Evening Classes: Praying Asr early; Reading only the Fatiha

Wa Alaykum Assalam wa Rahmatullah wa Barakatuhu,

In the name of Allah, Most Merciful & Compassionate

Can I pray the Shafii Asr on Monday and Thursday?

1) The Shafi‘i position that the noon prayer (zuhr) ends and the mid-afternoon prayer (‘asr) begins when an object’s shadow, minus the length of its shadow at the time of the sun’s zenith, equals the object’s height, is also the position of Imam Abu Hanifa’s two greatest students Imam Abu Yusuf and Imam Muhammad. It is therefore permissible for one to pray ‘asr according to this position. However, it is more precautionary to pray ‘asr according to the position of Imam Abu Hanifa: asr begins when an object’s shadow, minus the length of its shadow at the time of the sun’s zenith, equals twice the object’s height. Check your local area prayer chart for approximate times.

[Imdad al-Fattah 170]

Is it permissible for me just to read Fatiha in both Asr and Maghrib prayer?

2) It is wajib (necessary) for one to recite beside the Fatiha a Sura, or three short verses, or a verse the length of three short verses, in the first two cycles (rakats) of the prayer. If you omit this then your prayer will be prohibitively disliked (makruh tahrimi) and it will be necessary (wajib) for you to repeat the prayer. [Nur al-Idah]

When making up prayers (from the ages I did not pray), do I have to make up the sunnah muakada prayers, if so what are all of them.

3) Besides the obligatory prayers and witr, you do not have to make up any prayers. Instead, you should ask Allah (Mighty and Majestic) for forgiveness in missing them and increase in voluntary worship. The confirmed sunna prayers are as follows: two rakats before fajr, four before zuhr and two after, two after maghrib, and two after isha. [Nur al-Idah]

And Allah alone gives success

Fadi Qutub
Amman, Jordan