The Book on Salat (Prayer)

Jami' at-Tirmidhi - Hadith 149

Hadith Text

The Prophet said: "Jibril (peace be upon him) led me (in Salat) twice at the House. So he prayed Zuhr the first time when the shadow was similar to (the length of) the strap a sandal. Then he prayed Asr when everything was similar (to the length of) its shadow. Then he prayed Maghrib when the sun had set and the fasting person breaks fast. Then he prayed Isha when the twilight had vanished. Then he prayed Fajr when Fajr (dawn) began, and when eating is prohibited for the fasting person. The second time he prayed Zuhr when the shadow of everything was similar to (the length of) it, at the time of Asr the day before. Then he prayed Asr when the shadow of everything was about twice as long as it. Then he prayed Maghrib at the same time as he did the first time. Then he prayed Isha, the later one, when a third of the night had gone. Then he prayed Subh when the land glowed. Then Jibril turned towards me and said: "O Muhammad! These are the times of the Prophets before you, and the (best) time is what is between these two times."

Scholarly Commentary

This hadith establishes the five daily prayer times through divine instruction from Angel Jibril. The first prayer times represent the earliest permissible moments, while the second demonstrate the latest acceptable times. This delineation provides flexibility while maintaining the sacred boundaries of each prayer period.

Zuhr begins when the sun passes its zenith and continues until the shadow of an object equals its length. Asr starts when the shadow equals the object's length and continues until the shadow becomes twice the object's length. Maghrib commences immediately after sunset and is brief. Isha begins when twilight disappears and continues until midnight. Fajr starts at true dawn and continues until sunrise.

The wisdom in having two timeframes for each prayer allows for consideration of individual circumstances while emphasizing that praying at the beginning of each period is most virtuous. This tradition preserves the continuity of prophetic practice while accommodating the Muslim community's diverse needs.