Performing Optional Salah (Prayer) at the Time of Obligatory Salah (Prayer) and the Times Not to Perform Salah (Prayer)

قَالَ لِي أَ تَدْرِي لِمَ جُعِلَ الذِّرَاعُ وَ الذِّرَاعَانِ قَالَ قُلْتُ لِمَ قَالَ لِمَكَانِ الْفَرِيضَةِ لَكَ أَنْ تَتَنَفَّلَ مِنْ زَوَالِ الشَّمْسِ إِلَى أَنْ يَبْلُغَ ذِرَاعاً فَإِذَا بَلَغَ ذِرَاعاً بَدَأْتَ بِالْفَرِيضَةِ وَ تَرَكْتَ النَّافِلَةَ[2].

“He (the Imam) (a.s.), once said to me, ‘Do you know why one and two yards are set?’ I (the narrator) said, ‘Why are they set?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It is because of obligatory Salah (prayer). You can perform optional Salah (prayer) soon after the sun declines (to the west at noontime) until it become one yard, but if

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنِ الْوَقْتِ الَّذِي لَا يَنْبَغِي لِي [أَنْ يَتَنَفَّلَ‌] إِذَا جَاءَ الزَّوَالُ قَالَ ذِرَاعٌ إِلَى مِثْلِهِ.

‘When it is one yard until it is like it (twice as much).”’

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الرَّجُلِ يَأْتِي الْمَسْجِدَ وَ قَدْ صَلَّى أَهْلُهُ أَ يَبْتَدِئُ بِالْمَكْتُوبَةِ أَوْ يَتَطَوَّعُ فَقَالَ إِنْ‌ كَانَ فِي وَقْتٍ حَسَنٍ‌[1] فَلَا بَأْسَ بِالتَّطَوُّعِ قَبْلَ الْفَرِيضَةِ وَ إِنْ كَانَ خَافَ الْفَوْتَ مِنْ أَجْلِ مَا مَضَى مِنَ الْوَقْتِ فَلْيَبْدَأْ بِالْفَرِيضَةِ وَ هُوَ حَقُّ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ ثُمَّ لْيَتَطَوَّعْ بِمَا شَاءَ أَلَا هُوَ مُوَسَّعٌ أَنْ يُصَلِّيَ الْإِنْسَانُ

“I once asked him (the Imam) (a.s.), about a man who comes to Masjid when people there have completed their Salah (prayer). Should he begin the obligatory or optional before the obligatory? He (the Imam) said, ‘If it is a good time it is not harmful to perform optional Salah (prayer) before obligatory. If he fears that

قُلْتُ أُصَلِّي فِي وَقْتِ فَرِيضَةٍ نَافِلَةً قَالَ نَعَمْ فِي أَوَّلِ الْوَقْتِ إِذَا كُنْتَ مَعَ إِمَامٍ تَقْتَدِي بِهِ فَإِذَا كُنْتَ وَحْدَكَ فَابْدَأْ بِالْمَكْتُوبَةِ.

“I once asked him (the Imam) (a.s.), ‘Can I perform optional Salah (prayer) in the time for obligatory one?’ He (the Imam) replied, ‘Yes, you can do so in the beginning of time if you are with the Imam who leads you in Salah (prayer). If you are alone, then perform the obligatory first.’”

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع إِذَا دَخَلَ وَقْتُ الْفَرِيضَةِ أَتَنَفَّلُ أَوْ أَبْدَأُ بِالْفَرِيضَةِ فَقَالَ إِنَّ الْفَضْلَ أَنْ تَبْدَأَ بِالْفَرِيضَةِ وَ إِنَّمَا أُخِّرَتِ الظُّهْرُ ذِرَاعاً مِنْ عِنْدِ الزَّوَالِ مِنْ أَجْلِ صَلَاةِ الْأَوَّابِينَ.

“I once said to abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), ‘When the time for obligatory Salah (prayer) comes, should I perform optional Salah (prayer) or begin the obligatory one?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It is better to begin with obligatory. Al-Dhuhr is delayed to one yard from Zawal (declining of the sun toward the west at noontime) by o

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع إِذَا دَخَلَ وَقْتُ الْفَرِيضَةِ أَتَنَفَّلُ أَوْ أَبْدَأُ بِالْفَرِيضَةِ قَالَ إِنَّ الْفَضْلَ أَنْ تَبْدَأَ بِالْفَرِيضَةِ.

“I once asked abu ’Abd Allah (a.s.), ‘When the time for obligatory Salah (prayer) comes, can I perform optional Salah (prayer) or begin with obligatory Salah (prayer)?’ He (the Imam) replied, ‘It is better to begin with the obligatory Salah (prayer).”’

كَانَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ص لَا يُصَلِّي‌ مِنَ النَّهَارِ حَتَّى تَزُولَ الشَّمْسُ وَ لَا مِنَ اللَّيْلِ بَعْدَ مَا يُصَلِّي الْعِشَاءَ الْآخِرَةَ حَتَّى يَنْتَصِفَ اللَّيْلُ.[1] مَعْنَى هَذَا أَنَّهُ لَيْسَ وَقْتَ صَلَاةِ فَرِيضَةٍ وَ لَا سُنَّةٍ لِأَنَّ الْأَوْقَاتَ كُلَّهَا قَدْ بَيَّنَهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص فَأَمَّا الْقَضَاءُ قَضَاءُ الْفَرِيضَةِ وَ تَقْدِيمُ النَّوَافِلِ وَ تَأْخِيرُهَا فَلَا بَأْسَ‌[2].

“They had heard abu Ja‘far (a.s.), say, ‘’Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.), would not perform Salah (prayer) during the day until Zawal (declining of the sun toward the west at noontime). During the night he would not perform any Salah (prayer) after al-‘Isha’ up until midnight. It means that it is not time for obligatory or op

قَالَ رَجُلٌ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع الْحَدِيثُ الَّذِي رُوِيَ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع أَنَّ الشَّمْسَ تَطْلُعُ بَيْنَ قَرْنَيِ الشَّيْطَانِ‌[3] قَالَ نَعَمْ إِنَّ إِبْلِيسَ اتَّخَذَ عَرْشاً بَيْنَ السَّمَاءِ وَ الْأَرْضِ فَإِذَا طَلَعَتِ الشَّمْسُ وَ سَجَدَ فِي ذَلِكَ الْوَقْتِ النَّاسُ قَالَ إِبْلِيسُ لِشَيَاطِينِهِ إِنَّ بَنِي آدَمَ يُصَلُّونَ لِي.

“Once a man mentioned before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), the Hadith which is narrated from abu Ja‘far (a.s.), that says, ‘The sun emerges from between the two horns of Satan.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, Iblis has found a throne between the sky and earth. When the sun rises and people prostrate at that time, Iblis then says t

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي الْحَسَنِ الثَّانِي ع أَكُونُ فِي السُّوقِ فَأَعْرِفُ الْوَقْتَ وَ يَضِيقُ عَلَيَّ أَنْ أَدْخُلَ فَأُصَلِّيَ قَالَ إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ يُقَارِنُ الشَّمْسَ فِي ثَلَاثَةِ أَحْوَالٍ إِذَا ذَرَّتْ وَ إِذَا كَبَّدَتْ وَ إِذَا غَرَبَتْ فَصَلِّ بَعْدَ الزَّوَالِ فَإِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ يُرِيدُ أَنْ يُوقِعَكَ عَلَى حَدٍّ يُقْطَعُ بِكَ دُونَهُ‌[4].

“I once said to abu al-Hassan al-Thaniy (a.s.), ‘In the market place I come to know that it is time but it becomes difficult (to perform Salah (prayer)) after I enter the market place (for business).’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Satan nears the sun during three conditions, at sunrise, Zawal (declining of the sun toward the we