The three forbidden times
'Uqbah ibn 'Amir said there were three times when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ forbade us to pray or to bury our dead: as the sun rises until it is up, when it stands at its highest until it passes the meridian, and as it begins to set until it has set (Sahih Muslim 831). In the Hanafi school no salah at all may be prayed at these times, not even qada.
- Sunrise: from the moment the sun begins to rise until it is clearly up, about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Zawal: while the sun is at its highest, just before Dhuhr begins. We show the 10 minutes before Dhuhr to be safe.
- Sunset: from when the sun turns pale and weak until it has set, about 15 to 20 minutes.
The exceptions
- That day's Asr can still be prayed before sunset if it was delayed, though delaying it this late is disliked.
- A janazah brought at one of these times can be prayed then.
- A sajdah tilawat for an ayah recited at one of these times can be done then.
Two times when nafl is disliked
After the Fajr salah until sunrise, and after the Asr salah until the sun turns pale, nafl and sunnah prayers are makruh. Qada prayers, janazah and sajdah tilawat are allowed then. From dawn until Fajr salah, no nafl is prayed beyond the two sunnah of Fajr.
Prayer timesQada salah trackerSajdah tilawatWitr and dua al-qunut