"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: This is 'Jibril, peace be upon you, he came to teach you your religion. He prayed Subh when the dawn appeared, and he prayed Zuhr when the sun had (passed its zenith), and he prayed 'Asr when he saw that the shadow of a thing was equal to its height, then he prayed Maghrib when the sub had set and it is permissible for the fasting person to eat. Then he prayed 'Isha' when the twilight had disappeared. Then he came to him the following day and prayed Subh when it had got a little lighter, then he prayed Zuhr when the shadow of a thing was equal to its height, then he prayed 'Asr when the shadow of a thing was equal to twice its height, then he prayed Maghrib at the same time as before, then he prayed 'Isha' when a short period of the night had passed. Then he said: 'The prayer is between the times when you prayed yesterday and the times when you prayed today.'"
Hadith Commentary: The Book of the Times (of Prayer)
This profound narration from Sunan an-Nasa'i 502 demonstrates the divine instruction regarding prayer timings through Angel Jibril (Gabriel), establishing the flexible timeframes for each of the five daily prayers.
The First Day: Earliest Prayer Times
Jibril prayed Fajr at true dawn's appearance, Zuhr immediately after zenith, Asr when shadows equaled object height, Maghrib immediately after sunset, and Isha when twilight vanished completely.
The Second Day: Latest Prayer Times
Jibril delayed Fajr until full daylight, Zuhr until shadow equaled height, Asr until shadow doubled height, Maghrib remained fixed, and Isha until first third of night passed.
Scholarly Interpretation
This establishes each prayer's timeframe between earliest and latest times demonstrated. Fajr extends from true dawn to sunrise, Zuhr from zenith until shadow equals height, Asr has two opinions (preferable and permissible times), Maghrib is brief, and Isha extends from twilight disappearance until first third of night.
Legal Significance
This hadith provides the primary evidence for prayer time boundaries in Islamic jurisprudence. The flexibility accommodates various circumstances while maintaining prayer's spiritual discipline and communal unity through shared timeframes.