Salaat must be offered at fixed time. Allah Ta’ala says in the noble Qur’
aan, ‘Salaat at set time has been made a duty on the believers.’ (Surah
An-Nisaa 4:103)
Timings of Salaat are:
Fajr
From true dawn until just before sunrise.
Preferable to offer when it is light, not very dark, but preferable to delay
on cloudy day.
Dhuhr
After midday until afternoon (when a shadow of a vertical object is twice it
‘s length plus the meridian shadow).
Preferable to offer in summer after the intense heat rays elapse. In winter
at the beginning time but preferable to delay on cloudy day.
Asr
From late afternoon (when a shadow of a vertical object is twice it’s length
plus the meridian shadow) until just before sunset.
Preferable to delay to such an extent that the sun does not turn yellow but
preferable to offer a bit early on cloudy day.
Maghrib
After sunset until daylight ends.
Preferable to offer immediately after sunset and not to delay to the extent
that many stars begin to appear in the sky but preferable to delay on cloudy
day.
Ishaa
Night until dawn.
Preferable to offer before one third of the night passes.
[ Mufeedul Muslimeen, Mufti Ismail Kachholvi, UK ]
and Allah Ta’ala Knows Best
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
FATWA DEPT.