When are the 5 prayer times?

Answer 1

ANSWER 1

THE TIMES OF SALAAH (Vary According To Seasons)

Every Muslim, male or female, must offer their five daily praying (salah) at its prescribed time, if there are no lawful reasons for exemption, combination, or temporary delay. Salah (or praying) is the only Islam practice that no Muslim is exempted from doing it. Muslims may be exempted from fasting (oe Sawm), alms giving (or Zakah), and pilgrimage (or hajj) under certain conditions. However, for praying (or Salah) there is no exemption of performing it under any condition.

The specified time for the five prayings are:

1. The time for Fajr salaah: Approximately 90 minutes before sunrise a dim whitish glow appears vertically in the eastern horizon. Soon after this vertical glow, a brightness appears horizontally in the eastern horizon. This horizontal glow spreads instantly along the horizon becoming larger and larger until after a short while it becomes light. The time for Fajr salaah commences with the appearance of this horizontal glow in the eastern horizon. This time marked by the appearance of the horizontal glow is known as Fajrul Awwal or Subhus Sadiq (True Dawn). The time for Fajr salaah lasts until sunrise.

2. The time for Zuhr salaah: The time for Zuhr salaah begins immediately after mid-day. The time of midday or Zawal is calculated by dividing the hours of daylight by two, and adding the result to the time of sunrise, e.g: Sunrise at 6.30 a.m. and Sunset at 5.30 p.m. i.e. Number of Daylight hours = 11 hours Divide by two; 11 divided by 2 = 5 and 1/2 hours

Add to Sunrise time; 6.30 + 5.30=12.00

i.e. Mid-day will be at 12 p.m.

NOTE: It is forbidden to perform salaah at the time of Mid-day. After approximately five minutes (i.e. five minutes after Midday) Zuhr time commences. The time for Zuhr salaah lasts until the length of the shadow of an object becomes twice the size of the object plus the size of the shadow which was cast at the time of Mid-day.

3. Time for Asr salaah: Asr time begins immediately upon the expiry of Zuhr time, and lasts until sunset. However, it is makruh (reprehensible) to delay the performance of Asr salaah until the sun's rays become yellowish and dim, as is the case before sunset.

4. Time for Maghrib salaah: Maghrib time begins immediately after sunset and extends till the red or white glow in the western horizon disappears. Normally it extends over a period of one hour and twenty minutes to one and a half hours.

5. Time for Isha salaah: Isha time begins after the red glow in the western horizon disappears and continues till a little before dawn. It is noticeable that Islam has set the times of salaah in a way that combines peace of mind with relaxation of the body. Muslims, by observing these salaah, mark the whole day with a spiritual stamp in the beginning, at the end, and throughout. So they combine religion and life, feel the presence of Allah I within them throughout the day, conclude their daily transactions with a spiritual feeling and build up

their moral standing on strong foundations. In this way, Muslims introduce spiritual vitality into all aspects of their life, and religion presents itself to all fields of activity. It becomes effective in shops and offices, homes and farms, industrial plants and factories. It extends its light to every circle of business and work. Indeed, this timetable of salaah is remarkable because it is the work of Allah I and the product of Islam.

It is always preferable to offer the salaah as soon as the time sets in, incase something unexpected causes delay or postponement. These salaah are Divine tests. The reward for those who pass the tests is immeasurable, and their delight is beyond imagination. The happiness they attain, the rejoicing they feel, and the honour they receive cannot be expressed in words. On the other hand, failure in these tests is a punishable sin. It causes severe penalties, spiritual deprivation, mental agony, and social isolation.

Note: Ahl-i-Sunna generally offer prayers in the middle of the given times.

The Ahl-i- Hadith offer prayers in the beginning of the times. However,

there is no hard and fast difference between the two.

ANSWER 2

The five prayers and their times are:

Fajr (dawn)The Fajr prayer starts with the rise of "white light" (fajar sadiq) in the east, and lasts until sunrise. Dhuhr (midday)The Dhuhr prayer starts after the sun passes its zenith, and lasts until Asr. Asr (afternoon)The Asr prayer starts when the shadow of an object is the same length as the object itself (or, according to Hanafi School, twice its length) and lasts till sunset. Asr can be split into two sections; the preferred time is before the sun starts to turn orange, while the time of necessity (dharoori waqt) is from when the sun turns orange until sunset. Maghrib (sunset)The Maghrib prayer begins when the sun sets, and lasts till the red light has left the sky in the west. Isha'a (night)The Isha'a prayer starts when the red light is gone from the western sky, and lasts until the rise of the "white light" (fajar sadiq) in the east. The preferred time for Isha'a is before midnight, meaning halfway between sunset and sunrise.