THE FIVE TIMES DAILY NAMAAZ
'Then, when you have completed your prayer remember Allah (while) standing, sitting and lying on your sides. But, when you become secure, establish regular prayer. Indeed prayer has been made obligatory, at fixed times for the Muslims'.
(Surah An-Nisa. verse 103)
Every Namaaz has to be performed at its appointed time. A Namaaz performed before time will be deemed not to have been performed. A missed Namaaz has to be performed as a missed (qaza) Namaaz.
FAJR (DAWN) NAMAAZ
Hazrat Aa'isha(Radi Allaahu Anha) narrates that Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said, 'two rakaats of Fajr Namaaz is better than the entire world along with all its belongings'.
(Muslim, Tirmidhi)
Hazrat Abdullah Ibne Umar(Radi Allaahu Anhu) narrates that Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said, 'two rakaats of Fajr Namaaz carry a lot virtues and excellences and hence observe it as an obligatory duty'.
Prophet Muhammad ﷺ once narrated, 'Do not miss the sunnat of Fajr Namaaz even though enemy mounted on horses are on your head'.
The permissible time for Fajr Namaaz is from dawn to sunrise.
' For men, it is desirable that Fajr Namaaz be performed in the later phase of the permissible time. (Raddul Muhtar)
' For women, it is desirable to perform Fajr Namaaz in the early phase of the permissible time. (Durr e Mukhtar, Fatawa Razviyah)
Two-rakaat sunnat of Fajr Namaaz
It is not permitted to perform sunnat of the Fajr Namaaz after the congregation of the Fajr Namaaz even though there is sufficient time till sunrise. Sunnat Namaaz of Fajr is the most important sunnat amongst all sunnats. Some Islamic scholars have termed the sunnat of the Fajr Namaaz as wajib. A very important distinction for the sunnat of the Fajr Namaaz is that it is forbidden to start any nafil or sunnat Namaaz after the commencement of any Farz Namaaz except for the sunnat of the Fajr Namaaz. If anyone very strongly believes that after performing the two-rakaat sunnat of Fajr Namaaz, he will be able to join the congregation prayer (even in qa'dah), then he should perform the sunnat of the Fajr Namaaz in any corner of the masjid, and then join the congregation. (Bahar e Shariyat, Fatawa Razviyah)
However, if one believes that the congregation Namaaz will be missed if he offers the sunnat of the Fajr Namaaz, then he should join the congregation. He should then offer the sunnat of the Fajr Namaaz only after twenty minutes after the sunrise until the midday as a missed (qaza) Namaaz. (Bahar e Shariyat, Fatawa Razviyah)
In the first rakaat of the sunnat of Fajr Namaaz, it is a sunnah to recite Surah Al- Kafiroon Qul yaa-ayyuhal-kafiroon and in the second rakaat, recite Surah Al- Ikhlaas Qul Huwal Laahu Ahad after Surah Fateha. (Ghuunyah Sharhh e Munyah)
ZOHR (EARLY AFTERNOON) NAMAAZ
Hazrat Abu Hurairah(Radi Allaahu Anhu) narrates that 'Prophet Muhammad ﷺ has commanded to perform the Zohr Namaaz after cooling because extreme heat is due to surge from the Hell'. (Bukhari)
Hazrat Anas(Radi Allaahu Anhu) narrates that 'Prophet Muhammad ﷺ used to perform Zohr Namaaz after cooling the noon in summer and a little bit earlier in winter days'. (Bukhari, Nasa'i)
The permissible time for Zohr Namaaz begins at post-meridian and lasts till the shadow of everything, except the real shadow, doubles. The real shadow is that which occurs before the sun reaches the meridian.
It is desirable to delay the performance of Zohr Namaaz in summer, but if the congregation (e.g. In masjid) of the Zohr Namaaz is fixed in the early phase of the permissible time, then the Zohr Namaaz must be performed in the congregation. It is unlawful to miss the congregation Namaaz. (Durr e Mukhtar, Fatawa Alamgiri)
Four-rakaat sunnat Namaaz of Zohr
The four rakaat of sunnat Namaaz of Zohr is classed next to the sunnat of the Fajr Namaaz. (Durr e Mukhtar)
It is highlighted in Ahadith the commandments of Prophet Muhammadﷺ:
'Those who miss these four rakaats Namaaz will not gain my mediation (shafa'at)'.
Hazrat Umar Farook(Radi Allaahu Anhu) narrates that Prophet Muhammadﷺ said, 'those who perform four rakaats Namaaz prior to Farz of Zohr Namaaz, so to say, they performed four rakaat Tahajjud Namaaz. (Tabrani)
If someone performed the farz of Zohr without performing the four-rakaat sunnat prior to it, then he should perform the four rakaat after performing the two-rakaat sunnat that comes after the farz (if it is still Zohr time). (Fatawa Razviyah)
ASR (LATE AFTERNOON) NAMAAZ
The permissible time for Asr Namaaz begins when the time for Zohr ends and lasts till sunset. It is better to perform before the sunlight becomes bright yellow (this time becomes disliked or offensive [makhrooh]).
Twenty minutes before sunset is a makrooh time for any Namaaz. However, if the Asr Namaaz is still due, then one can perform Namaaz e Asr (only farz) during this time, but such a delay is forbidden if the reason for the delay is unexplainable according to Islamic jurisprudence. In hadith, it is recorded that performer of such a Namaaz will be considered a munafiq. (Fatawa Alamgiri, Bahar e Shariyat)
No nafil Namaaz must be performed in between Asr and Magrib.
(Fatawa Alamgiri, Durr e Mukhtar)
If any qaza Namaaz has to be performed, it has to be done in private. Avoid exposing your qaza Namaaz because publicising a sin is also a sin.
(Raddul Muhtar)
According to Imaam e Azam Abu Hanifa(Rahmatullah Alaih), the Asr Namaaz time starts only when the shadow of an object becomes double the size of the object plus size of its true shadow. (Fatawa Razviyah)
Four-rakaat sunnat Namaaz of Asr
Hazrat Abdullah Ibne Umar(Radi Allaahu Anhu) narrates that Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said, 'the pity and mercy of Allah Ta'ala will be on those who prefer to perform Namaaz e sunnat e qabliah of Asr'. (Abu Dawood, Tirmidhi)
Hazrat Umme Salmah(Radi Allahu Anha) narrates that Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said, 'Allah Ta'ala will make the body of those who perform sunnat e qabliah of Asr haraam on fire i.e. fire will not burn the body of those who perform sunnat e qabliah of Asr'. (Tabrani)
MAGRIB (EVENING) NAMAAZ
The permissible time for Magrib Namaaz begins immediately after sunset and lasts at the setting of twilight (half-light). The evening twilight is the whiteness spread from north to south, which remains after the ending of the red glow. Magrib Namaaz time lasts from start of Magrib till the start of Isha Namaaz.
Two-rakaat sunnat Namaaz of Magrib
Prophet Muhammad ﷺ has said, 'Namaaz of those who perform two-rakaat Namaaz after the farz of Magrib Namaaz without talking any worldly talks will be placed in 'Illiyun'- the upper most Heaven. (Makhool from Razeen)
Hazrat Huzaifah(Radi Alaahu Anhu) narrates that Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said, 'perform two-rakaat Namaaz after the farz of Magrib as early as possible, since they are to be presented along with farz'. (Tabrani)
ISHA (NIGHT) NAMAAZ
The permissibility of Isha Namaaz begins when Magrib Namaaz ends (at the setting of the evening twilight), and ends at the dawn of Fajr.
It is desirable (mustahab) to delay the Isha Namaaz up to one-third night.
(Durr e Mukhtar)
Hazrat Abdullah Ibne Umar(Radi Allaahu Anhu) narrates that Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said, 'Allah Ta'ala will bestow freedom from Hell to those who will offer Isha Namaaz consecutive forty nights in a congregation without missing even a single rakaat'. (Ibne Majah)
Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said, 'of all the Namaaz, Fajr Namaaz and Isha Namaaz are more painful for the hypocrites'. (Tabrani)
Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said, 'names of those who deliberately miss the Isha Namaaz will be written down on the door of the Hell'. (Abu No'aim)
In the month of Ramadhan, those who missed the congregation of the farz of the Isha Namaaz cannot join the congregation of the Tareweeh Namaaz, unless they perform the farz of the Isha Namaaz. The farz of Isha has to be performed first before the Taraweeh Namaaz.
WITR NAMAAZ
Namaaz e Witr-three rakaats is an essential act (waajib) and its qaza has to be performed if it was not performed at its appointed time. Namaaz e Witr can be performed from after the farz Namaaz of Isha up to dawn. But it is preferable (mustahab) to perform salaat ul-Witr along with Tahajjud late in the night (after a short sleep), salaat ul-Witr being the last Namaaz (after Tahajjud). But if one is fearful that he may not wake up late in the night, then he should perform it along with Isha Namaaz before going to bed.
In the month of Ramadhan, those who missed the congregation of the farz of the Isha Namaaz will not join the congregation of the Witr Namaaz. They will perform the Witr alone. (Fatawa Razviyah)
It is remarkably good to perform two-rakaats nafil Namaaz after performing the Witr Namaaz.
NUMBER OF RAKAATS
|
|
Sunnat |
Farz |
Sunnat |
Nafil |
Witr Waajib |
Nafil |
|
Fajr |
2+ |
2 |
|
|
|
|
|
Zohr |
4+ |
4 |
2+ |
2 |
|
|
|
Asr |
4^ |
4 |
|
|
|
|
|
Magrib |
|
3 |
2+ |
2 |
|
|
|
Isha |
4^ |
4 |
2+ |
2 |
3 |
2 |
|
Juma |
4+ |
2 |
4+ & 2+ |
2 |
|
|
|
+Sunnat e Muakkadah |
||||||
|
^Sunnat e Ghair Muakkadah |
||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Sunnat e Muakkadah- Sunnat Namaaz that Prophet Muhammadﷺ continuously performed and almost never abandoned
Sunnat e Ghair Muakkadah- Sunnat Namaaz that Prophet Muhammadﷺ was not as fastidious in performing as heﷺ performed and sometimes abandoned.
