Is it permissible to pray the sunnah of purity after performing wudu' during the prohibited time before Maghrib?
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The questioner : Is it permissible to pray the sunnah of purity after performing wudu' during the prohibited time before Maghrib?
The Shaykh : This depends on the opinion regarding the permissibility of voluntary prayers with a specific cause during the prohibited times. The scholars, may Allah have mercy on them, differ on this issue. That is, if the cause for a voluntary prayer occurs during a prohibited time, does one pray it or not? The scholars differed on this. Some said that one should pray it. Some said that one should not pray it except for what the Sunnah specifically mentions. Some said that one should pray it as a general rule, meaning one prays voluntary prayers that have a cause. For example, if a man performs wudu' after the 'Asr prayer, some scholars say: do not pray the sunnah of wudu'. Some say: pray the sunnah of wudu'. Some say: do not pray it because it was not transmitted as a specific act in itself. The correct view is that one should pray it, and the criterion is: if the voluntary prayer has a cause, then one prays it when its cause is present, at any time—after 'Asr, after Fajr, when the sun is at its zenith, or at any other time. If it has no cause, then one does not pray it. Based on this, if a person enters the mosque after the 'Asr prayer, he should not sit until he prays two rak'ahs. After the Fajr prayer, he should not sit until he prays two rak'ahs. When the sun is at its zenith, he should not sit until he prays two rak'ahs. If the sun is eclipsed after the 'Asr prayer, he prays the eclipse prayer. If he has an urgent prayer of istikharah that cannot be delayed until the prohibited time ends, he prays it during the prohibited time. If he performs wudu', he prays the sunnah of wudu' at any time. If he enters the mosque and finds them praying, and he has already prayed before, he prays with them at any time, and so on. This is the stronger opinion among the views of the scholars, based on the indication of the Sunnah. It is one of the two narrations from Imam Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on him, and it is the choice of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah. It remains to be said: People are waiting for the Jumu'ah prayer. A man comes to the mosque early and prays as much as he wishes, then sits and reads the Qur'an. When the sun is about to reach its zenith, he stands up to pray. Is this permissible? We say: This is not permissible, because the time just before the sun reaches its zenith, by about ten minutes, is a prohibited time. It is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), in the hadith of 'Uqbah ibn 'Amir, that there is no prayer in this time and that prayer is prohibited in this time. This man who came early for Jumu'ah, prayed as much as he wished, and sat reading the Qur'an, has no cause to stand up and pray when the sun is at its zenith. The opinion that there is no prohibited time for the Jumu'ah prayer when the sun is at its zenith is based on weak evidence that cannot be relied upon. This evidence is not strong enough to restrict the general evidence indicating the prohibition of prayer when the sun is at its zenith. Therefore, it is said to these people: Do not stand up to pray when the sun is at its zenith on Friday. However, if a person has been praying since he entered, such as if he came close to the mosque and kept praying as many rak'ahs as he wished until the imam arrived, this is a matter of consideration. Some scholars said: There is no harm in it, because the Companions used to pray voluntary prayers until the arrival of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) for the Jumu'ah prayer. Some said: The prohibition of prayer in this time is not taken into account, and no dispensation is granted except for what has a cause. This opinion is more cautious and better.
In summary, we point out the action of those who are in the mosque on Friday and, when the sun is about to reach its zenith, they stand up to pray voluntary prayers. We say: This is a prohibited matter.
The questioner : May Allah reward you.
The Shaykh : This depends on the opinion regarding the permissibility of voluntary prayers with a specific cause during the prohibited times. The scholars, may Allah have mercy on them, differ on this issue. That is, if the cause for a voluntary prayer occurs during a prohibited time, does one pray it or not? The scholars differed on this. Some said that one should pray it. Some said that one should not pray it except for what the Sunnah specifically mentions. Some said that one should pray it as a general rule, meaning one prays voluntary prayers that have a cause. For example, if a man performs wudu' after the 'Asr prayer, some scholars say: do not pray the sunnah of wudu'. Some say: pray the sunnah of wudu'. Some say: do not pray it because it was not transmitted as a specific act in itself. The correct view is that one should pray it, and the criterion is: if the voluntary prayer has a cause, then one prays it when its cause is present, at any time—after 'Asr, after Fajr, when the sun is at its zenith, or at any other time. If it has no cause, then one does not pray it. Based on this, if a person enters the mosque after the 'Asr prayer, he should not sit until he prays two rak'ahs. After the Fajr prayer, he should not sit until he prays two rak'ahs. When the sun is at its zenith, he should not sit until he prays two rak'ahs. If the sun is eclipsed after the 'Asr prayer, he prays the eclipse prayer. If he has an urgent prayer of istikharah that cannot be delayed until the prohibited time ends, he prays it during the prohibited time. If he performs wudu', he prays the sunnah of wudu' at any time. If he enters the mosque and finds them praying, and he has already prayed before, he prays with them at any time, and so on. This is the stronger opinion among the views of the scholars, based on the indication of the Sunnah. It is one of the two narrations from Imam Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on him, and it is the choice of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah. It remains to be said: People are waiting for the Jumu'ah prayer. A man comes to the mosque early and prays as much as he wishes, then sits and reads the Qur'an. When the sun is about to reach its zenith, he stands up to pray. Is this permissible? We say: This is not permissible, because the time just before the sun reaches its zenith, by about ten minutes, is a prohibited time. It is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), in the hadith of 'Uqbah ibn 'Amir, that there is no prayer in this time and that prayer is prohibited in this time. This man who came early for Jumu'ah, prayed as much as he wished, and sat reading the Qur'an, has no cause to stand up and pray when the sun is at its zenith. The opinion that there is no prohibited time for the Jumu'ah prayer when the sun is at its zenith is based on weak evidence that cannot be relied upon. This evidence is not strong enough to restrict the general evidence indicating the prohibition of prayer when the sun is at its zenith. Therefore, it is said to these people: Do not stand up to pray when the sun is at its zenith on Friday. However, if a person has been praying since he entered, such as if he came close to the mosque and kept praying as many rak'ahs as he wished until the imam arrived, this is a matter of consideration. Some scholars said: There is no harm in it, because the Companions used to pray voluntary prayers until the arrival of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) for the Jumu'ah prayer. Some said: The prohibition of prayer in this time is not taken into account, and no dispensation is granted except for what has a cause. This opinion is more cautious and better.
In summary, we point out the action of those who are in the mosque on Friday and, when the sun is about to reach its zenith, they stand up to pray voluntary prayers. We say: This is a prohibited matter.
The questioner : May Allah reward you.