Stoning before the sun reaches its zenith

Question : Shaykh, some of the scholars have said that there is no evidence prohibiting stoning before the sun reaches its zenith, and that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) stoned on the day of 'Id in the morning, and stoned on the days of Tashreeq after the sun reached its zenith, especially since many of the people of knowledge have permitted stoning after Maghrib, saying that there is no evidence prohibiting stoning before the sun reaches its zenith. So what is your view, may Allah preserve you?

Answer : We say, may Allah bless you, that there is evidence. From the Sunnah and from the statements of the Companions. As for the Sunnah, the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) did not permit the weak to stone before the sun reached its zenith, despite their need to do so, because the time of the zenith is hot. He permitted them to stone before the sun rises on the day of 'Id. Second, the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) would wait for the sun to reach its zenith. When it reached its zenith, he would stone before praying the midday prayer, so it was as if he (peace and blessings be upon him) was waiting for the sun to reach its zenith with great eagerness. For this reason, he placed the stoning before the prayer. Third, the Islamic religion is a religion of ease and simplicity, and it is well known that people stoning from the beginning of the day is easier and simpler, whether in terms of the coolness of the weather or the length of the time. If this had been permissible, the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) would have clarified it for the Ummah by his saying or his doing. These are three pieces of evidence. Fourth, the default ruling regarding the saying of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) is to follow it unless there is evidence to the contrary. And there is no evidence from his verbal, tacit, or practical Sunnah regarding the permissibility of stoning before the sun reaches its zenith. As for His saying (Glorified and Exalted is He) , this is general, and the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) clarified that what is meant by the remembrance in the counted days, specifically in the stoning, is after the sun reaches its zenith. As for the one who says that it extends until sunset, his argument is that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) did not set a limit for its end; he did not say, "Do not stone after sunset." Another argument he gave is that the severe crowding that exists in our present time necessitates the permissibility of delaying, because this is a dire necessity. Most people are unable to push through the crowds, as you know, deaths may occur due to this crowding. Yes, indeed.