The Deadline for Fajr and `Asr Prayers

روي أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: من أدرك من الصبح ركعة قبل أن تطلع الشمس ثم طلعت الشمس فقد أدرك الصبح فليتم صلاته ومن أدرك ركعة من العصر قبل أن تغرب الشمس فقد أدرك العصر فليتم صلاته. والسجدة إنما هي الركعة.

It is narrated that the Prophet (pbuh) said: “Whoever [is late for Fajr prayers, but] completes one Rak`ah of his morning prayer before sunrise<sup>1</sup> and then the sun rises, [while he is still praying, but after he has completed the first Rak`ah,] he would have offered his morning prayers [within the prescribed time]² so, he should then continue to complete his prayers, [even if the sun has risen]. Similarly, whoever [is late for `Asr prayers, but] completes one Rak`ah of his `Asr prayers before sunset<sup>3</sup>, he would then have offered his `Asr prayers [within the time prescribed for it]. He should, therefore, continue to complete his prayers [even if the sun has set, while he is still praying]. And [remember that] it is the Sajdah that completes the Rak`ah⁴ during prayers.⁵'

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General Notes:

1. Sunrise signifies the expiry of time for the Fajr prayers.

2. i.e., even though the person would only have completed the first Rak`ah of his prayers before the expiry of the time for that prayer, yet, by doing so, the person would be considered to have offered his Fajr prayers within the prescribed time.

3. Sunset signifies the expiry of the prescribed time for `Asr prayers.

4. As the former part of the narrative stresses the completion of at least one Rak`ah before the expiry of the prescribed time for that prayer, it is, therefore, also clarified that the completion of the Rak`ah means the completion of the Sajdah. A close consideration of the various steps of Sala'h clearly shows that the Sajdah clearly signifies the end of each Rak`ah. This is precisely the point mentioned in the narrative.

5. We know that each of the five daily prayers should be offered within the time limit prescribed for that prayer. In this narrative, the Prophet is reported to have informed the Muslims that in the case of the Fajr and `Asr prayers - where the final limit of the prescribed range of time is more apparently determinable, as compared to the other prayers - if a person has completed one Rak`ah of the prayer before the expiry of the time for that prayer, then the person would be considered to have offered his prayers within the prescribed time.

Notes on the Text of the Narrative

This narrative or a part of it, with minor variations, has been reported in Bukhariy (narrative no. 531 and 554), Muslim (narrative no. 608), Tirmidhi (narrative no. 186), Nassaiy (narrative no. 514, 515, 516, 517, 550 and 551), Abu Dawood (narrative no. 412), Ibn Maajah (narrative no. 699 and 700), Maalik's Mu'watta (narrative no. 5), Al-Darmiy (narrative no. 1222), Ahmad ibn Hanbal (narrative no. 7215, 7453, 7529, 7785, 8042, 8551, 8569, 9172, 9920, 9955, 10133, 10344, 10364, 10761 and 24533), Ibn Hibban (narrative no. 1484, 1557, 1582, 1583, 1584, 1585 and 1586), Ibn Khuzaymah (narrative no. 984, 985 and 986), Nassaiy's Sunan Al-Kubraa (narrative no. 463, 464, 1501, 1502, 1503, 1504, 1533, 1534 and 1535), Bayhaqiy (narrative no. 1595, 1596, 1648, 1649, 1650, 1651, 1652, 1653 and 1683), and Musnad of Abu Ya`laa (narrative no. 6284, 6302 and 6332). The preferred text is the one reported in Bukhariy, narrative no. 554, except where otherwise specified.

In some narratives, as, for instance, in Muslim's narrative no. 608, the word “الصبح” (i.e., 'morning [prayer]') have been reported as “الفجر” (i.e. 'Fajr [prayer]')

In some narratives, the sentence “من أدرك من الصبح ركعة قبل أن تطلع الشمس” (i.e. 'Whoever completes one Rak`ah of his morning prayer before sunrise') has been reported as “إذا أدرك سجدة من صلاة الصبح قبل أن تطلع الشمس” (i.e., 'when one completes one Sajdah of the morning prayer before sunrise'), as, for instance, in Bukhariy's narrative no. 531. A further addition in this variant text is made in Al-Nasaiy's narrative no. 516, which has further qualified the statement “إذا أدرك سجدة من…” (i.e., 'when one completes a Sajdah of…') by rendering it as “إذا أدرك أول سجدة من…” (i.e., 'when one completes the first Sajdah of…'). Another variation of this part of the narrative is reported in Ahmad ibn Hanbal's narrative no. 8042. According to this reporting, the Prophet (pbuh) said:

من صلى ركعة من الصبح ثم طلعت الشمس فليتم صلاته.

Whoever has offered a Rak`ah of the morning prayers and then the sun rises [before he completes his prayer, he would be considered to have offered his prayers within the prescribed time.] He should, therefore, continue to complete his prayers.

As cited above, the phrase “ثم طلعت الشمس” (i.e., 'then the sun rises') have been reported in Ahmad ibn Hanbal's narrative no. 8042, the same implication has been reported in Bayhaqiy's narrative no. 1652 with the words “فطلعت” (i.e., 'then it [i.e. the sun] rises').

A similar variation, as cited from Ahmad ibn Hanbal's narrative no. 8042, is also found in Muslim's narrative no 608, with a further addition of a couple of words. Muslim's narrative no. 608 is given below:

روي أنه قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: من أدرك من العصر سجدة قبل أن تغرب الشمس أو من الصبح قبل أن تطلع فقد أدركها، والسجدة إنما هي الركعة.

It is narrated that the Prophet (pbuh) said: 'Whoever completes a Sajdah of his `Asr prayers before the sun sets or [in the case] of the morning prayers, before the sun rises, he shall then have offered his prayers [within their prescribed time]. And it is the Sajdah that completes the Rak`ah during prayers.

A more significant variation in the text of the narrative is reported in Nasaiy's narrative no. 514, according to which, the Prophet (pbuh) said:

من أدرك ركعتين من صلاة العصر قبل أن تغرب الشمس أو ركعة من صلاة الصبح قبل أن تطلع الشمس فقد أدرك.

Whoever completes two Rak`ahs of the `Asr prayers before the sun sets or a Rak`ah [in the case] of the morning prayers before the sun rises, he shall then have offered his prayers [within their prescribed time].

The same variation is also reported in Ahmad ibn Hanbal's narrative no. 8569, 9920, Ibn Khuzaymah's narrative no. 984, Al-Nasaiy's Sunan al-Kubraa, narrative no. 1534, Musnad of Abu Ya`laa, narrative no. 6302. The stated variation in the text of the narrative, however, seems to be a mistake on the part of one or more of the narrators of this reporting.

The phrase “قبل أن تطلع الشمس” (i.e., 'before the sun rises') have alternatively been reported as “قبل أن يطلع قرن الشمس الأول” (i.e., 'before the first rays of the sun appear') in Al-Nasaiy's Sunan Al-Kubraa.

The phrase “فليتم صلاته” (i.e., 'so, he should complete his prayers') have been reported Bukhariy's narrative no. 531. The words “فليتم صلاته” (i.e., 'so, he should complete his prayers') have been replaced by the words “فليصل إليها أخرى” (i.e., 'so he should continue to complete the remaining part of his prayers') in Ahmad ibn Hanbal's narrative no. 8551. While in Ahmad ibn Hanbal's narrative no. 7215, the same meaning is implied by the phrase “فصل عليها أخرى” (i.e., 'then you should continue to complete the remaining part of the prayers')

The two phrases “فقد أدرك الصبح” (i.e., 'he would have offered his morning prayers [within the prescribed time]') and “فقد أدرك العصر” (i.e., he would have offered his `Asr prayers [within the prescribed time]') have been replaced by “لم تفته الصلاة” (i.e., 'he would not have missed his prayers') in Ibn Hibban's narrative no. 1484.

The words “قبل أن تغرب الشمس” (i.e., 'before the sun sets') have alternatively been reported as “قبل أن تغيب الشمس” (i.e., before the sun disappears') in Al-Nasaiy's narrative no. 515.

The words “والسجدة إنما هي الركعة” (i.e., 'And it is the Sajdah that completes the Rak`ah during prayers') have been reported in Muslim's narrative no. 608.

(This write-up is prepared by the Hadith Cell of Javed Ahmad Ghamidi)