Chapter of the Times

The Shaykh :"Chapter of the Times"
Al-Mawaqit: The plural of miqat, from the word for time, meaning the chapter on the times in which the Shari'ah has prescribed the performance of prayer. The consideration of these times is indicated by the saying of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He: This shows that it is obligatory and that this obligation is time-bound, meaning it is fixed to a specific time. If they were to occur at one single time, it would involve some hardship, as a person would have to pray seventeen rak'ahs at once. If they were to occur at one time, a person would become negligent for the rest of the time, because if we estimate that he would finish the seventeen rak'ahs in an hour and a half, for example, the remaining time would be left without any connection between him and his Lord. So it was wise that Allah the Exalted established these times for them. Each of these times is tied to a change in the position of the sun: Fajr, Zuhr, 'Asr, Maghrib, and 'Isha' are all linked to the changing of the horizon according to the movement of the sun, and we will explain this, if Allah wills. The times are the most important conditions of prayer, and therefore they must be observed. Even if some of the conditions, pillars, or obligations are lacking—even if, for example, a person does not know al-Fatihah and cannot stand, but he can stand after the time has passed—meaning a person who is afflicted with a condition that comes to him at a specific time of the day or night, and it comes to him at the time of Fajr, for example, so he cannot stand, sit, prostrate, or bow—we say: Pray according to your ability. Do not say: "I will delay it until the sun rises, and I will be able to bow, stand, and sit." We say: Pray according to your ability. If he does not have water to purify himself from ritual impurity and to purify his clothes and body from physical impurity, we say: Pray according to your ability; perform tayammum if you are able, and the best is according to your situation. If he cannot face the qiblah, he prays according to his situation. The important thing is that the time is the most important condition of prayer, and it must be observed, even if some of the conditions are lacking.