When should you delay Zuhr in the heat?
The Timing of Zuhr Prayer During Extreme Heat: Following the Sunnah
Summary
Sh. Ali Mashhour continues his lecture on prayer timings from Kitab as-Salah in al-Wajiz, focusing on the timing of Zuhr prayer during hot weather. He discusses two narrations: one from Jabir ibn Samura indicating the Prophet would pray Zuhr early, and one from Abu Hurairah showing the Prophet would delay Zuhr until it cooled down. Sh. Ali Mashhour explains that the timing depends on the heat intensity—when extreme heat occurs, it is Sunnah to delay prayer to ensure comfort for worshippers, particularly those who walk to the masjid. This principle extends to other extreme weather conditions and is based on the hadith that daytime heat is from the intensity of Jahannam.
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[Arabic recitation]
In al-Wajiz in the chapters regarding the timings of prayers. We've discussed it. We've discussed the various timings of each of the five prayers. idealic times for each of the five prayers, and we also discussed the absolute end of the timings for each of the five prayers, the beginning times and the end times.
[Silence]
[Arabic recitation]
Prophet Sallallahu alaihi wasallam would often pray Zuhr once the sun had started to get closer to Asr time. And the reason for this is because of the intensity of heat, especially during the summer time. So, during the summer months instead of having people come to Salat al-Zuhr when the sun is at its highest and when the sun is at its hottest, he would wait closer to Asr time, about a about an hour after until the sun would cool off a little bit before people would come out to the masjid. This is still a sunnah that is enacted, but it is a lot more necessary in a masjid that doesn't have air conditioning, for instance. people mostly walk to the masjid rather than drive and so forth. This is really the reasoning for this and this is the time when it would be appropriate to exercise this sunnah. So, if for instance, we were in an area where people walk to Zuhr or in an area where in certain masajid around the world, probably most masajid around the world, they don't have AC in a desert area, it becomes extremely stifling hot inside of the masjid, so it becomes the sunnah to let it cool off a bit before starting salah. And the reason for this is so that a person can have a degree of comfort in salah. Especially, you know, it's hot out and then everybody's coming together, standing close together, usually in a smaller masjid. It gets very hot, very uncomfortable. And so, it is the prophet salallahu alayhi wasallam, he enacted this sunnah for this purpose. And so, if this necessity arises, we implement the sunnah. If it's not, then the best time to make zuhr is at the beginning of its time.
[Arabic recitation]
The narration of Jabir ibn Samurah is regarding praying zuhr as soon as zuhr comes in, immediately. The next narration, the narration of Abu Hurairah, is going to be waiting for zuhr until it gets late and closer to asr. When do we enact each of these? Based on the heat. This is This is the whole reason. So, we have narration of Jabir ibn Samurah where he makes salat al-zuhr as soon as it comes in. Then we have the next narration, the narration of Abu Hurairah, where he makes salat al-zuhr much closer to asr. Yaqulu.
[Silence]
[Arabic recitation]
That the prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam says, "If it becomes very hot outside, then delay prayer until it becomes cooler because indeed the intensity of the heat of the daytime is from the gusts of Jahannam." And the point of this is that anytime when we have an extreme that occurs for Jama' salah, it is the sunnah to await that extreme to go away. to the point that even if there is a need to join prayers in Jama', then this is something that is enacted in extreme cold, extreme heat, extreme rain, extreme ice, etc. And we'll get to that in the future chapters. But the point of these narrations is that extreme heat, out of the ordinary heat, even recurring heat, then we are to delay prayer to where it becomes more comfortable to pray. We can becomes more comfortable to pray. Not necessarily comfortable. There's only so much you can do, but delaying prayer, especially for those who walk to salah during the middle of the day.
[Arabic recitation]