Best Time for Fighting
Total Hadiths 2
Prophetic Guidance on the Best Time for Fighting in Islam
According to authentic prophetic narrations, the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) carefully chose specific times for engagement in battles to maximize the spiritual and tactical advantage for Muslim armies. The narrations from companions like An-Nu'man bin Muqarrin and Ma'qil bin Yasar show that if the Prophet did not initiate fighting early in the day after the sun rose, he preferred to wait. He would pause until the sun passed its zenith or until the afternoon Asr prayer concluded. According to Islamic scholars, these specific intervals were chosen because they aligned with the raging of the winds of victory and the moments when the community of believers offered intense supplications for the army during their prayers, ensuring divine support on the battlefield.
حَدَّثَنَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ الْخَلاَّلُ، حَدَّثَنَا عَفَّانُ بْنُ مُسْلِمٍ، وَالْحَجَّاجُ بْنُ مِنْهَالٍ، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ سَلَمَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عِمْرَانَ الْجَوْنِيُّ، عَنْ عَلْقَمَةَ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْمُزَنِيِّ، عَنْ مَعْقِلِ بْنِ يَسَارٍ، أَنَّ عُمَرَ بْنَ الْخَطَّابِ، بَعَثَ النُّعْمَانَ بْنَ مُقَرِّنٍ إِلَى الْهُرْمُزَانِ فَذَكَرَ الْحَدِيثَ بِطُولِهِ فَقَالَ النُّعْمَانُ بْنُ مُقَرِّنٍ شَهِدْتُ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَكَانَ إِذَا لَمْ يُقَاتِلْ أَوَّلَ النَّهَارِ انْتَظَرَ حَتَّى تَزُولَ الشَّمْسُ وَتَهُبَّ الرِّيَاحُ وَيَنْزِلَ النَّصْرُ . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ . وَعَلْقَمَةُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ هُوَ أَخُو بَكْرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْمُزَنِيِّ .
Ma'qil bin Yasar Narrated from:
Umar Bin Al-Khattab Sent An-Nu'Man Bin Muqarrin To Al-Hurmuzan. And He Mentioned The Hadith In Its Entirety. An-Nu'Man Bin Muqarrin Said: "I Participated (In Battles) With The Messenger Of Allah (ﷺ). So When He Did Not Fight In The Beginning If The Daytime, He Would Wait Until The Sun Passed The Zenith, And The Wind Of Victory Would Rage, And Victory Would Descent Upon Them." [Abu 'Eisa Said:] This Hadith Is Hasan Sahih. 'Alqamah Bin 'Abdullah (One Of The Narrators) Is The Brother Of Bakr Bin 'Abdullah Al-Muzani.
Reference : Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1613In-book reference : Book 21, Hadith 76English translation : Vol. 3, Book 19, Hadith 1613
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ، حَدَّثَنَا مُعَاذُ بْنُ هِشَامٍ، حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي، عَنْ قَتَادَةَ، عَنِ النُّعْمَانِ بْنِ مُقَرِّنٍ، قَالَ غَزَوْتُ مَعَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَكَانَ إِذَا طَلَعَ الْفَجْرُ أَمْسَكَ حَتَّى تَطْلُعَ الشَّمْسُ فَإِذَا طَلَعَتْ قَاتَلَ فَإِذَا انْتَصَفَ النَّهَارُ أَمْسَكَ حَتَّى تَزُولَ الشَّمْسُ فَإِذَا زَالَتِ الشَّمْسُ قَاتَلَ حَتَّى الْعَصْرِ ثُمَّ أَمْسَكَ حَتَّى يُصَلِّيَ الْعَصْرَ ثُمَّ يُقَاتِلُ . قَالَ وَكَانَ يُقَالُ عِنْدَ ذَلِكَ تَهِيجُ رِيَاحُ النَّصْرِ وَيَدْعُو الْمُؤْمِنُونَ لِجُيُوشِهِمْ فِي صَلاَتِهِمْ . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى وَقَدْ رُوِيَ هَذَا الْحَدِيثُ عَنِ النُّعْمَانِ بْنِ مُقَرِّنٍ بِإِسْنَادٍ أَوْصَلَ مِنْ هَذَا . وَقَتَادَةُ لَمْ يُدْرِكِ النُّعْمَانَ بْنَ مُقَرِّنٍ وَمَاتَ النُّعْمَانُ بْنُ مُقَرِّنٍ فِي خِلاَفَةِ عُمَرَ .
An-Nu‘man b. Muqarrin Narrated from:
I Fought Along With The Prophet (ﷺ), And If Fajr Had Begun He Would Wait Until The Sun Rose, And When It Rose He Would Fight. And If It Was The Middle Of The Daytime, He Would Wait Until The Sun Passed The Zenit, And When It Passed The Zenith He Would Fight Until 'Asr. Then He Would Wait Until He Prayed 'Asr, Then He Would Fight. He Said: "And It Is Used To Be Said During That (Time) The The Wind Of Victory Was Raging, And The Believers Would Supplicate For Their Armies In Their Salat."[Abu 'Eisa Said:] This Hadith Has Been Reported From An-Nu'Man Bin Muqarrin Through A Chain That Is More Connected That This. Qatadah Did Not See An-Nu'Man Bin Muqarrin. An-Nu'Man Died During The Khilafah Of 'Umar.
[1] That is during the time after the zenith as indicated in the following Hadīth .Reference : Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1612In-book reference : Book 21, Hadith 75English translation : Vol. 3, Book 19, Hadith 1612
