sunset; however, it is understood to refer to the time of necessity, in reconciliation with the texts indicating that its time lasts until the sun turns yellow.

If someone were to ask: Why do we not adopt this hadith, since it adds to the hadith of Abdullah ibn Amr and similar reports, and an addition should be accepted because it encompasses what is less, whereas the reverse is not true? The answer is that the Messenger ﷺ specified the time of the afternoon prayer in the hadith of Abdullah ibn Amr, saying, “So long as the sun has not turned yellow.” The two hadiths are reconciled by saying that “so long as the sun has not turned yellow” is the preferred time, whereas “until sunset” is the time of necessity.

If it is asked: What is meant by the time of necessity?

The answer is that a person is compelled to delay it beyond the preferred time.

For example, someone may be occupied from the afternoon prayer by an unavoidable matter. Let us suppose that he has sustained a wound, and he is occupied with dressing and bandaging it. He is able to pray before the sun turns yellow, but doing so would involve hardship. If he delays it and prays shortly before sunset, he has prayed within its time and incurs no sin, because this is a time of necessity. Thus, if a person is compelled to delay it until the time of necessity, there is no blame upon him, and it counts as a prayer performed within its prescribed time.

It is recommended to perform it early.

His statement, “It is recommended to perform it early,” means that it is recommended to perform the afternoon prayer at the beginning of its time, for the following reasons:

1 - The general evidence encouraging promptness in doing good, such as His saying, Exalted is He: “So race to all that is good.” [al-Baqarah 2:148]

2 - It is established that prayer at the beginning of its time is better.