5/31. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 613b — Prayer Time Range Explained
The times of the five prayers
Prayer Time Range in Islam: Between the Two Limits Seen
Sahih Muslim : 613b
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 613b
وَحَدَّثَنِي إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَرْعَرَةَ السَّامِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا حَرَمِيُّ بْنُ عُمَارَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ عَلْقَمَةَ بْنِ مَرْثَدٍ، عَنْ سُلَيْمَانَ بْنِ بُرَيْدَةَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، أَنَّ رَجُلاً، أَتَى النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَسَأَلَهُ عَنْ مَوَاقِيتِ الصَّلاَةِ فَقَالَ " اشْهَدْ مَعَنَا الصَّلاَةَ " . فَأَمَرَ بِلاَلاً فَأَذَّنَ بِغَلَسٍ فَصَلَّى الصُّبْحَ حِينَ طَلَعَ الْفَجْرُ ثُمَّ أَمَرَهُ بِالظُّهْرِ حِينَ زَالَتِ الشَّمْسُ عَنْ بَطْنِ السَّمَاءِ ثُمَّ أَمَرَهُ بِالْعَصْرِ وَالشَّمْسُ مُرْتَفِعَةٌ ثُمَّ أَمَرَهُ بِالْمَغْرِبِ حِينَ وَجَبَتِ الشَّمْسُ ثُمَّ أَمَرَهُ بِالْعِشَاءِ حِينَ وَقَعَ الشَّفَقُ ثُمَّ أَمَرَهُ الْغَدَ فَنَوَّرَ بِالصُّبْحِ ثُمَّ أَمَرَهُ بِالظُّهْرِ فَأَبْرَدَ ثُمَّ أَمَرَهُ بِالْعَصْرِ وَالشَّمْسُ بَيْضَاءُ نَقِيَّةٌ لَمْ تُخَالِطْهَا صُفْرَةٌ ثُمَّ أَمَرَهُ بِالْمَغْرِبِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَقَعَ الشَّفَقُ ثُمَّ أَمَرَهُ بِالْعِشَاءِ عِنْدَ ذَهَابِ ثُلُثِ اللَّيْلِ أَوْ بَعْضِهِ - شَكَّ حَرَمِيٌّ - فَلَمَّا أَصْبَحَ قَالَ " أَيْنَ السَّائِلُ مَا بَيْنَ مَا رَأَيْتَ وَقْتٌ " .
Buraida Narrated from:
A man came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and asked about the times of prayer. He said: You observe with us the prayer. He commanded Bilal, and he uttered the call to prayer in the darkness of night preceding daybreak and he said the morning prayer till dawn had appeared. He then commanded him (Bilal) to call for the noon prayer when the sun had declined from the zenith. He then commanded him (Bilal) to call for the afternoon prayer when the sun was high. He then commanded him for the evening prayer when the sun had set. He then commanded him for the night prayer when the twilight had disappeared.Then on the next day he commanded him (to call for prayer) when there was light in the morning. He then commanded him (to call) for the noon prayer when the extreme heat was no more. He then commanded him for the afternoon prayer when the sun was bright and clear and yellowness did not blend with it. He then commanded him to observe the sunset prayer. He then commanded him for the night prayer when a third part of the night bad passed or a bit less than that. Harami (the narrator of this hadith) was in doubt about that part of the mentioned hadith which concerned the portion of the night.When it was dawn, he (the Holy Prophet) said: Where is the inquirer (who inquired about the times of prayer and added): Between (these two extremes) is the time for prayer.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 613bIn-book reference : Book 5, Hadith 226USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 4, Hadith 1279
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 613b
This narration also teaches the time range for the five daily prayers. A man asked the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم about the times of prayer, and the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم told him to observe the prayer with them. The report then describes the prayers across two days. Fajr was prayed in the darkness before full daylight on one day and when there was light the next day. Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib, and Isha were also shown at different points within their limits. The final words make the lesson clear: between what was seen is the time for prayer. This Hadith helps anyone looking for Islamic prayer times because it shows both the start and later part of the prayer windows.
What we learn from this hadith
- The time of prayer can be learned by observing the Prophet’s صلى الله عليه وسلم practice.
- Fajr was shown at different points before sunrise.
- The prayers were not left open-ended; they had clear limits.
- The valid prayer time lies between the examples shown.
