5/31. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 613a — Learning Prayer Times by Practice
The times of the five prayers
Prayer Times Hadith: The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم Shows the Time Range Over Two Days
Sahih Muslim : 613a
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 613a
حَدَّثَنِي زُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، وَعُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، كِلاَهُمَا عَنِ الأَزْرَقِ، - قَالَ زُهَيْرٌ حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ يُوسُفَ الأَزْرَقُ، - حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنْ عَلْقَمَةَ بْنِ مَرْثَدٍ، عَنْ سُلَيْمَانَ بْنِ بُرَيْدَةَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنَّ رَجُلاً سَأَلَهُ عَنْ وَقْتِ الصَّلاَةِ فَقَالَ لَهُ " صَلِّ مَعَنَا هَذَيْنِ " . يَعْنِي الْيَوْمَيْنِ فَلَمَّا زَالَتِ الشَّمْسُ أَمَرَ بِلاَلاً فَأَذَّنَ ثُمَّ أَمَرَهُ فَأَقَامَ الظُّهْرَ ثُمَّ أَمَرَهُ فَأَقَامَ الْعَصْرَ وَالشَّمْسُ مُرْتَفِعَةٌ بَيْضَاءُ نَقِيَّةٌ ثُمَّ أَمَرَهُ فَأَقَامَ الْمَغْرِبَ حِينَ غَابَتِ الشَّمْسُ ثُمَّ أَمَرَهُ فَأَقَامَ الْعِشَاءَ حِينَ غَابَ الشَّفَقُ ثُمَّ أَمَرَهُ فَأَقَامَ الْفَجْرَ حِينَ طَلَعَ الْفَجْرُ فَلَمَّا أَنْ كَانَ الْيَوْمُ الثَّانِي أَمَرَهُ فَأَبْرَدَ بِالظُّهْرِ فَأَبْرَدَ بِهَا فَأَنْعَمَ أَنْ يُبْرِدَ بِهَا وَصَلَّى الْعَصْرَ وَالشَّمْسُ مُرْتَفِعَةٌ أَخَّرَهَا فَوْقَ الَّذِي كَانَ وَصَلَّى الْمَغْرِبَ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَغِيبَ الشَّفَقُ وَصَلَّى الْعِشَاءَ بَعْدَ مَا ذَهَبَ ثُلُثُ اللَّيْلِ وَصَلَّى الْفَجْرَ فَأَسْفَرَ بِهَا ثُمَّ قَالَ " أَيْنَ السَّائِلُ عَنْ وَقْتِ الصَّلاَةِ " . فَقَالَ الرَّجُلُ أَنَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ . قَالَ " وَقْتُ صَلاَتِكُمْ بَيْنَ مَا رَأَيْتُمْ " .
Sulaiman bin Buraidah Narrated from:
A person asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) about the time of prayer. Upon this he said: Pray with us these two, meaning two days.When the sun passed the meridian, he gave command to Bilal who uttered the call to prayer. Then he commanded him and pronounced Iqama for noon prayer (Then at the time of the afternoon prayer) he again commanded and Iqama for the afternoon prayer was pronounced when the sun was high, white and clear. He then commanded and Iqama for the evening prayer was pronounced, when the sun had set. He then commanded him and the Iqama for the night prayer was pronounced when the twilight had disappeared. He then commanded him and the Iqama for the morning prayer was pronounced, when the dawn had appeared.When it was the next day, he commanded him to delay the noon prayer till the extreme heat had passed and he did so, and he allowed it to be delayed till the extreme heat had passed. He observed the afternoon prayer when the sun was high, delaying it beyond the time he had previously observed it. He observed the evening prayer before the twilight had vanished; he observed the night prayer when a third of the night had passed; and he observed the dawn prayer when there was clear daylight.He (the Holy Prophet) then said: Where is the man who inquired about the time of prayer? He (the inquirer) said: Messenger of Allah, here I am. He (the Holy Prophet) said: The time for your prayer is within the limits of what you have seen.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 613aIn-book reference : Book 5, Hadith 225USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 4, Hadith 1278
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 613a
This Hadith explains the times of prayer through action. A man asked the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم about the time of prayer, and he was told to pray with him for two days. On the first day, the prayers were offered at earlier points: Dhuhr after the sun passed the meridian, Asr while the sun was high and clear, Maghrib after sunset, Isha after twilight disappeared, and Fajr when dawn appeared. On the second day, some prayers were delayed within their time. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم then said that the time for prayer was within what the man had seen. This makes the Hadith about prayer times very useful because it teaches by example, not only by words.
What we learn from this hadith
- The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم taught prayer times through practical demonstration.
- Each prayer has a valid time range, not just one single moment.
- Fajr, Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib, and Isha are tied to visible signs.
- The inquirer was taught by joining the prayers over two days.
