Fatwa ID: 01981

Answered by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Question:

Can you pray the Jumma prayer before Zawal time or before Zuhr pray time. One of the imam in Oklahoma city Islamic School saying that Jumma prayer is different than Zuhr prayer so can be prayed before zawal time please help us to guide us in this issue

Answer:

According to Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal jummah salah begins before zawal, whereas the other Imams, including Imam Abu Hanifa say that it begins after zawal. (Dars Tirmizi p.276 v.2)

Zawal means the time when the Sun moves away from its peak and this is when Zuhr time starts.   Istiwa is when the Sun is at its highest peak at noon and that is when to read salah is impermissible.   (Raddul Muhtar p.31 v.2)

To calculate ‘Istiwa’ it is half of the time between Sunrise and Sunset.  The time when the Sun is at its peak is for a momentary period; therefore it is difficult to pinpoint the exact moment.  Hence the jurists out of caution have said five minutes before and five minutes after ‘Istiwa’ time one should refrain from reading any salah.   (Aapke Masaail p.144 v.2)

In the aforementioned situation, try advising the Imam that as there may be followers from other Schools of Thoughts and Madhabs it will be best to pray the Salah after zawal and not before.

Only Allah Knows Best

Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham