zawal time

[Khayal]

Salam Alaekum.  The shaikhs forbid us to offer salah during zawal time.  Can we at least read the Quran or do zikr during these times or do we even have to stop that by continuously keeping our eyes on the clock?

[N. Truth Seeker]

Walaykom As Salam.  We can certainly read the Noble Quran and do zikr at any time of the day and night.  There is no such thing as “zawal” time in the Noble Quran.  This also includes offering salah. 

[Khayal]

Thanks

[Zunaira Salam]

What is zawal time?  I don’t know of that.

[Ruhi_Rose]

Zawal time is noon or midday, 12.00 p.m.

[Akhti Aminah]

Do hadith people say not to read Quran or offer salah at 12 noon ?  why?   

[Khayal]

I also don't know the secret why.

[Heba E. Husseyn]

Yes that’s what they say.   It’s a hadith thing NOT supported by the Noble Quran.  Additionally, traditionalists also forbid people to offer salah during sunrise and sunset.  So, they say to finish Fajr before sunrise (which is fine as after sunrise it is sabah) but if you miss Fajr and need to offer qada, they say to wait until the sun rises fully.  Similarly they say to offer Maghreb after the sun has gone down fully.   All this is nonsense.  Its reason is thoroughly absurd.  It’s an allusion to avoid a pagan custom, many of whom worshiped the sun.  Again our traditionalists forget intent (niyyah).  We are complete Monotheists (followers of Tawheed).  When we are offering our salah the only One in our mind and heart is Allah The Almighty and all our worship is for Him only regardless of the position of the sun which is a creation of Allah and its position in the sky keeps changing because of the earth’s rotation as ordained by Allah Almighty.   Thus, believers don’t care for the sun at all.  Our only focus is worship of Allah.   

This entire ‘zawal time’ issue can be completely ignored.   It’s another one of Abu Huraira & Co.’s remembrance of their pagan days. 

[Khayal]

Thank you. very educational information.  I also can't understand what kind of person this abu Huraira was.  When i read many things he said i can't make any head or tail of his words.

[N. Truth Seeker]

It’s another one of Abu Huraira & Co.’s remembrance of their pagan days.   

😆

right sister .. Abu Huraira & co. don't want to tempt themselves thinking of their past they always missed, so they make these rules.  They never had Allah Almighty in their heart.

[Fareeda]

Recently I asked a sister shaikha up to what time can we offer Asr salah, and she said upto 5 to 10 minutes before maghrib.   Isn’t this almost the time when the sun begins to set.?

[Ruhi_Rose]

Right it is.  As we know hadith concepts keep clashing and because of their non practical nature, even our jurists keep forgetting its rules they profess to uphold.  The fact is that there is nothing wrong to pray or read the Quran or recite zikr during zawal time, sunrise or sunset as long as one’s intent is firmly focused on Allah alone.  As already referred by Sister Heba and  brother TS, this issue of zawal, sunrise & sunset props from the guilty conscience of Abu Huraira & co. as most hadith narrators and compilers had questionable intent, many being new converts to Islam converting not for love of Allah but for worldly reasons.

Moreover, the time for Asr salah does not last upto 5 to 10 minutes prior to Maghreb.  That would be too late and though one can offer Asr at that time, it would be qaza prayer because you missed it on time.  The time for Asr salah without making it qaza lasts for upto 15 to 20 minutes befoe Maghreb latest. 

[Naveed]

Some tradition followers say midday is not always at 12 noon. You can calculate the midday by calculating the middle time between the Fajr time and Maghrib.

[Heba E. Husseyn]

All that is totally irrelevant unless one is interested in causing greater confusion.  Midday is simply 12 noon.  Even if you calculate, it will make a difference of 30 minutes or less.  E.g. At present (third week Sept.) in Canada Fajr is 5.40 a.m. and Maghreb 7.20 p.m.  Therefore total time between these two prayers is approx. 13 hrs and 40 mins.  Halfway of this would be approx.. 6 hrs and 50 mins. that is, approx. 12.30 p.m.   In peak summer months Fajr 3.45 a.m. and Maghreb 9.10 p.m.  Total time in between approx. 17 hrs and 25 mins.  Midday from this calculation would be approx. 12.25 p.m.

If someone wants to take midday as 12.30 noon, that's no big problem either.  However 12.00 noon is more widely recognized as midday.  The reason why traditional hadithist circles want the shift to 12.30 p.m. is not to recognize it as midday, but because they have prohibed prayers at 12.00 noon.  In peak winter times when days become very short in North America and even shorter in UK and Europe, time for Dohr prayer begins at 12.00 noon.  Thus traditionalists have shifted that ahead to 12.30 p.m. or sometimes 12.15 p.m. starting time.

[Naveed]

Shukran for the analysis, i get the point.