The Best Time for Performing the Prayer

Question:
And may Allah bless you. Sister Umm Huda says: “Shaykh, what is the best time to perform the prayer? Is the beginning of the time the best? I read a hadith from the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) when he was asked regarding its time.”

Answer:
Yes. When the time for the prayer enters, a person should hasten to perform it; this is better. Hastening to perform it is better and clears his conscience, unless there is something that necessitates delaying it. For example, if he is connected to praying with the congregation, he waits for the congregation and prays with them. Or if it is the time of the midday prayer and there is intense heat, and they go out to pray in the mosque, then they delay it. The recommended practice is to delay it until they cool down, as came in the hadith: If he is connected to a congregation, it is better to delay it until, for example, one-third of the night. As for cases other than these, it is better to hasten to pray at the beginning of its time. Yes.