Salah al-'Asr (Ritual Prayer in the Afternoon)

The weather cools a bit as the sun inclines towards the west from its peak. People are trying to finish the work they started early in the morning. This time period, when worldly pursuits occupy the people the most, when haste and hurry is predominant, is the time of afternoon. The verse “Maintain with care the prayers and in particular the middle prayer and stand before Allah, devoutly obedient.”(Al-Baqarah, 2/238; Jami’ at-Thirmidhi, Salah, 19) in the Qur’an commands us to perform the Afternoon Ritual Prayer with care.  Prophet Muhammad (saw) warned us not to miss this salah with the words: “He who misses the Salah al-'Asr, it is as though he has been deprived of his family and his property.” (Sahih Bukhari, Mawaqit, 14; Sahih Muslim, Masajid, 200)  The Salah al-'Asr consists of eight rak’ah: four sunnah rak’ah and four fardh rak’ah.

The time of the Salah al-'Asr starts when the Salah al-Zuhr (Noon Ritual Prayer) ends and one can perform this salah until sunset. However, it is considered makruh to delay the Salah al-'Asr until the sun does not dazzle the eyes. In order not to resemble idolaters and some other superstitious religions prostrating to the Sun, no qada (compensation) or nafilah (supererogatory) salah are performed in the 50-minute period before sunset. (Sahih Bukhari, Mawaqit, 31; Sahih Muslim, Musafirun, 294)