The Time of Noon and Afternoon Salah (Prayer)

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع إِنَّ عُمَرَ بْنَ حَنْظَلَةَ أَتَانَا عَنْكَ بِوَقْتٍ فَقَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع إِذاً لَا يَكْذِبُ عَلَيْنَا قُلْتُ ذَكَرَ أَنَّكَ قُلْتَ إِنَّ أَوَّلَ صَلَاةٍ افْتَرَضَهَا اللَّهُ عَلَى نَبِيِّهِ ص الظُّهْرُ وَ هُوَ قَوْلُ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَ‌ أَقِمِ الصَّلاةَ لِدُلُوكِ الشَّمْسِ‌ فَإِذَا زَالَتِ الشَّمْسُ لَمْ يَمْنَعْكَ إِلَّا سُبْحَتُكَ‌[1] ثُمَّ لَا تَزَالُ فِي وَقْتٍ إِلَى

‘The first Salah (prayer) that Allah made obligatory on His Holy prophet was al-Dhuhr Salah (prayer). Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, has said, “Perform Salah (prayer) from the time of declining of the sun toward the west at noontime” (17:78), so when the sun declines toward the west at noontime, there is no other

إِذَا زَالَتِ الشَّمْسُ دَخَلَ وَقْتُ الظُّهْرِ إِلَّا أَنَّ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهَا سُبْحَةً وَ ذَلِكَ إِلَيْكَ إِنْ شِئْتَ طَوَّلْتَ وَ إِنْ شِئْتَ قَصَّرْتَ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘When the sun declines toward the west at noontime, it is time for al-Dhuhr Salah (prayer) except that there is Nafl (optional Salah (prayer) before al-Dhuhr Salah (prayer). It is up to you to spend a longer time for it or a short one.’”

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع مَتَى أُصَلِّي الظُّهْرَ فَقَالَ صَلِّ الزَّوَالَ ثَمَانِيَةً ثُمَّ صَلِّ الظُّهْرَ ثُمَّ صَلِّ سُبْحَتَكَ طَالَتْ أَوْ قَصُرَتْ ثُمَّ صَلِّ الْعَصْرَ.

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), ‘When can I perform al-Dhuhr Salah (prayer)?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Perform the eight Rak‘at (the optional Salah (prayer) when the sun declines (toward the west at noontime), then perform al-Dhuhr. Thereafter perform your optional Salah (prayer) for a longer or short time, then perfo

أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع أَ لَا أُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِأَبْيَنَ مِنْ هَذَا إِذَا زَالَتِ الشَّمْسُ فَقَدْ دَخَلَ وَقْتُ الظُّهْرِ إِلَّا أَنَّ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهَا سُبْحَةً وَ ذَلِكَ إِلَيْكَ إِنْ شِئْتَ طَوَّلْتَ وَ إِنْ شِئْتَ قَصَّرْتَ. - وَ رَوَى سَعْدٌ عَنْ مُوسَى بْنِ الْحَسَنِ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ اللُّؤْلُؤِيِّ عَنْ صَفْوَانَ بْنِ يَحْيَى عَنِ الْحَارِثِ بْنِ الْمُغِيرَةِ النَّضْرِيِّ وَ عُمَرَ بْنِ حَنْظَلَةَ

‘It is up to you to make the optional one light thereafter, or make it longer, thereafter is the time (for al-Dhuhr).”’

إِذَا زَالَتِ الشَّمْسُ فَقَدْ دَخَلَ وَقْتُ الصَّلَاتَيْنِ إِلَّا أَنَّ هَذِهِ قَبْلَ هَذِهِ. - وَ رَوَى سَعْدٌ عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ وَ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ الْبَرْقِيِّ وَ الْعَبَّاسِ بْنِ مَعْرُوفٍ جَمِيعاً عَنِ الْقَاسِمِ وَ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنِ الْبَرْقِيِّ عَنِ الْقَاسِمِ‌ مِثْلَهُ وَ فِيهِ دَخَلَ وَقْتُ الظُّهْرِ وَ الْعَصْرِ جَمِيعاً وَ زَادَ ثُمَّ أَنْتَ فِي وَقْتٍ مِنْهُمَا جَ

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that when the sun declines (toward the west at noontime), it is the time for two Salah (prayer) except that this is before that.” “Also Sa‘d has narrated from al-Husayn ibn Sa’eed and Muhammad ibn Khalid al-Barqiy and al- ‘Abbas ibn Ma’ruf all from al-Qasim and Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘I

سَأَلَهُ إِنْسَانٌ وَ أَنَا حَاضِرٌ فَقَالَ رُبَّمَا دَخَلْتُ الْمَسْجِدَ وَ بَعْضُ أَصْحَابِنَا يُصَلُّونَ الْعَصْرَ وَ بَعْضُهُمْ يُصَلُّونَ الظُّهْرَ فَقَالَ أَنَا أَمَرْتُهُمْ بِهَذَا لَوْ صَلَّوْا عَلَى وَقْتٍ وَاحِدٍ عُرِفُوا فَأُخِذَ بِرِقَابِهِمْ.

I have commanded them to do so; were they to perform at one time they would have been recognized and caught by their necks.’”

سَأَلْتُهُ عَمَّا جَاءَ فِي الْحَدِيثِ أَنْ صَلِّ الظُّهْرَ إِذَا كَانَتِ الشَّمْسُ قَامَةً وَ قَامَتَيْنِ وَ ذِرَاعاً وَ ذِرَاعَيْنِ وَ قَدَماً وَ قَدَمَيْنِ مِنْ هَذَا وَ مِنْ هَذَا[1] فَمَتَى هَذَا وَ كَيْفَ هَذَا وَ قَدْ يَكُونُ الظِّلُّ فِي بَعْضِ الْأَوْقَاتِ نِصْفَ قَدَمٍ قَالَ إِنَّمَا قَالَ ظِلُّ الْقَامَةِ وَ لَمْ يَقُلْ قَامَةُ الظِّلِّ وَ ذَلِكَ أَنَّ ظِلَّ الْقَامَةِ يَخْتَلِفُ مَرَّةً يَكْثُرُ وَ مَرَّة

“I once asked abu ‘Abdullah (a.s.), about the meaning of Hadith that says, ’Perform al- Dhuhr Salah (prayer) when the sun is equal to one length or two, one yard or two or one step or two steps from this and from there. When is it and how is it? At certain times is half of one step.’ He (the Imam) said that in the Hadi

إِذَا صَلَّيْتَ الظُّهْرَ فَقَدْ دَخَلَ وَقْتُ الْعَصْرِ إِلَّا أَنَّ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهَا سُبْحَةً[3] فَذَلِكَ إِلَيْكَ إِنْ شِئْتَ طَوَّلْتَ وَ إِنْ شِئْتَ قَصَّرْتَ.

8. Ali ibn Muhammad has narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Muhammad ibn al-Hassan from ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman from Misma’ ibn ‘Abd Malik who has said the following: “He (the Imam) (a.s.), has said, ‘When you complete al-Dhuhr Salah (prayer), it is time for al- ‘Asr Salah (prayer) except that before it there is Na