The Criterion for Delaying the 'Isha' Prayer
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
What is the criterion regarding the timing of delaying the 'Isha' prayer? Is it that we delay it as much as possible, or do we pray it at the beginning of its time, or do we delay it until the end of its time, or is it somewhere in between?
Answer:
One follows what is most convenient. If it is more convenient to pray it early, one prays it early; if it is more convenient to delay it, one delays it. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), when he saw the Companions gathering, would hasten the prayer, and when he saw them delaying, he would delay it. This is because the time for 'Isha' is spacious, and the later it is, the better. However, if this preference is opposed by hardship for the people, then removing the hardship takes precedence over attaining the preference. Yes.
What is the criterion regarding the timing of delaying the 'Isha' prayer? Is it that we delay it as much as possible, or do we pray it at the beginning of its time, or do we delay it until the end of its time, or is it somewhere in between?
Answer:
One follows what is most convenient. If it is more convenient to pray it early, one prays it early; if it is more convenient to delay it, one delays it. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), when he saw the Companions gathering, would hasten the prayer, and when he saw them delaying, he would delay it. This is because the time for 'Isha' is spacious, and the later it is, the better. However, if this preference is opposed by hardship for the people, then removing the hardship takes precedence over attaining the preference. Yes.
Source
شرح الكافية الشافية في الانتصار للفرقة الناجية [ القصيدة النونية ] [ صالح الفوزان ]، بداية من قوله : وإذا ظننت تعارضا فيها فذا من آفة الأفهام والأذهان — islamhouse.com (37:13)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.