Delaying Salah until near the beginning time of the next Salah

Question

Salaam. What is the permissibility of delaying Namaaz until close to the time of the next Namaaz? One of the brothers at work delays reading Zuhr until about 30 mins before Asar so that he can pray both of his prayers without having to do Wuzu again. I have tried to convince him to offer his Zuhr Namaaz earlier but require some assistance please.

Jazak Allah Khair

Answer

Wa Alaykum Al-Salam

Al-Jawaab:

The obligation of the five daily prayers is prescribed with a beginning and end time. Allah the Almighty says in Surah Nisaa’, verse: 103,

“Indeed, Salah is a scheduled obligation upon the believers”

This means that there is a fixed time frame within which it is obligatory upon us to ensure we perform each salah. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

“There is a beginning and end (time) for salah. The beginning time for Zohr is when the sun inclines (towards setting from its highest point) and its end time is when the time of Asr enters.”

This is recorded in Tirmizi and in a well-known narration Sayyiduna Jibreel, upon him be peace, came and performed salah with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ on the first day when salah first became an obligation. On this first day, they both performed salah at the very beginning time of each salah. Then on the second day Sayyiduna Jibreel, upon him be peace, came and performed each salah with the Prophet ﷺ at the very end time of each salah. Therefore, it is permissible to perform Zohr near the end time and the Asr near the beginning time.

There are many narrations in the books of Hadith where the Messenger of Allah ﷺ gathered two prayers together at certain times which is known as Jam’ Bayn Al-Salaatayn. This was to perform one prayer near its end time and the next prayer at its beginning time. This is known as Jam’ Soori which is perfectly permissible according to our Hanafi School as it is established from the Hadith. This Jam’ Soori should not be made a habit but should only be practised in times of difficulty such as travelling, sickness or working for a non-Muslim company in a country governed by non-Muslims. The reason why it should not be made a habit is because the Messenger of Allah ﷺ ordered us to perform our prayers in their preferred times within their obligatory times. For example, he ﷺ said,

“He who performs the Fajr prayer when it becomes bright (delays it to near the end time), Allah will brighten his grave and his heart and will accept his prayer.”

This is recorded by Imam Daylmi in his Musnad and it means that if someone was to delay his Isha till the end time and then perform his Fajr at the very beginning then his prayers are valid but he has not gained the reward of the preferred time.

For the Zohr prayer, it is preferred (more reward) to perform it early in the cold seasons and to delay it in the warm seasons. As for the Asr prayer, it is preferred to delay in all seasons but not so much that the sun becomes easy to stare at in the absence of dust and smoke (pollution) as is mentioned in Bahare Shariat.

As for Jam’ Haqeeqi, which is to gather two prayers in the time of one of them, it is impermissible in all situations besides the two exceptions in Hajj and Allah knows best.

Zahid Hussain Al-Qadiri
(Beggar at the doorstep of Scholars)
28th Rabi al Awwal 1437 AH