Answered by SunniPath Answer Service Team
A brother at the masjid that I go to asked me why can we not offer any prayers (except for qada) after asr. And, if this actually is the case then why is qada allowed. He wanted proof from either the Quran, Sunna, or Hadith. Please provide as detailed an answer as possible because a lot of people in this area have the same question.
Wa Alaykum Assalam wa Rahmatullah wa Barakatuhu,
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful & Compassionate
As previously stated by Sidi Sohail Hanif:
“There are times when one is not permitted to offer supererogatory prayers and not even make up prayers. These times are:
When the sun is rising until it is a spear’s length above the horizon. This can take about twenty minutes after sun rise.
When the sun is setting until it has set. This can last for about twenty minutes to half an hour.
When the sun is at its zenith. This is just a brief moment when the sun reaches its highest point in the sky. As it is hard to determine exactly when this occurs, it is best to avoid praying in the ten minute period before the Dhuhr prayer enters.In each of these three times it is prohibitively disliked to prostrate a prostration of recitation if the verse that one is prostrating for was recited before these times entered. If the verse was recited during these very times then it is somewhat disliked to prostrate. (Radd al-Muhtar, 1:250, Bulaq)
There are two other times when one may not offer any supererogatory prayers but one may offer as many make up prayers as one likes. These times are from after the entry of the Fajr prayer until sun rise and after praying Asr until the sun starts setting. Just like make up prayers, one may offer as many prostrations of recitation in these times as one likes. (ibid, 1:251)”
Please also see the following links:
The Disliked Times for Makeup Prayers
Prohibited times for Prayers: What about the prostration of recital
Wassalam,
Sunni Path Fiqh Team