Fatwa ID: 07753

Answered by: Molana Sibghat Ullah

Question:

Asr jamaat had started at 2.15 but Asr time (Hanafi timing) started at 2.33.

In this case it is not Asr for me and still Zuhr, but if I miss this jamaat I will be praying Asr alone after or if I can manage to find some people who haven’t prayed I could do a smaller jamaat.

In this case, do I wait until Asr and pray, or should I Join the early jamaat for its blessing?

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Answer: 

Praying salah in congregation is highly rewarded, but it must be performed within its correct time. if the salah is before its time, it will not be considered valid.

If the congregational Salah begins before the Hanafi time, then it is not permissible to join it, as the prayer would not be valid. Instead, you should wait until the time begins for the salah and then perform the salah, either in a separate congregation or individually.

Hope this answers the question.

Only Allah knows best.

Written by Molana Sibghat Ullah

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham

Fatawa Hindiyya, Vol. 1, Bab al-Mawaqit, page 54

“ولا تجوز الصلاة قبل الوقت، فإنها لا تصح بالإجماع عند أبي حنيفة وأصحابه”

“Prayer is not permissible before its prescribed time, and it is invalid by consensus according to Abu Hanifa and his companions.”

Radd ul Muhtar, Vol. 1, Kitab al-Salah, chapter of condition of salah, page 262

“الصلاة قبل دخول الوقت عندنا لا تصح إجماعًا”

“Prayer before the time enters, according to us (Hanafis), is unanimously invalid.”