We have so far looked at the technical issues explaining the best time to pray Dhuhr and Asr. However, there is one exception mentioned in this section of the work by Ayatullah Khui and that is what to do in the case of severe heat:
• Muwathaq narration of Zurara who said: “I asked Abu Abdullah (AS) about the time for Dhuhr in severe heat ….he said to him: ‘If your shadow is the same length as yourself, then pray Dhuhr, and if your shadow is like two of you, then pray Asr.’” (1)
And the way to harmonise between this narration and those that talk about one or two feet, is by considering this to be an exception/particularization to the general rule:
• In severe heat, in order to be able to pray free from fear and with your heart present and your soul content and to ensure you do not hurry your prayer, the fadila time is extended to when the length of the shadow is equal to your body length.
This is confirmed by a narration attributed to the prophet (SAW) (2). There is one other narration that also talks about the time of Dhuhr and Asr, and rather than talking about 2 or 4 feet, it talks about 1 or 2 fathoms:
• Narration from Muhammad ibn Hakim, who said: “I heard the righteous servant (AS) who said: ‘The first time for Dhuhr is midday of the Sun, and the end of its time is a fathom from midday. And the first time for the time of Asr is one fathom and the end of it, is two fathoms.’ I asked ‘Is it the same in the Winter and Summer?’. He said: ‘Yes’” (3). This is clear in putting the beginning of Asr at one fathom – making it clear it is at all times by it being the same in both seasons.
Given the lack of other evidence to corroborate this opinion (i.e. it is a fathom rather than a foot/cubit), we have to cast this narration aside and return its knowledge to its owners. This is due to the weakness in its chain due to Muhammad ibn Hakim who is not known to be trustworthy as well as the fact it contradicts all the previous narrations so can be set aside.
Or it is possible to attribute the word “fathom” to “cubit” as the author of al-Hada’iq has done, based on the narration of ibn Handhala who said:
• Abu Abdullah (AS) said to me: ‘the fathom and two fathoms are one cubit and two cubits in the book of Ali (AS)’” (4)
However, this attribution seems very unlikely and there is no direct relevance to this topic here as the attribution of fathom to cubit in the book of Ali (AS) does not mean it will have that meaning from Imam Musa ibn Ja’far (AS). Whatever the case may be, it is relatively unimportant, as we already know the narration has a weak chain of narration.
We have therefore concluded:
• Time to pray Dhuhr and Asr starts at midday
• Best time for Dhuhr is after praying Nafila prayers for Dhuhr after midday, with it ending at the time of Asr
• Best time for Asr is after praying the Nafila prayers for Asr, starting at 2 or 4 feet
In the next blog, we will discuss what this “feet” term means.
(1) Wasa’il, 4:133, Chapters on time, chapter 8, hadith 13
(2) Wasa’il, 4:133, Chapters on time, chapter 8, hadith 6
(3) Wasa’il, 4:133, Chapters on time, chapter 8, hadith 29
(3) Wasa’il, 4:133, Chapters on time, chapter 8, hadith 14
Sunday 29 January 2012
Sunday 22 January 2012
Harmonising contradictory narrations (the time for Salat al-Asr) - Part 4
In this blog, we will look at why there are different lengths of time provided for Asr prayers i.e. why it sometimes says one cubit, two cuts or more…
Firstly, let’s refer to the second hadith in the blog before my break i.e. the muwathaq narration of Dharih al-Mahaarabi from Abu Abdullah (AS) who said: “People asked Abu Abdullah (AS) whilst I was present…some of the people said: ‘we pray the first [of the two i.e. Dhuhr] if it [the shadow] is at two feet and Asr when it is at four feet’. Abu Abdullah (AS) said: ‘half of that is better for me’” (1).
This suggests that it is best to complete the Nafila prayers in the time it takes for the shadow to reach one foot, and that is a clear way of harmonizing between the narrations that say 2 feet (or 1 cubit) and those that say 4 feet (or 2 cubits) i.e. by attributing it to the difference in levels of what is best. The best would be to pray Nafila prayers at midday so that they can be completed and the shadow would be one foot. Then the Farida prayer is legislated at that time. After completing that, the time for Nafila of Asr begins, after which time comes the Farida time for Asr, and that is at two feet.
And if that is not possible, then the best is to complete the Nafila of Dhuhr at when the shadow is at two feet, then Dhuhr, and two feet after that for the Nafila of Asr, so that its Farida is prayed when the shadow is at 4 feet (from the beginning of midday). It is as if he (AS) wanted to widen in his explanation the best time by providing different levels of what is best.
And there are some narrations that back up this view such as the sahih narration of Zurara: “If your shadow reaches a cubit from midday, then begin your Farida and leave the Nafila. And if your shadow reaches two cubits, then pray the farida and leave the Nafila.” (2). This shows that the shadow reaching one cubit (i.e. two feet) is the last time for the Fadila of Dhuhr i.e. you cannot pray Nafila after that (Qada of Nafila is possible though). Similarly with Asr and two cubits.
As for the definition of it being a fathom or the shadow being the length of someone or twice his length, these narrations require more discussion, due to the opinion in them that they may be to do with the end of the time of prayer, and discussion on that will come later. For example: the narration of Ahmad ibn Amr from Abu al-Hasan (AS) who said: “I asked him about the time for Dhuhr and Asr. And he said: ‘the time for Dhuhr is when the sun reaches midday until the shadow reached one fathom; and the time of Asr is one and a half fathoms to two fathoms.” (3) There are many similar such narrations.
In the next blog, we will look at exceptions to this rule.
(1) Wasa’il, 4:133, Chapters on time, chapter 8, hadith 22
(2) Wasa’il, 4:133, Chapters on time, chapter 8, hadith 3
(3) Wasa’il, 4:133, Chapters on time, chapter 8, hadith 9
Firstly, let’s refer to the second hadith in the blog before my break i.e. the muwathaq narration of Dharih al-Mahaarabi from Abu Abdullah (AS) who said: “People asked Abu Abdullah (AS) whilst I was present…some of the people said: ‘we pray the first [of the two i.e. Dhuhr] if it [the shadow] is at two feet and Asr when it is at four feet’. Abu Abdullah (AS) said: ‘half of that is better for me’” (1).
This suggests that it is best to complete the Nafila prayers in the time it takes for the shadow to reach one foot, and that is a clear way of harmonizing between the narrations that say 2 feet (or 1 cubit) and those that say 4 feet (or 2 cubits) i.e. by attributing it to the difference in levels of what is best. The best would be to pray Nafila prayers at midday so that they can be completed and the shadow would be one foot. Then the Farida prayer is legislated at that time. After completing that, the time for Nafila of Asr begins, after which time comes the Farida time for Asr, and that is at two feet.
And if that is not possible, then the best is to complete the Nafila of Dhuhr at when the shadow is at two feet, then Dhuhr, and two feet after that for the Nafila of Asr, so that its Farida is prayed when the shadow is at 4 feet (from the beginning of midday). It is as if he (AS) wanted to widen in his explanation the best time by providing different levels of what is best.
And there are some narrations that back up this view such as the sahih narration of Zurara: “If your shadow reaches a cubit from midday, then begin your Farida and leave the Nafila. And if your shadow reaches two cubits, then pray the farida and leave the Nafila.” (2). This shows that the shadow reaching one cubit (i.e. two feet) is the last time for the Fadila of Dhuhr i.e. you cannot pray Nafila after that (Qada of Nafila is possible though). Similarly with Asr and two cubits.
As for the definition of it being a fathom or the shadow being the length of someone or twice his length, these narrations require more discussion, due to the opinion in them that they may be to do with the end of the time of prayer, and discussion on that will come later. For example: the narration of Ahmad ibn Amr from Abu al-Hasan (AS) who said: “I asked him about the time for Dhuhr and Asr. And he said: ‘the time for Dhuhr is when the sun reaches midday until the shadow reached one fathom; and the time of Asr is one and a half fathoms to two fathoms.” (3) There are many similar such narrations.
In the next blog, we will look at exceptions to this rule.
(1) Wasa’il, 4:133, Chapters on time, chapter 8, hadith 22
(2) Wasa’il, 4:133, Chapters on time, chapter 8, hadith 3
(3) Wasa’il, 4:133, Chapters on time, chapter 8, hadith 9
Saturday 14 January 2012
Harmonising contradictory narrations (the time for Salat al-Asr) - Part 3
In the previous blog, we addressed the rationale for solving the seemingly contradictory narrations on the time for Dhuhr and Asr. We concluded that the narrations agreed with the premise:
• All other things being equal, the time for Dhuhr and Asr, is midday
• However, if you pray the nafila prayers, then the time for Dhuhr and Asr becomes later, and the varying terms mentioned for the time period after midday are only examples of how long it would take to pray the nafila prayers, and are not themselves the time for praying Dhuhr and Asr
I think it is important to develop this a bit further given I have had many questions about it, and given it has been quite long since my last post! Let’s look at another few narrations (apologise for the poor quality of translation!):
1. Muwathaq narration of Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Yahya al-Ashari, who said: “some of our contemporaries wrote to Abu al-Hasan (AS) about the narrations from your forefathers about a foot or two, or four, and a fathom or two, and shade like that and a cubit or two. And the Imam (AS) wrote: “It is not one foot nor two. Once it is midday, then the time for both prayers has started. If you are praying [the Nawafil of Dhuhr*] and it is 8 rakaats, then if you want, you can take longer, and if you want, you can take a shorter time, then pray Dhuhr. If you do not pray [the Nawafil of Dhuhr], then there is a prayer between Dhuhr and Asr and that is 8 rakaats [the Nawafil of Asr]. If you want, you can take longer, and if you want, you can take a shorter time, then pray Asr.” (1)
2. Also two narrations from Ismail ibn Abd al-Khaliq and Sa’eed al-A’raj, which talk about the time being midday on Jum’a and whilst travelling, which implies that what hinders the immediate prayer at midday is the Nafila prayers which are not required in these two situations. Therefore, the time is midday
3. Muwathaq narration of Zurara from Abu Abdullah (AS): “He said: ‘Rasul Allah (SAW) prayed Dhuhr and Asr with people when the sun reached midday in Jama’a without any reason …. And the Messenger of Allah (SAW) did this to widen the time for his nation.’”. This shows that it is correct to pray Dhuhr and Asr at midday, and any time after this, is to widen the time to pray Nafila prayers as has been previously explained. (2)
Reading all of these narrations together, we can see the following:
• The time starts at midday for both prayers Dhuhr and Asr
• The preference for Dhuhr and Asr is to pray the Nawafil, and because of this, there are specified later times (e.g. a foot, a cubit [two feet]…)
In the next blog we will look at why there still seem to be differences in the length of the time for this praying of Nafila in further detail i.e. why in some narrations it talks about two feet, and in others 4 feet….etc.
*Note the Nafila (pl. Nawafil) prayers of Dhuhr are 8 rakats, prayed before Dhuhr.
(1) Wasa’il, 4:133, Chapters on time, chapter 5, hadith 13
NOTE: Apologies in the previous blog, the hadith was wrongly attributed. Rather than being from al-Ashari, it is from Dharik al-Mahaarabi
(2) Wasa’il, 4:133, Chapters on time, chapter 7, hadith 6
• All other things being equal, the time for Dhuhr and Asr, is midday
• However, if you pray the nafila prayers, then the time for Dhuhr and Asr becomes later, and the varying terms mentioned for the time period after midday are only examples of how long it would take to pray the nafila prayers, and are not themselves the time for praying Dhuhr and Asr
I think it is important to develop this a bit further given I have had many questions about it, and given it has been quite long since my last post! Let’s look at another few narrations (apologise for the poor quality of translation!):
1. Muwathaq narration of Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Yahya al-Ashari, who said: “some of our contemporaries wrote to Abu al-Hasan (AS) about the narrations from your forefathers about a foot or two, or four, and a fathom or two, and shade like that and a cubit or two. And the Imam (AS) wrote: “It is not one foot nor two. Once it is midday, then the time for both prayers has started. If you are praying [the Nawafil of Dhuhr*] and it is 8 rakaats, then if you want, you can take longer, and if you want, you can take a shorter time, then pray Dhuhr. If you do not pray [the Nawafil of Dhuhr], then there is a prayer between Dhuhr and Asr and that is 8 rakaats [the Nawafil of Asr]. If you want, you can take longer, and if you want, you can take a shorter time, then pray Asr.” (1)
2. Also two narrations from Ismail ibn Abd al-Khaliq and Sa’eed al-A’raj, which talk about the time being midday on Jum’a and whilst travelling, which implies that what hinders the immediate prayer at midday is the Nafila prayers which are not required in these two situations. Therefore, the time is midday
3. Muwathaq narration of Zurara from Abu Abdullah (AS): “He said: ‘Rasul Allah (SAW) prayed Dhuhr and Asr with people when the sun reached midday in Jama’a without any reason …. And the Messenger of Allah (SAW) did this to widen the time for his nation.’”. This shows that it is correct to pray Dhuhr and Asr at midday, and any time after this, is to widen the time to pray Nafila prayers as has been previously explained. (2)
Reading all of these narrations together, we can see the following:
• The time starts at midday for both prayers Dhuhr and Asr
• The preference for Dhuhr and Asr is to pray the Nawafil, and because of this, there are specified later times (e.g. a foot, a cubit [two feet]…)
In the next blog we will look at why there still seem to be differences in the length of the time for this praying of Nafila in further detail i.e. why in some narrations it talks about two feet, and in others 4 feet….etc.
*Note the Nafila (pl. Nawafil) prayers of Dhuhr are 8 rakats, prayed before Dhuhr.
(1) Wasa’il, 4:133, Chapters on time, chapter 5, hadith 13
NOTE: Apologies in the previous blog, the hadith was wrongly attributed. Rather than being from al-Ashari, it is from Dharik al-Mahaarabi
(2) Wasa’il, 4:133, Chapters on time, chapter 7, hadith 6
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