وَمَنْ ضَيَّعَهَا فَهُوَ لِمَا سِوَاهَا أَضْيَعُ ‏.‏ ثُمَّ كَتَبَ أَنْ صَلُّوا الظُّهْرَ إِذَا كَانَ الْفَىْءُ ذِرَاعًا إِلَى أَنْ يَكُونَ ظِلُّ أَحَدِكُمْ مِثْلَهُ وَالْعَصْرَ وَالشَّمْسُ مُرْتَفِعَةٌ بَيْضَاءُ نَقِيَّةٌ قَدْرَ مَا يَسِيرُ الرَّاكِبُ فَرْسَخَيْنِ أَوْ ثَلاَثَةً قَبْلَ غُرُوبِ الشَّمْسِ وَالْمَغْرِبَ إِذَا غَرَبَتِ الشَّمْسُ وَالْعِشَاءَ إِذَا غَابَ الشَّفَقُ إِلَى ثُلُثِ اللَّيْلِ فَمَنْ نَامَ فَلاَ نَامَتْ عَيْنُهُ فَمَنْ نَامَ فَلاَ نَامَتْ عَيْنُهُ فَمَنْ نَامَ فَلاَ نَامَتْ عَيْنُهُ وَالصَّبْحَ وَالنُّجُومُ بَادِيَةٌ مُشْتَبِكَةٌ ‏.‏ Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi', the mawla of Abdullah ibn Umar, that Umar ibn al-Khattab wrote to his governors saying, "The most important of your affairs in my view is the prayer. Whoever protects it and observes it carefully is protecting his deen, while whoever is negligent about it will be even more negligent about other things." Then he added, "Pray dhuhr any time from when the afternoon shade is the length of your forearm until the length of your shadow matches your height. Pray asr when the sun is still pure white, so that a rider can travel two or three farsakhs before the sun sets. Pray maghrib when the sun has set. Pray isha any time from when the redness in the western sky has disappeared until a third of the night has passed - and a person who sleeps, may he have no rest, a person who sleeps, may he have no rest. And pray subh when all the stars are visible and like a haze in the sky." [7] وَحَدَّثَنِي عَنْ مَالِكٍ، عَنْ عَمِّهِ أَبِي سُهَيْلٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، أَنَّ عُمَرَ بْنَ الْخَطَّابِ، كَتَبَ إِلَى أَبِي مُوسَى أَنْ صَلِّ الظُّهْرَ، إِذَا زَاغَتِ الشَّمْسُ وَالْعَصْرَ وَالشَّمْسُ بَيْضَاءُ نَقِيَّةٌ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَدْخُلَهَا صُفْرَةٌ وَالْمَغْرِبَ إِذَا غَرَبَتِ الشَّمْسُ وَأَخِّرِ الْعِشَاءَ مَا لَمْ تَنَمْ وَصَلِّ الصُّبْحَ وَالنُّجُومُ بَادِيَةٌ مُشْتَبِكَةٌ وَاقْرَأْ فِيهَا بِسُورَتَيْنِ طَوِيلَتَيْنِ مِنَ الْمُفَصَّلِ ‏.‏ Yahya related to me from Malik, from his uncle Abu Suhayl from his father that Umar ibn al-Khattab wrote to Abu Musa saying that he should pray dhuhr when the sun had started to decline, asr when the sun was still pure white before any yellowness had entered it maghrib when the sun had set, and to delay isha as long as he did not sleep, and to pray subh when the stars were all visible and like a haze in the sky and to read in it two long suras from the mufassal. [8] وَحَدَّثَنِي عَنْ مَالِكٍ، عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ عُرْوَةَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، أَنَّ عُمَرَ بْنَ الْخَطَّابِ، كَتَبَ إِلَى أَبِي مُوسَى الأَشْعَرِيِّ أَنْ صَلِّ الْعَصْرَ، وَالشَّمْسُ، بَيْضَاءُ نَقِيَّةٌ قَدْرَ مَا يَسِيرُ الرَّاكِبُ ثَلاَثَةَ فَرَاسِخَ وَأَنْ صَلِّ الْعِشَاءَ مَا بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَ ثُلُثِ اللَّيْلِ فَإِنْ أَخَّرْتَ فَإِلَى شَطْرِ اللَّيْلِ وَلاَ تَكُنْ مِنَ الْغَافِلِينَ ‏.‏ Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn Urwa from his father that Umar ibn al-Khattab wrote to Abu Musa al-Ashari that he should pray asr when the sun was still pure white so that a man could ride three farsakhs (before maghrib) and that he should pray Isha during the first third of the night, or, if he delayed it, then up until the middle of the night, and he warned him not to be forgetful. [9] وَحَدَّثَنِي عَنْ مَالِكٍ، عَنْ يَزِيدَ بْنِ زِيَادٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ رَافِعٍ، مَوْلَى أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ زَوْجِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنَّهُ سَأَلَ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ عَنْ وَقْتِ الصَّلاَةِ فَقَالَ أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ أَنَا أُخْبِرُكَ صَلِّ الظُّهْرَ إِذَا كَانَ ظِلُّكَ مِثْلَكَ وَالْعَصْرَ إِذَا كَانَ ظِلُّكَ مِثْلَيْكَ وَالْمَغْرِبَ إِذَا غَرَبَتِ الشَّمْسُ وَالْعِشَاءَ مَا بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَ ثُلُثِ اللَّيْلِ وَصَلِّ الصُّبْحَ بِغَبَشٍ ‏.‏ يَعْنِي الْغَلَسَ ‏.‏ Yahya related to me from Malik from Yazid ibn Ziyad that Abdullah ibn Rafi, the mawla of Umm Salama, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, asked Abu Hurayra about the time of the prayer. Abu Hurayra said, "Let me tell you. Pray dhuhr when the length of your shadow matches your height, asr when your shadow is twice your height, maghrib when the sun has set, isha in the first third of the night, and subh in the very first light of dawn," i.e. when the dawn has definitely come. [10] وَحَدَّثَنِي عَنْ مَالِكٍ، عَنْ إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي طَلْحَةَ، عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، أَنَّهُ قَالَ كُنَّا نُصَلِّي الْعَصْرَ ثُمَّ يَخْرُجُ الإِنْسَانُ إِلَى بَنِي عَمْرِو بْنِ عَوْفٍ فَيَجِدُهُمْ يُصَلُّونَ الْعَصْرَ ‏.‏ Yahya related to me from Malik from Ishaq ibn Abdullah ibn Abi Talha that Anas ibn Malik said, "We would pray asr and anyone who then went to the Bani Amr ibn Awf would find them praying asr."