The Times of Salaah (5/5)

This is also a natural result of the ending time of Maghrib. There is a slight difference of opinion. The Shafis, Malikis and Hanbalis, majority of the scholars agree on this including Imam Abu Hanifah’s RA two best students, say that after the redness disappears, once the whiteness appears, Esha sets in. Imam Abu Hanifa RA says the whiteness after the redness on the horizon disappears then the time of Esha will set in. All Ulama are unanimous in that we should try to read Esha Salaah later. Because Nabi Muhammad SAW said, “The more we delay the Esha the better it is.” Before midnight Esha salaah should be performed. The fard salaah of Esha must be read mefore midnight. It is makrooh, undesirable and unadvisable to read Esha after but it can be read instead of making it Qadha. The end time of Esha will be when Fajr begins – approximately one and half hours before the sun rises. If one is a traveller or sickly, they may read after midnight but without valid reason we should ensure the Fard of Esha is read before midnight. Witr salaah only begins after you have read Esha. It cannot be read before the fard. The more we delay the Witr salaah, the better it is that is when one wakes up in the early part of the morning. But this is for those who are confident they will rise to pray the Witr. Those who are unsure that they will wake up should read their Tahajjud and Witr before they go to sleep.

Sehri or Suhoor, witr salaah and Esha all end at the same time.

Tahajjud salaah – The minimum is two rakaahs and the maximum 12 rakaahs. It can be read in two rakaahs and four rakaahs. Tahajjud begins after Esha and ends when Sehri ends. The best time to read Tahajjud is after Esha but before Witr. It is also acceptable for one to read their witr salaah and wake up in the early parts of the morning to pray Tahajjud. The best is to read eight rakaahs in sets of two. This was the practice of Rasulullah SAW.

Ishraq sets in – it is only the Hanafi Ulama who draw the distinction between Salaatut Doha (Chaast Salaah) and Ishraq. The majority of the scholars consider them as one and the same. Hanafis say Ishraq sets in 15 minutes after sunrise and lasts about two hours. Chaast salaah lasts two hours from the end of Ishraq until the time of zawwal. This is calculated by taking the time from sunrise until the time the sun reaches its zenith and dividing it in half. The first half is Ishraq. The second half is the time for Chaast salaah. From two to eight rakaahs can be read. Eight rakaahs was the practice of Nabi Muhammad SAW.

Cii Radio Mufti AK Hoosen