Fatwa ID: 05215

Answered by: Mufti Imad Ali

Question

Is there any sunnah salah at zawal time named salatul zawal?

In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful.

Answer:

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)

There are three times in a day where a Muslim should refrain from praying Salah, they are as follows:

• When the sun is rising.
• When the sun is at the highest point, zenith.
• When the sun is setting.

This is according to the Hadith related by Amr bin Abasah. I asked the Apostle of Allah (pbuh) about Salah and He (pbuh) said: “Pray morning prayer, then stop praying until the sun has risen for it rises between the two horns of Satan (the devil) at that time the disbelievers prostrate to it. Then pray, for the prayer is witnessed and attended (by the angels) until when the shadow of a spear falls directly north (i.e. when the sun is directly overhead in the afternoon or mid-noon). Then refrain from praying, for at that time Hell is stoked up. Then when the shadow comes forward (i.e. when the sun passes its zenith) pray, for the prayer is witnessed and attended (by the angels) until you have prayed Asr. Then refrain from praying until the sun has set, for it sets between the two horns of Satan (the devil) and at that time the disbelievers prostrate to it.” (Sahih Muslim. Hadith no: 832)

Regarding your question, there’s a hadith where Abdullah bin As-Sa’ib narrates that the Prophet of Allah (pbuh) used to perform, after the declining of the sun from zenith and before the Zuhr Salah 4 raka’h and the Prophet (pbuh) mentioned about this that it is a brief period during which the doors of the heavens are open and I prefer (i.e. like) that my good deeds are lifted during this period. (Book: Tirmidhi, Volume: 1, Hadith no: 478.)

Only Allah knows best.

Written by Mufti Imad Ali

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham