the sun. The majority offered several responses.

First: the delay was due to the place, because the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

“This is a valley in which Satan was present with us.”

Second: this indicates permissibility, not obligation.

Third: at most, this applies to someone beginning to make up a missed prayer. Someone who has prayed one rak‘ah before sunrise, however, has caught the prayer within its time, as he said, “He has caught it.” The second rak‘ah is performed as a continuation, just as a latecomer to the congregational prayer does when he catches one rak‘ah.

They said: There is greater excuse for this than for delaying ‘Asr until sunset, since sunset can be observed and one can pray before it. As for sunrise, before the sun rises, one does not know when it will rise. Thus, when he prays, he is praying within the prescribed time. For this reason, someone who delays the prayer but finishes it before sunrise incurs no sin. It is established in the hadiths concerning prayer times that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, “concluded the prayer with the salutation on the second day while someone was saying, ‘The sun has risen, or almost risen.’”

He also said in an authentic hadith:

“The time for Fajr lasts until the sun rises.”

And he said:

“The time for ‘Asr lasts until the sun turns yellow.”

In another wording:

“So long as it has not drawn near to setting.”

Thus, whoever performs the entire Fajr prayer before sunrise incurs no sin, whereas whoever prays ‘Asr at sunset without an excuse is sinful. As stated in the authentic hadith: “That is the hypocrite’s prayer! That is the hypocrite’s prayer! He watches the sun until