every group unanimously agree that whoever says, “I will only perform a daytime prayer at night,” is like one who says, “I will only fast Ramadan (1) in Shawwāl.” If such a person deems it lawful to delay the prayer and believes that he is permitted to do so, he is like one who believes that delaying Ramadan is lawful. Both must (2) be called upon to repent, by agreement of the scholars. If they repent and affirm that prayer and fasting must each be performed within its appointed time, they are spared; otherwise, they are put to death.

Many ordinary and ignorant people believe that they may delay a prayer until night on account of the slightest preoccupation, and that performing it at night is better than praying it during the day while occupied. This is false by the consensus of the Muslims; indeed, it is disbelief (3). Many of them also do not consider it permissible to perform the prayer within its prescribed time unless all its component acts can be performed in full, and believe that performing it in full after its prescribed time is better. This is false—indeed, it is disbelief by agreement of the scholars.

One cause of these corrupt beliefs is allowing a person with no excuse to make the prayer up, and the assertion that such a prayer is valid and accepted even though the person sins by delaying it. They thus equate performing it after sunset with performing the afternoon prayer after the sun has turned yellow. This treats alike what Allah and His Messenger distinguished. If ordinary people knew that letting a prayer lapse is like letting Ramadan lapse, by the agreement of the Muslims, they would strive to perform it within its prescribed time.

Another cause is that everyone observes the fast of Ramadan together, and its prescribed period corresponds exactly to the duration of the act of worship and is not separated (4) from it. Nor does fasting have conditions like those of prayer. Prayer, however, has an extended prescribed time: some people pray at the beginning of that time, while others pray at