WHAT SHOULD WE DO AND WHAT WE ARE DOING

"One day a man was sleeping. He was dreaming that a tiger was attacking him. He was running as fast as he could. Suddenly he saw a banyan tree and a hole under that tree. The man thought that he would use the aerial roots of the banyan tree to hide himself inside the hole to save him from that ferocious tiger.
But when the man came near the hole using the aerial roots then he surprisingly found that the hole was full of snakes and other dangerous insects. He became highly puzzled and tried to climb up to the banyan tree. But he found that the tiger already climbed up to the tree. The man became more feared. Now he thought how much time could I stay by keeping the aerial root in the grip. He saw to the root of the aerial root. He found that two rat (one was black and one was white ) were cutting the aerial root. Si he found himself in so vulnerable condition. There was a honey comb in the banyan tree and drops of honey were falling from it. He took some drops of honey and forgot the great danger of him.
Suddenly his sleep broke up and he fell into a deep thinking.
He went to a dervish to explain his dream. The dervish explanation is following :

Tiger: Death
Hole: Grave
Aerial root: your life time
White rat: Day
Black rat: Night
Honey comb: Dunia

Death is following u like tiger and u r trying flee from death. U r very near to grave which is a place of snakes and other ferocious creatures. Day and night go and u r going near to death. But u forget everything by taking the honey of dunia in that great danger "

Dear brothers and sisters think about us. Don't we forget the death and doing bad. We r not caring about our deeds . But we should be careful. We should think what we r doing and what we ought to do.
May ALLAH give us proper understanding (Ameen)
Pray for me and all muslimeen.
ALLAH hafiz

Question - answer session between a Mufti and a reverend

A Mufti sat next to a Reverend on a flight.

The Rev asked the Mufti: What is your occupation?

Mufti: I'm into big business

Rev: But what business exactly?

Mufti: I deal with God

Rev: Ah, so you're a Muslim religious leader. I have one problem with you Muslims: you oppress your women.

Mufti: How do we oppress women?

Rev: You make your women cover up completely and you keep them in the homes.

Mufti: Ah. I have a problem with you people: you oppress MONEY.

Rev: What? How can one oppress money?

Mufti: You keep your money hidden away, in wallets, banks and safes. You keep it covered up. Why don't you display it in public if it's a beautiful thing?

Rev: It will get stolen, obviously.

Mufti: You keep your money hidden because it is so valuable. We value the true worth of women far, far more. Therefore, these precious jewels are not on display to one and all. They are kept in honor and dignity.

Rev: -silence

How Great ALLAH is

One day a student asked his master to make him understand How Great ALLAH is . The teacher did not answered his student instantly. One day the teacher and that student were walking along the shore of a sea. The teacher asked that student to gather the whole water of the sea in a cup of a tea. The student became astonished and answered how I could do that . The sea contains millions of gallon water whereas a cup of tea can keep more or less .25 liter water. Then the teacher said how you could imagine the greatness of ALLAH SWT by your small brain. Human brain is similar to the cup of tea and the Greatness of ALLAH is similar to the water of sea. So Human mind can't imagine about the greatness of ALLAH SWT.

ALLAH has created the whole universe and the all things that lie inside the universe. Everything is running by the command of ALLAH SWT. ALLAHU akbar. ALLAHU akbar ALLAHU akbar ALLAHU akbar ALLAHU akbar

Essential Expressions

Every Muslim should remember these essential expressions.

Note: Spellings may vary when translated to English

These expressions are mostly singular. For example to say ‘Jazak(i) Allahu Khair” to more than one person you would ‘Jazakum Allahu Khairan’ and to say ‘Barak Allahu feek(i)” to more than one person is “Barak Allahu Feekum”

e.g.

Masculine: Jazak Allahu Khair
Feminine: Jazaki Allahu Khair
Plural: Jazakum Allahu Khair

It is fine to speak in the masculine tense when speaking to women formally.

Say/When/Translation

Assalamu ‘Alaikum
when you meet a muslim
Translation: Peace be upon you

Wa’alaikum Assalam
a Muslim greets you
Translation: And peace be upon you

Assalamu ‘alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh
formal and great greeting to a Muslim
Translation: May the peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you

Wa’alaikum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh
a Muslim greets you
Translation: And peace and mercy and blessings of Allah be upon you

Hiyyak Allah
When greeting someone after Salaams
Translation: May Allah greet you (lit. May Allah preserve your life)

Bismillah arRahman arRahim
before making a beginning
Translation: In the name of Allah, most Gracious most Merciful

Jazak Allah Khairan
for expression of thanks
Translation: May Allah reward you with blessings
(Reply: Wa iyak(i), wa iyakum; Trans. And you)

BarakAllahu feekum or Allah baraka feek(i)
responding to someone’s thanks/ a way of expressing thanks
Translation: May Allah bless you
(Reply: Wa feek(i), Wa feekum; Trans.: And you)

Fi Amanillah
by way of saying good-bye
Translation: May Allah protect you

Subhanallah
for praising something
Translation: Glory be to Allah

Insha Allah
for expressing a desire to do something
Translation: If Allah wills/Through Allah’s will

Astaghfirullah
Repenting for sins before Allah
I beg Allah for forgiveness

Masha Allah
for expressing appreciation of something good
Translation: As Allah has willed/Praise be to Allah

Alhamdulillah
for showing gratitude to Allah after success or even after completing anything
Translation: Thanks be to Allah

Ameen
the end of a Dua or prayer
Translation: May it be so

Sallahu ‘alayhi wa salaam
whenever say the name of Prophet Muhammad
Translation: Peace be upon him (S.A.W.)

‘Alayhi salaam
whenever say the name of a prophet
Translation: Peace be upon him (A.S.)

Radi Allah ‘Anhu
whenever say name of male companion of the Prophet (Sahabi)
Translation: May Allah be pleased with him (R.A.)

Radi Allah ‘Anha
whenever say name of female companion of the Prophet
Translation: May Allah be pleased with her (R.A.)

Radi Allah ‘Anhum
Plural form of saying companions of the Prophet
Translation: May Allah be pleased with them (R.A.)

Innaa lillaahi wa innaa ilayhi raaji’oon
this is uttered as an expression upon hearing the news of some loss or some one’s death
Translation: To Allah we belong and to Him is our return

aathama allahu ajrakom
uttered to family of deceased
Translation: may Allah make your ajer (reward) great

Shakar Allahu Sa’yikum
uttered to people who attend aaza - when friends go to send condolences upon death of a person
Translation: May Allah accept that your effort

La hawla wala quwata illah billah
during the time of troubles
Translation: There is no strength nor power except Allah

_________________

A few more:

Tawakkal-tu-’ala-Allah- I have put my trust in Allah-rely on Allah solving a problem

Tawkkalna-’ala-Allah - we have put our trust in Allah - waiting for a problem to be solved

Rahimahullah - Allah have Mercy on him - you see someone in distress

Na’uzhu-bi-Allah - we seek refuge in Allah - showing your dislike

Fi sabeel illah - in/for Allah’s cause/way - you give charity/help people

Ittaqillah-fear Allah- you see someone doing a bad deed

Hayyak Allah - Allah maintain your life - you greet someone

Hasbi Allah - Allah will suffice me - you are in a difficult situation

Azhak Allah sinnaka - May Allah keep you cheerful - you seek another Muslim with cheerful countenance

____________________

A

AL-HAMDU LILLAHI RABBIL ‘ALAMIN
This is a verse from the Qur’an that Muslims recite and say many times per day. Other than being recited daily during prayers, a Muslim reads this expression in every activity of his daily life. The meaning of it is: “Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds.”

A Muslim invokes the praises of Allah before he does his daily work; and when he finishes, he thanks Allah for His favors. A Muslim is grateful to Allah for all His blessings. It is a statement of thanks, appreciation, and gratitude from the creature to his Creator.

ALLAHU AKBAR
This statement is said by Muslims numerous times. During the call for prayer, during prayer, when they are happy, and wish to express their approval of what they hear, when they slaughter an animal, and when they want to praise a speaker, Muslims do say this expression of Allahu Akbar. Actually it is most said expression in the world. It’s meaning: “Allah is the Greatest.” Muslims praise Allah in every aspect of life; and as such they say Allahu Akbar.

ASSALAMU ALAIKUM
This is an expression Muslims say whenever they meet one another. It is a statement of greeting with peace. The meaning of it is: “Peace be upon you.”

Muslims try to establish peace on earth even through the friendly relation of greeting and meeting one another.

The other forms are: “Assalamu ‘Alalikum Wa Rahmatullah,” which means:”May the peace and the Mercy of Allah be upon you,” and “Assalamu Alalikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh,” which means:”May the peace, the mercy, and the blessings of Allah be upon you.”

ASTAGHFIRULLAH
This is an expression used by a Muslim when he wants to ask Allah forgiveness. The meaning of it is: “I ask Allah forgiveness.” A Muslim says this phrase many times, even when he is talking to another person. When a Muslim abstains from doing wrong, or even when he wants to prove that he is innocent of an incident he uses this expression. After every Salah (payer), a Muslim says this statement three times.

A’UDHU BILLAHI MINASHAYTAN IRAJEEM
This is an expression and a statement that Muslims have to recite before reading to Qur’an, before speaking, before doing any work, before making a supplication, before taking ablution, before entering the wash room, and before doing many other daily activities. The meaning of this phrase is: “I seek refuge from Allah from the outcast Satan.” Allah is the Arabic name of God.

Satan is the source of evil and he always tries to misguide and mislead people. The Qur’an states that Satan is not an angel but a member of the Jinn, which are spiritual beings created by Allah. So the belief that Satan is a fallen angel is rejected in Islam.

B

BARAKALLAH
This is an expression, which means: “May the blessings of Allah (be upon you).” When a Muslim wants to thank to another person, he uses different statements to express his thanks, appreciation, and gratitude. One of them is to say “Baraka Allah.”

BISMILLAHIR RAHMANIR RAHIM
This is a phrase from the Qur’an that is recited before reading the Qur’an. It is to be read immediately after one reads the phrase: “A’uzu Billahi Minashaitanir Rajim.”

This phrase is also recited before doing any daily activity. The meaning of it is: “In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful.”

I

IN SHA’ ALLAH
When a person wishes to plan for the future, when he promises, when he makes resolutions, and when he makes a pledge, he makes them with permission and the will of Allah. For this reason, a Muslim uses the Qur’anic instructions by saying “In Sha ‘ Allah.” The meaning of this statement is: “If Allah wills.” Muslims are to strive hard and to put their trusts with Allah. They leave the results in the hands of Allah.

INNA LILLAHI WA INNA ILAHI RAJI’UN
When a Muslim is struck with a calamity, when he loses one of his loved ones, or when he has gone bankrupt, he should be patient and say this statement, the meaning of which is: “We are from Allah and to whom we are returning.”

Muslims believe that Allah is the One who gives and it is He takes away. He is testing us. Hence, a Muslim submits himself to Allah. He is grateful and thankful to Allah for whatever he gets. On the other hand, he is patient and says this expression in times of turmoil and calamity.

J

JAZAKALLAHU KHAYRAN
This is a statement of thanks and appreciation to be said to the person who does a favor. Instead of saying “thanks” (Shukran), the Islamic statement of thanks is to say this phrase. It’s meaning is: ” May Allah reward you for the good.”

It is understood that human beings can’t repay one another enough. Hence, it is better to request Almighty Allah to reward the person who did a favor and to give him the best.

K

KALAM
Talk or speech as in “kalamu Allah”; has also been used through the ages to mean logic or philosophy.

L

LA HAWLA WA LA QUWWATA ILLA BILLAH
The meaning of this expression is: ” There is no power and no strength save in Allah.” This expression is read by a Muslim when he is struck by a calamity, or is taken over by a situation beyond his control. A Muslim puts his trust in the hands of Allah, and submits himself to Allah.

LA ILAHA ILLALLAH
This expression is the most important one in Islam. It is the creed that every person has to say to be considered a Muslim. It is part of the first pillar of Islam. The meaning of which is: ” There is no lord worthy of worship except Allah.”

The second part of this first pillar is to say: “Mohammedan Rasul Allah,” which means:”Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.”

M

MA SHA’ ALLAH
This is an expression that Muslims say whenever they are excited and surprised. When they wish to express their happiness, they use such an expression. The meaning of “Ma sha’ Allah” is: “Whatever Allah wants.” or “Whatever Allah wants to give, He gives.” This means that whenever Allah gives something good to someone, blesses him, honors him, and opens the door of success in business, a Muslim says this statement of “Ma Sha’ Allah.”

It has become a tradition that whenever a person constructs a building, a house, or an office, he puts a plaque on the wall or the entrance with this statement. It is a sign of thanks and appreciation from the person to Almighty Allah for whatever he was blessed with.

MUHAMMADUN RASULULLAH
This statement is the second part of the first pillar of Islam. The meaning of this part is that Prophet Muhammad is the last and final prophet and messenger of Allah to mankind. He is the culmination, summation, purification of the previous prophets of Allah to humanity.

P

P.B.U.H.
These letters are abbreviations for the words Peace Be Upon Him which are the meaning of the Arabic expression ” ‘Alaihis Salam”, which is an expression that is said when the name of a prophet is mentioned.

This expression is widely used by English speaking Muslims. It is to be noticed here that this expression does not give the full meaning of “Salla Allahu ‘Alaihi Wa Sallam”. Therefore it is recommended that people do not use (p.b.u.h.) after the name of prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.); they should use “Salla Allahu ‘Alaihi Wa Sallam” instead, or they may use the abbreviated form of (s.a.w) in writing.

R

RADHIALLAHU ‘ANHU
This is an expression to be used by Muslims whenever a name of a companion of the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) is mentioned or used in writing. The meaning of this statement is: “May Allah be pleased with him.”

Muslims are taught to be respectful to the elderly and to those who contributed to the spread and success in Islam. They are to be grateful to the companions of the prophet (s.a.w.) for their sacrifices, their leadership, and their contributions. Muslims are advised to use this phrase when such names are mentioned or written.

S

SADAQALLAHUL ‘ADHEEM
This is a statement of truth that a Muslim says after reading any amount of verses from the Qur’an. The meaning of it is: “Allah says the truth.”

The Qur’an is the exact words of Allah in verbatim. When Allah speaks, He says the truth; and when the Qur’an is being recited, a Muslim is reciting the words of truth of Allah. Hence, he says: “Sadaqallahul ‘Azim.”

SALLALLAHU ‘ALAIHI WA SALLAM
When the name of Prophet Muhammad (saw) is mentioned or written, a Muslim is to respect him and invoke this statement of peace upon him. The meaning of it is: “May the blessings and the peace of Allah be upon him (Muhammad).

Another expression that is alternatively used is: “Alaihissalatu Wassalam.” This expression means: “On Him (Muhammad) are the blessings and the peace of Allah.”

Allah has ordered Muslims, in the Qur’an, to say such an expression. Muslims are informed that if they proclaim such a statement once, Allah will reward them ten times.

S.A.W. These letters are abbreviations for the words “Salla Allahu ‘Alaihi Wa Sallam”.

SUBHANAHU WA TA’ALA
This is an expression that Muslims use whenever the name of Allah is pronounced or written. The meaning of this expression is: “Allah is pure of having partners and He is exalted from having a son.”

Muslims believe that Allah is the only God, the Creator of the Universe. He does not have partners or children. Sometimes Muslims use other expressions when the name of Allah is written or pronounced. Some of which are: “‘Azza Wa Jall”: He is the Mighty and the Majestic; “Jalla Jalaluh”: He is the exalted Majestic.

S.W.T. These letters are abbreviations for the words of “Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala”.

W

WA ‘ALAIKUM ASSALAM
This is an expression that a Muslim is to say as an answer for the greeting. When a person greets another with a salutation of peace, the answer for the greeting is an answer of peace. The meaning of this statement is: “And upon you is the peace.” The other expressions are: ” Wa Alaikums Salam Wa Rahmatullah.” and “Wa ‘Alaikums Salam Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh.”

Al-Ibtilaa' (Allah's Tests)

Al-Ibtilaa' (Allah's Tests)

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Al-Ibtilaa' means to be tried or tested. Allah tests us with wealth, plenty, ease and power just as He tests us with poverty, hardship and oppression. Al-Ibtilaa' is a sunnah of Allah Most High. Throughout history, Allah has tested the bearers of His messages and others among His slaves. The test of Allah can be very hard, but by means of it Allah raises the level of His prophets and erases the sins of the righteous believers. The complete defeat of the Muslims and the overrunning of their homes and property by the disbelievers is NOT one of Allah's tests which he puts on the believers. Rather, it is a sign of their having fallen out of Allah's favor through their crimes and sins.

The Prophet(sas) informed us that the presence of tests indicates the presence of iman and that a believer may continue to be tested until he has no sin remaining. Although Allah's tests can benefit us in the long run, a believer does not wish for the test of Allah - rather he always hopes for the forgiveness and mercy of Allah Most High. Allah said in the Qur'an:

{And we will surely test you with some fear, hunger and shortages of property, people and produce. But give good tidings to the steadfast. Those who, when a calamity befalls them say: "We belong to Allah and to Him we return." Upon these are prayers from their Lord and mercy and these are the rightly-guided ones.}
Al-Baqarah: 155-157

Allah's test which we may face include:

Fear - a state of insecurity and fear from harm which may be inflicted by enemies or oppressive rulers or common criminals. This is a test currently being faced by Muslims in many parts of the world.
Hunger - local famines from natural causes or as a result of war and oppression.
Shortage of Property - caused by imbalances in the Muslim Ummah and the failure for parts of it to help other parts. There will never global poverty or famine in this Ummah because Allah has promised never to destroy the Muslims with these things.
Shortage of People - from death through diseases or jihad or the abandmonent of Islam by many of its people.

When afflicted with these kind of tests, a believer remembers Allah and that Allah created us from nothing, is in full control of all events and is the one who we will face for judgement in the hereafter. This is the consciousness of the qadr (omnipotence) of Allah Most High. This is the consciousness which gives us patience and steadfastness before whatever tests we may face from Allah.

In another verse, Allah said:

{We will surely test you in your wealth and in yourselves and you will hear many hurtful things from those who were given the book before you and from those who associate others with Allah. If you are steadfast and beware of Allah, that is the strongest position.}
Aal 'Imraan: 186

Allah here warns us of some of the hardships we will definitely face as Muslims in this world. Wealth can be a test both when it is plentiful and when it is scarce. The Prophet (sas) stated in the hadith that he did not fear for his nation poverty, rather he feared for us the ill effects of plenty. Likewise, a shortage of 'selves' (i.e., manpower) can leave us exposed and weak before our enemies while military strength while large numbers of forces could tempt some among us to transgress beyond the bounds of jihad and engage in oppression, exploitation and imperialism or to form alliances with unislamic elements hoping for "victory".

Allah also prepares us for the abuse that we will definitely hear from non-Muslims, both "those who were given the book before you" meaning the Christians and the Jews and "those who associate others with Allah" meaning all of the disbelieving groups on this earth other than the Christians and the Jews. They will torment us with unjust statements and slander about our religion and about us as individuals and groups. This is just another test of Allah. If we are steadfast and conscious of Allah and His complete power over all things, these tests will only increase us in belief and in effort to raise the Word of Allah uppermost in this earth.

{You did not kill them, Allah killed them. And you did not throw when you threw, it was Allah who threw in order that He may test the believers a good test from Him. Surely, Allah hears and Allah knows.}
Al-Anfaal: 17

In the verse before this, Allah commands the Muslims to face their enemy with courage and never to turn away from the enemy in fear. It is only allowed to turn away for the enemy for strategic maneuvers or to rejoin another section of the army to fight more effectively. Allah has warned that whoever flees from the fight in fear has earned the anger of Allah and will find hell-fire to be his abode in the hereafter.

In this verse, Allah talks about the Battle of Badr where the Muslims were uplifted by a victory against all odds. Allah reminds His Prophet (sas) and all of the Muslims that this victory was by the power of Allah, not by anyone's strength or numbers. During this battle, the Prophet (sas) went aside and prayed to Allah for His aid and victory in this important battle. When he returned to the battle, he (sas) took a handful of sand and threw it toward the enemy. Allah caused this sand to reach the eyes and noses of the entire disbelieving army. This broke their will and turned the battle against them and they were defeated. So, Allah is telling us that victory is not by any strength which we possess, rather it is from Allah alone.

{...that He may test the believers a good test from Him} Allah reminds us that He of course is capable of defeating our enemies without us fighting jihad. But Allah wishes to test us with the physical fighting and to raise the believers to a highter level and grant them a generous reward.

{Every soul will taste death. And we test you with bad and with good as a trial. And unto us you will return.}
Al-Anbiyaa: 35

Ibn Abbas said about this verse: "We will test you with hardship and with ease, with good health and with sickness, with wealth and with poverty, with the halaal and with the haraam, with obedience and with disobedience and with right guidance and with misguidance - in order that we may establish how you have shown gratitude (for the "good" tests) and how you have remained steadfast (in the face of the "bad" tests)." And unto us you will return - so that Allah will reward each and every soul according to their actions.

The Prophet (sas) said:

"There is no hardship which afflicts a Muslim but that Allah expiates with it some sin of his - even a thorn which pricks him."
Muslim and Bukhari

"How amazing is the affair of the believer! Everything which happens is good for him. And that is for no one except the believer. When he encounters good times and ease, he gives thanks and that is good for him and if he encounters hardship he is steadfast and that is good for him."
Muslim

"The analogy of the believer is like the grain crops - the wind continually beats it back and forth. And a believer continues to be afflicted with trials. And, the analogy of the munaafiq (hypocrite) is like the cedar tree - it stands firm with no motion until it is cut down."
Muslim and At-Tirmidhi

Al-Fudhail ibn 'Iyaadhh said: "Whoever complains about a calamity which comes his way it is as if he has complained against his Lord."

It has been said: "Four things of the treasures of paradise: concealing a calamity, concealing the giving of charity, concealing your need and concealing pain."

Shuraih once heard a friend complaining about some difficulty which has come his way. He took him by the hand and said: "Beware of taking your troubles to other than Allah. For the one to whom you confide can only be either a friend or an enemy. If he is a friend, then you will make him sad for you and he cannot benefit you anyway. If he is an enemy, he will be pleased and take some advantage over you. Look at this eye of mine. By Allah, I have not seen any person or the way to go with it for fifteen years and I have never told anyone about it until this moment. Have you not heard the statement of the righteous slave (Ya'qoob): "I only raise my distress and my grief to Allah". So, make Allah the one to whom you take your troubles and your grief when anything bad happens to you. He is the most gracious of those who are asked and the closest of those who are called."

Anas reports: "I went with the Prophet (sas) and his son Ibrahim was brough to him and he was in the pains of death. The Prophet (sas) held him while he was in that condition, tears were in his eyes (sas) and he said: "We belong to Allah to to Allah we return. The eye tears and the heart is sad and do not say except that which is pleasing to our Lord and we are saddened to part from you, O Ibrahim."

O Allah! Grant us you mercy before your trials. Make us among those who give thanks for all that you give and render what is due upon them for Your sake. Make us among those who remain steadfast in the face of Your trials and forgive us our sins. Our Lord! Do not hold us responsible if we forget or make a mistake. Our Lord! Do not place upon us burdens like those you placed on those who came before us. Our Lord! Do not place upon us that which is beyond our ability. And pardon us. And forgive us. And have mercy on us. You are our Protector, so give us victory over the disbelieving people."

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Asr Prayer Time

What is The time of ‘Asr?

Actual time of 'Asr begins when length of object is equal to the length of its shadow.
But Hanafi Fiqh tells that it begins on when shadow's length is double which fatwa based on
a maokuf description from abu huraira(r.anhu).

plz read the fatwa (Original Posting):




Praise be to Allaah.

Allaah has enjoined upon His slaves five prayers throughout the day and night at specific times decreed by the wisdom of Allaah so that the slave may be in contact with his Lord in these prayers throughout all of these times. They are for the heart like water for a tree, given to it time after time, not all in one go and then it stops.

Part of the wisdom behind doing the prayers at these times is so that people will not get bored or find it too difficult, which would happen if they all had to be done at once. Blessed be Allaah, the Wisest of judges.

(From the Introduction to Risaalat Ahkaam Mawaaqeet al-Salaah (Essay on the Rulings on the Times of the Prayers) by Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Uthaymeen, may Allaah have mercy on him).

The times of the prayers were mentioned by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in the hadeeth: “The time for Zuhr is from when the sun has passed its zenith and a man’s shadow is equal in length to his height, until the time for ‘Asr comes. The time for ‘Asr lasts until the sun turns yellow. The time for Maghrib lasts until the twilight has faded. The time for ‘Isha’ lasts until midnight. The time for Subh (Fajr) prayer lasts from the beginning of the pre-dawn so long as the sun has not yet started to rise. When the sun starts to rise then stop praying, for it rises between the two horns of the Shaytaan.” (Narrated by Muslim, 612).

This hadeeth explains the timings of the five daily prayers. As for defining them by the clock, that varies from one city or country to another. We will define each in more detail as follows:

1 – The time of Zuhr

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The time for Zuhr is from when the sun has passed its zenith and a man’s shadow is equal in length to his height, until the time for ‘Asr comes.” So the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) defined the start and the end of the time for Zuhr:

The start of the time for Zuhr is when the sun has passed its zenith i.e., has passed the highest part of the sky and started to descend towards the west.

Practical way of knowing when the zenith has been passed (and the time for Zuhr has begun):

Put a stick or pole in an open place. When the sun rises in the east, the shadow of this stick will fall towards the west. The higher the sun rises, the shorter the shadow will become. So long as it keeps growing shorter, the sun has not yet reached its zenith. The shadow will keep on growing shorter until it reaches a certain point, then it will start to increase, falling towards the east. When it increases by even a small amount, then the sun has passed its zenith. At that point the time for Zuhr has begun.

Knowing the time of the zenith by the clock: divide the time between sunrise and sunset in half, and that is the time of the zenith. If we assume that the sun rises at 6 a.m. and sets at 6 p.m., then the zenith is at 12 noon. If it rises at 7 a.m. and sets at 7 p.m., then the zenith is at 1 p.m., and so on.

See al-Sharh al-Mumti’, 2/96

The end of the time for Zuhr is when the shadow of everything is equal in length to the object itself, plus the length of the shadow of the object at the time of the zenith.

Practical way of knowing when the time for Zuhr has ended: go back to the stick or pole which we described above. Let us assume that its length is one meter. We will notice that before the sun reached its zenith, the shadow decreased gradually until it reached a certain point (make a mark at this point), then it started to increase, at which point the time for Zuhr began. The shadow will continue to increase, falling towards the east until the length of the shadow is equal to the length of the object itself, i.e., it will be one meter long, starting from the point marked at the zenith). As for the shadow before the mark, that is not counted, and it is called fay’ al-zawaal (the shadow of the zenith). At this point the time for Zuhr ends and the time for ‘Asr begins straight away.

2 – The time of ‘Asr

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The time for ‘Asr lasts until the sun turns yellow.”

We know that the time for ‘Asr begins when the time for Zuhr ends, i.e., when the length of an object’s shadow becomes equal to the length of the object itself. There are two times for the end of ‘Asr.

(1) The preferred time: this lasts from the beginning of the time for ‘Asr until the sun begins to turn yellow, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The time for ‘Asr lasts until the sun turns yellow.” Defining this time by the clock varies according to the season.

(2) The time of necessity. This lasts from the time the sun turns yellow until sunset, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever catches up with one rak’ah of ‘Asr before the sun sets has caught up with ‘Asr.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 579; Muslim, 608)

Question: what is meant by the time of necessity?

Necessity here refers to when a person is distracted from praying ‘Asr by some essential and unavoidable work, such as dressing wounds, and he is able to pray before the sun turns yellow but it is difficult, then he prays just before sunset. In this case he has prayed on time and has not sinned, because this is the time of necessity. If a person is forced to delay the prayer, there is no sin so long as he prays before the sun sets.

3 – The time of Maghrib

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The time for Maghrib lasts until the twilight has faded.”

i.e., the time for Maghrib starts immediately after the time for ‘Asr ends, which is when the sun sets, until the twilight or red afterglow has faded. When the red afterglow has disappeared from the sky, the time for Maghrib ends and the time for ‘Isha’ begins. Defining this time by the clock varies according to the season. When you see that the red afterglow has disappeared from the horizon, this is a sign that the time for Maghrib has ended.

4 – The time of ‘Isha

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The time for ‘Isha’ lasts until midnight.”

So the time for ‘Isha’ begins immediately after the time for Maghrib ends (i.e., when the red afterglow disappears from the sky) until midnight.

Question: how do we calculate when midnight is?

Answer: if you want to calculate when midnight is, then calculate the time between sunset and sunrise then divide it in half; that halfway point is the end of the time for praying ‘Isha’ (and that is midnight).

So if the sun sets at 5 p.m., and Fajr begins at 5 a.m., then midnight is 11 p.m. If the sun sets at 5 p.m. and Fajr begins at 6 p.m., then midnight is 11.30 p.m., and so on.

5 – The time of Fajr

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The time for Subh (Fajr) prayer lasts from the beginning of the pre-dawn so long as the sun has not yet started to rise. When the sun starts to rise then stop praying, for it rises between the two horns of the Shaytaan.”

The time for Fajr begins with the onset of the “second dawn” (al-fajr al-thaani) and ends when the sun starts to rise. The “second dawn” is the brightness that appears along the horizon in the east and extends north to south. The “first dawn” (al-fajr al-awwal) occurs approximately one hour before this, and there are differences between the two:

(1) In the “first dawn” the brightness extends from east to west, and in the “second dawn” it extends from north to south.

(2) The “first dawn” is followed by darkness, i.e., the brightness lasts for a short period then it becomes dark. The “second dawn” is not followed by darkness, rather the light increases.

(3) The “second dawn” is connected to the horizon, with no darkness between it and the horizon, whereas the “first dawn” is separated from the horizon with darkness between it and the horizon.

See al-Sharh al-Mumti’, 2/107.