Pray with us these two, meaning two days. When the sun passed the meridian, he gave command to Bilal who uttered the call to prayer. Then he commanded him and pronounced Iqama for noon prayer (Then at the time of the afternoon prayer) he again commanded and Iqama for the afternoon prayer was pronounced when the sun was high, white and clear. He then commanded and Iqama for the evening prayer was pronounced, when the sun had set. He then commanded him and the Iqama for the night prayer was pronounced when the twilight had disappeared. He then commanded him and the Iqama for the morning prayer was pronounced, when the dawn had appeared. When it was the next day, he commanded him to delay the noon prayer till the extreme heat had passed and he did so, and he allowed it to be delayed till the extreme heat had passed. He observed the afternoon prayer when the sun was high, delaying it beyond the time he had previously observed it. He observed the evening prayer before the twilight had vanished; he observed the night prayer when a third of the night had passed; and he observed the dawn prayer when there was clear daylight. He (the Holy Prophet) then said: Where is the man who inquired about the time of prayer? He (the inquirer) said: Messenger of Allah, here I am. He (the Holy Prophet) said: The time for your prayer is within the limits of what you have seen.
The Book of Mosques and Places of Prayer - Sahih Muslim 613a
This narration from Sahih Muslim demonstrates the flexibility within prayer times established by the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. He first prayed each prayer at the earliest permissible time, then on the second day, he prayed each at the latest permissible time. This practical demonstration was to define the beginning and end of each prayer's timeframe for the Muslim community.
Commentary on the Prayer Times
The wisdom behind showing both extremes is to teach that the five daily prayers have expansive, not restrictive, time periods. This accommodates various circumstances and prevents undue hardship. The preferred time for each prayer lies within these boundaries, but the validity remains throughout the entire duration.
The first day established the earliest times: Dhuhr immediately after the sun passes its zenith, Asr while the sun is still high and bright, Maghrib immediately after sunset, Isha after twilight disappears, and Fajr at the first true dawn.
The second day established the latest times: Delaying Dhuhr until the heat subsides, postponing Asr until later while the sun is still visible, performing Maghrib before twilight vanishes, delaying Isha until a third of the night has passed, and postponing Fajr until daylight is clear.
Scholarly Significance
This hadith is a fundamental proof text in Islamic jurisprudence for determining prayer times. It provides clear, practical boundaries rather than theoretical definitions. The Prophet's ﷺ statement, "The time for your prayer is within the limits of what you have seen," gives the Ummah a comprehensive understanding that accommodates different situations and locations.