The ruling on praying when the sun is at its zenith before it declines

Question:
May Allah reward you. The sister asking says: Shaykh, how long is the time of the sun's zenith when prayer is prohibited?

Answer:
The time of prohibition is when the sun is directly overhead. So when it is directly overhead, there is no prayer at that time, but it is a short time that does not allow for a prayer. When the sun moves from overhead toward the west and the shadow begins, even slightly, toward the east, then the time for the midday prayer has entered and the time of prohibition has passed, due to the saying of Allah the Exalted: And the setting of the sun is its moving away from being directly overhead. Yes.