The Meaning of the Horns of Satan and the Time When Prayer Is Prohibited

Question:
Our discussion stopped at the chapter on the first and last times for the 'Asr prayer, in terms of the preferred ruling and in cases of dire necessity. In reality, our discussion stopped at a set of questions: What is the meaning of the horns of Satan, Your Eminence the Shaykh?

Answer:
and may Allah send blessings and peace upon the Messenger of Allah, his family, and his Companions, and upon those who follow his guidance.
As for what follows, the horns of Satan are his conjunction with the sun when it rises. The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited praying at that time until the sun rises and its conjunction with it ceases, for at that time he imagines in his mind that he is being worshipped. The Muslim does not pray except to Allah alone, so what is prescribed for the believer at that time is not to offer voluntary prayer until the sun has risen the height of a spear, as the hadith from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) states that he ordered 'Amr ibn al-'As and others not to pray until the sun had risen the height of a spear. He also prohibited prayer at the rising of the sun and at its setting. This is what is obligatory for the believing man and woman: not to pray at the rising of the sun or at its setting, for it rises between the horns of Satan. However, this is with the exception of prayers with a cause, according to the stronger position. So if one enters the mosque at the end of the day, or enters the mosque before the sun rises, and he prays under the mosque, that is permissible according to the stronger position; for at that time the prayer was offered for the sake of entering the mosque, not to imitate the enemies of Allah, but rather there is a cause that led to it, which is entering the mosque. The sunnah of wudu' is likewise, and the sunnah of tawaf if one circumambulates after 'Asr; these are not included in the prohibition.

The presenter:
Yes, may Allah preserve you.