Explanation of the Book of Prayer-02

The Shaykh : The author (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "And from him" meaning from Muslim "from 'Uqbah ibn 'Amir:

There are three times at which Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) used to forbid us to pray or bury our dead

ثلاث ساعات كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم ينهانا أن نصلي فيهن ، وأن نقبر فيهن موتانا

Bulugh al-Maram 2:15

".
The student: ... .

The Shaykh : We did not explain his statement: This is an enumeration, but an enumeration does not preclude the existence of others if evidence indicates them. For this reason, you will often find the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) saying: and sometimes saying: and another number is mentioned. And his statement: The meaning of "hour" in the Arabic language and in the Shari'ah is a defined time, whether long or short. For this reason, you will find the hadith regarding advancing in the Friday prayer to the end of it, even though these hours differ in length and shortness according to what? According to the time and the seasons. So the "hour" in language and in the Shari'ah is any defined time, whether the duration is long or short, unless he says: then it does not exceed the day. meaning: an obligatory or voluntary prayer. This is because "an" is a source particle, and it is after the prohibition. So if the action is preceded by the source, it becomes as if it is an indefinite noun after what? After the prohibition, so it implies generality. But this generality was previously specified by specifiers that we explained. "Burial" means interment, meaning that we bury the dead in these times. Then he explained it and said: "Spreading" is a confirming state, because "spreading" and "rising" mean the same thing. So is "spreading" a confirming state for its agent or for its subject? I ask: for its agent. Yes, for its agent. And he did not specify the height of the rise, but it was specified in other hadiths: meaning: the length of a spear. The meaning of "spear" is what is thrown in battle, which is about one meter. Approximating this in the currently defined hour is between a quarter of an hour and ten minutes. When the midday sun stands still. This is because when the sun is in the middle of the sky, it becomes as if it is standing and not moving. And This is estimated in minutes as ten minutes or less. And the third: It was said: when it begins to set. The correct view is the first, that it is when it inclines toward sunset. So if the ... Maghrib is like it in the east, meaning the length of a spear, then at that time this time mentioned by 'Uqbah ibn 'Amir from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) enters, meaning when there remains of its setting the length of a spear. These are three hours. These hours are called by the jurists the short times of prohibition. The short times of prohibition. Add these three hours to the prayer after Fajr until the sun rises, and the times become four. Not four; we have not yet reached the fifth. And from the 'Asr prayer until it sets, they become five. And near sunset, the specific and general prohibitions coincide, because when it inclines, it includes the prohibition of the 'Asr prayer until the sun sets. These are the times of prohibition. In these times, every prayer that has no cause is prohibited, whether voluntary or obligatory. There is no prohibition on those that have a cause. The discussion on this has already taken place, but the discussion remains on the wisdom behind it. It has not become clear to me well why burial of the dead is prohibited at this time? But what concerns us is the ruling, because we are bound by the rulings and we are not obligated to know the wisdom and secrets, because our minds may be incapable of that. But we say: if we reach a funeral, if we reach a grave with a funeral and the sun has risen but has not risen the length of a spear, then we do not bury the dead. We do not bury it. We wait until when? Until it rises the length of a spear, then we bury it. Similarly, if we reach the grave with the dead and the midday sun has stood still, then we wait until the sun declines. Thirdly: if we reach the grave with the dead and there remains of the setting of the sun the length of a spear, then we do not bury it until the sun sets. Apart from these three times, there is no harm in burying the dead.