Harmonising contradictory narrations (the time for afternoon prayers) (2)

In the previous blog, we discussed how there are different narrations on the beginning time for Dhuhr and Asr, and that there were two categories:

1. The start for both is midday
2. The start for both is after midday (there are different narrations implying varying lengths of time after midday)

It is clear that these are contradictory i.e. both cannot be true. However, both opinions are justified by narrations that are sahih. Therefore, from the perspective of rijal studies, they all came from the Imam (AS). Based on this, the first port of call for the scholar is to try and “harmonise” (jam’) these narrations and find a solution that fits both of these sets of narrations.


Ayatullah Khui then considers the following possible solution:

• All other things being equal, the best time (farida) 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


He supports this harmonisation using a range of narrations, some of which I will outline below:

• The hadith of ‘Amr ibn Handhala: “…[the 6th Imam (AS) said]: ‘when the sun reaches midday, the time for Dhuhr begins unless you are about to pray – and that is up to you. If you cut down [on the prayer], then [the time for Dhuhr begins] when you finish your prayers, and if you take longer [on the prayer], then [again], [the time is] when you have finished your prayers.” (1)
• Muwatthaq narration from Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Yahya al-Ash’ari: “…Some of the people said: ‘we pray the first [prayer i.e. Dhuhr] when it is two qadam, and Asr when it is four qadam.’ Abu Abdullah [the 6th Imam] (AS) said: ‘half of this is preferable to me’.” (2)

This solves the contradiction! There is an extra complication that I will discuss in the next blog inshaAllah – but hope this makes sense!

By the way, if anyone is interested in writing a guest blog at some point, please do get in touch – we now have about 60 people getting this in their email inbox…

(1)Wasa`il, Volume 4, page 133 in the Chapter on prayer times, Chapter 5, Hadith 9
(2) Wasa`il, Volume 4, page 146 in the Chapter on prayer times, Chapter 8, Hadith 22