Time of ‘Asr in the Hanafï Madhhab

by GF Haddad

The Prophet said: “Your life in comparison to the lifetime of past nations is like the period between the time of the mid-afternoon prayer (‘asr) and sunset. Your example and the example of the Jews and Christians is that of a man who employed laborers and said to them: ‘Who will work for me until mid-day for one qiràt (a unit of meas­ure, part of a dinar) each?’ The Jews worked until mid-day for one qiràt each. Then the man said: ‘Who will work for me from mid-day until the ‘asr prayer for one qiràt each?’ The Christians worked from mid-day until the ‘asr prayer for one qiràt each. Then the man said: ‘Who will work for me from the ‘asr prayer until the maghrib prayer for two qiràt each?’ And that, in truth, is all of you. Truly you have double the wages. The Jews and the Chris­tians became angry and said: ‘We did more labor but took less wages.’ But Allàh said: ‘Have I wronged you in any of your rights?’ They replied no. Then He said: ‘This is My Blessing which I give to whom I wish.’”[1]

Imàm Abu Hanïfa deduced from the phrase “We did more labor” that the time of mid-day to ‘asr must always be longer than that between ‘asr and maghrib. This is confirmed by some reports:

· The Prophet hastened to pray zuhr and delayed praying ‘asr.[2]

· The Prophet said: “May Allàh have mercy on someone who prays four rak‘as before ‘asr.[3]

· ‘Alï delayed praying ‘asr until shortly before the sun changed and reprimanded the mu’adhdhin who was hurrying him with the words: “He is trying to teach us the Sunna!”[4]

· Ibràhïm al-Nakha‘ï said: “Those that came before you used to hasten more than you to pray zuhr and delay more than you in praying ‘asr.”[5] Al-Tahànawï said: “Those that came before you” are the Companions.

· Ibn Mas‘ud delayed praying ‘asr.[6]

Sufyàn al-Thawrï and Abu Hanïfa therefore lengthened the time between Zuhr and ‘Asr by (1) considering that the time for ‘Asr began when the shadow of an object reached two lengths and (2) preferably delaying the latter prayer for as long as the sun did not begin to redden–upto one hour before Maghrib. An added benefit of this position is the increase of permitted time for nawàfil, as they are not permitted after ‘Asr.That the earlier time (one-length shadow) is both the beginning of ‘Asr time and the preferred time is the fatwa of the companions of the Imàm – Muhammad ibn al-Hasan and Abu Yusuf, in line with the other Three Schools, on the basis of other sound evidence to that effect.

The summation of the Hanafï position is as follows:

The top Scholars of the late Hanafï school have deemed the Imàm’s po­sition to be more sound, as expressed by Kamàl ibn al-Humàm in Fath al-Qadïr, Ibn Nujaym (very vociferously) in his monumental Bahr al-Rà’iq (and in a separate treatise he wrote just on the topic), as well as Ibn ‘Àbidïn himself in his Radd al-Muhtàr (al-Hàshiya), where he objected to al-Haskafï quoting that the fatwa is on the position of the Two Companions. Ibn ‘Àbidïn’s student, al-Maydànï, approvingly quotes his teacher’s position in his Lubàb fi Sharh al-Kitàb. Among the late Hanafï hadïth Masters – besides Ibn al-Humàm – who chose the Imàm’s position was Imàm Badr al-Dïn al-‘Aynï and Mullà ‘Alï al-Qàrï, as well as most of the great Hanafï hadith commentators and Fuqahà’ of the Indo-Pakistani sub-continent, except Imàm al-Lacknawï. As Ibn ‘Àbidïn mentions in his Hàshiya and Imàm Ashraf‘ Alï al-Tahànawï in his brilliant Imdàd al-Fatàwà, the princi­ple(asl) is to clear one’s obligations with certainty. Given the difference of the Imàm in this issue [whose proofs are well discussed in I‘là’ al-Sunan, Awjaz al-Masàlik, Badhl al-Majhud, and other works, as well as Fath al-Qadïr], it is religiously more precautionary to follow Imàm Abu Hanïfa’s position. Of course, our teachers–both from Syria and those from Pakistan (‘Allàma Muftï Mahmud Ashraf ‘Usmànï) – say that if it means missing a congregation or causing fitna, then it would be superior to act on the posi­tion on the Two Companions.[7]

[1]Narrated from Ibn ‘Umar by al-Bukhàrï.

[2]Narrated from Umm Salama by al-Tirmidhï and Ahmad with sound chains as stated in I‘là’ al-Sunan ( 2:42 #490).

[3]Narrated from Ibn ‘Umar by al-Tirmidhï who graded it hasan gharïb.

[4]Narrated from Zyàd ibn ‘Abd al-Rahmàn al-Nakha‘ï by al-Hàkim (1:192) who said it is sahïh, and al-Dhahabï concurred as stated in I‘là’ al-Sunan (2:43-44 #493) but Zyàd is actually unknown. Al-Dàraqutnï in his Sunan (1:251) names him Zyàd ibn ‘Abd Allàh al-Nakha‘ï–another unknown. And Allàh knows best.

[5]Narrated by ‘Abd al-Razzàq with a sound chain according to al-Tahànawï inI‘là’ al-Sunan ( 2:44 #494).

[6]Narrated from ‘Abd al-Rahmàn ibn Yazïd by ‘Abd al-Razzàq (1:551 #2089) and Ibn Abï Shayba (#22701) with sound chains according to I‘là’ al-Sunan (2:45 #496).

[7]Shaykh Faràz Rabbànï, private communication.