a woman whose menstruation ended before sunset to pray Zuhr and Asr, and, if it ended before dawn, to pray Maghrib and Isha. Ahmad agrees with Mālik, may Allah have mercy on him, on these matters, and goes further on the basis of transmitted reports. Al-Shāfi‘ī, may Allah have mercy on him, does not go as far as Mālik in this regard. Abū Hanīfah’s position on combining prayers is well known.

The same applies to the preferred times for prayer. The scholars of hadith generally recommend praying at the beginning of the prescribed time, except where delaying it serves a greater benefit, as established in the Sunnah. Thus, they recommend delaying Zuhr in hot weather without qualification, whether people are gathered together or dispersed. They also recommend delaying Isha so long as this causes no hardship. All of this is established by authentic reports from the Sunnah that cannot be dismissed. Each of the jurists agrees with them on some or most of these points.

Abū Hanīfah recommends delaying all prayers except Maghrib. Al-Shāfi‘ī recommends praying early without qualification—even Isha, according to one of his two positions, and even in hot weather when people are gathered together.

{Yet the authentic hadith of Abū Dharr relates that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, instructed them to delay the prayer until it became cooler, although they were gathered together.}