Part One of Section One of Chapter One—First Book of the Second Treatise

The fundamental proof in this chapter is the Almighty’s saying:

“Indeed, prayer has been prescribed for the believers at fixed times.” (Qur’an 4:103)

All Muslims concur that each of the five obligatory prayers has its own specific time, and that performing the prayer within that time is a condition for its validity. They also agree that within every time span there is a period of special merit and a broader period of permissibility, yet they differ over the precise limits of each.

This discussion comprises five issues.

Issue One

There is unanimous agreement that the earliest time for the Ẓuhr prayer, before which it is not permitted to perform it, begins once the sun passes the zenith. The only exceptions are an anomalous report attributed to Ibn ʿAbbās and a separate disagreement concerning the Friday prayer, to be discussed later.

They disagree, however, on two points: the end of Ẓuhr’s extended time and the span that is most recommended.

As for the end of its extended time, Mālik, al-Shāfiʿī, Abū Thawr, and Dāwūd hold that it lasts until the shadow of an object equals its own length.

Abū Ḥanīfah, on the other hand, maintains—in one of the two narrations from him—that it lasts until the shadow becomes twice the object’s length; for him, that moment marks the beginning of the ʿAṣr prayer.

Another report from him states that the end of Ẓuhr is when the shadow equals the object, while the beginning of ʿAṣr is when the shadow is twice as long, and that the interval between the single-length and double-length shadow is not suitable for Ẓuhr. This view is also held by his two companions, Abū Yūsuf and Muḥammad.

The root of the disagreement lies in the differing ḥadīths. For in the narration of Gabriel leading the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) in prayer, it is reported that he led him in Ẓuhr on the first day just after the sun had declined, and on the second day when the shadow of everything equaled its length, after which he said, “The time is between these two.”

It is also narrated that the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said:

“Your span of life in relation to the nations before you is like the time between the ʿAṣr prayer and sunset. The people of the Torah were given the Torah and worked until midday; when they became weary, each received one qirāṭ. Then the people of the Gospel were given the Gospel and worked until ʿAṣr; when they became weary, each received one qirāṭ. Finally, we were given the Qur’an and worked until sunset, and each of us was given two qirāṭs. The People of the Book said: ‘Our Lord, You have given these people two qirāṭs each, and given us one qirāṭ each, though we did more work!’ Allah said: ‘Have I withheld any of your reward from you?’ They replied, ‘No.’ He said: ‘That is My bounty; I bestow it upon whom I will.’”

Thus Mālik and al-Shāfiʿī based their opinion on the ḥadīth of Gabriel’s leadership, whereas Abū Ḥanīfah relied on the apparent meaning of this latter ḥadīth.