The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was asked about the times of prayers. He said: The time for the morning prayer (lasts) as long as the first visible part of the rising sun does not appear and the time of the noon prayer is when the sun declines from the zenith and there is not a time for the afternoon prayer and the time for the afternoon prayer is so long as the sun does not become pale and its first visible part does not set, and the time for the evening prayer is that when the sun disappears and (it lasts) till the twilight is no more and the time for the night prayer is up to the midnight.
The Book of Mosques and Places of Prayer - Sahih Muslim 612 e
This narration from the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) establishes the divinely prescribed times for the five daily prayers, serving as fundamental guidance for the Muslim community's worship schedule.
Commentary on Prayer Times
The morning prayer (Fajr) begins at true dawn (al-fajr al-sadiq) when horizontal light appears on the eastern horizon and continues until sunrise. The prohibition against praying when the sun rises is due to it being the time when disbelievers prostrate to the sun.
The noon prayer (Zuhr) commences when the sun passes its zenith (zawal) and shadows begin to lengthen eastward. Scholars note this occurs approximately 5-10 minutes after the sun reaches its highest point.
The afternoon prayer (Asr) begins when an object's shadow equals its length plus the shadow at noon. The "pale sun" reference indicates the disliked time when the sun weakens and turns yellowish, making it makruh to delay Asr until this time without valid reason.
The evening prayer (Maghrib) starts immediately after sunset when the sun's disk disappears below the horizon and continues until the red twilight (shafaq al-ahmar) vanishes from the sky.
The night prayer (Isha) begins when the red twilight disappears and continues until midnight, calculated as halfway between sunset and the beginning of true dawn. This demonstrates Allah's mercy in providing flexible timeframes for worship.
Legal Rulings and Wisdom
Scholars distinguish between preferred times (awwal al-waqt) and permissible times for each prayer. Performing prayers at their earliest time is superior except in extreme heat when delaying Zuhr is recommended.
The prohibition against praying at sunrise, sunset, and when the sun is at its zenith is based on the wisdom of distinguishing Muslim worship from pagan practices and avoiding resemblance to sun-worshippers.
This hadith establishes that each prayer has both an initial and final time, emphasizing the importance of observing prayer within its designated period as an act of obedience to divine command.