The Ruling on Voluntary Prayer After Fajr and Asr

Question:
He says: Your Eminence the Shaykh! I heard on your program, Light on the Path, that prayer before Maghrib is disliked. Please clarify for us what is meant by this. Is it voluntary prayer, or the two rak'ahs of wudu'? May Allah reward you with good.

Answer:
Prayer after Asr is prohibited. Likewise, after the appearance of Fajr, except for the obligatory prayer and the Sunnah of Fajr, until the sun rises.
Likewise, after the Asr prayer until the sun sets. These two times are prohibited for prayer. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited prayer in them. However, if the prayer is due to a cause.
Then there is no harm in it. For example, the eclipse prayer if the sun eclipses after Asr, and the greeting of the mosque for one who enters the mosque after Asr intending to sit in it until sunset, or to attend a circle of knowledge, or something similar. One should pray the greeting of the mosque, according to the stronger and correct view. Likewise, the Sunnah of wudu'.
When a person performs wudu', it is recommended for him to pray two rak'ahs, even after Asr or after Fajr; this is the Sunnah of wudu'. As for voluntary prayers that have no cause, they are prohibited. It is not permissible to perform them, neither after Fajr nor after Asr, until the sun rises in the morning, and until the sun sets in the evening. As for the obligatory prayer, we pray it in all circumstances. Fajr is prayed in all circumstances, and Asr is prayed in all circumstances. If a person sleeps through the Fajr prayer and does not wake up until the sun has risen, he prays it. Likewise, if he sleeps through Asr and does not wake up until after Asr, when the sun has turned yellow, or if he was occupied with it or forgot it and then remembered, he prays it in any state. It has no prohibited time, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) But it is not permissible for a Muslim to delay the prayer from its time intentionally, neither Fajr nor any other. Rather, it is obligatory for him to pray in the time of Fajr in its time, and Zuhr in its time, and Asr in its time, and Maghrib in its time, and Isha' in its time. This is obligatory upon Muslims to perform these five prayers in their times. But if a person is prevented from doing so until he forgets, he prays it when he remembers. Or if he sleeps and sleep overcomes him so that he does not wake up until the sun rises or after the sun rises, he prays it. Likewise, in Asr, if he wakes up after the sun has set, he prays it as well, based on his saying (peace and blessings be upon him) He remembered it and feared Allah. May Allah reward you with good, and may He do you good.