To perform the morning prayer at the time of karahah: They say the morning prayer performed at the time of karahah replaces a missed (qada) prayer.

They say the morning prayer performed at the time of karahah replaces a missed (qada) prayer. If we wake up at the time of karahah, do we have to perform the morning prayer at once or do we have to wait for the time of karahah to end and to perform it afterwards?

Dear Brother / Sister,

We can list the times of karahah as follows:

1. Time of karahah in the morning: It starts when the sun rises and ends forty-five minutes after that.

2. Time of karahah at noon: It starts when the sun is at its peak, that is, about forty-five minutes before the time period for the noon prayer starts, and ends when adhan for the noon prayer is called.

3. Time of karahah in the evening: It starts when the sun is about to set, that is, forty-five minutes before the evening prayer and ends when adhan for the evening prayer is called.

In short, prayers are not performed when the sun is rising, is at its peak and is setting. It is makruh tahrimi to perform prayers at those times.

The prayers performed at the times of karahah are not valid. Nafilahs are valid but makruh. It is necessary to stop the nafilah prayers started at those times and to perform them again afterwards.

If any fard prayer except the fard of the afternoon prayer is performed at the time of karahah in the evening, it is not valid. Therefore, it is more appropriate to perform a fard prayer that is performed at the time of karahah again after the time of karahah ends.

Prostration of tilawah is wajib and it is not performed at the time of karahah. Even if it is performed, it is not valid. Only the fard of the afternoon prayer of that day is allowed to be performed then.

Uqba b. Amir, one of the Companions, narrates:

"The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) prohibited us from performing prayers and burying our dead people at three time periods:

* from the sunrise to the sun's going up,
* from the time when the sun is at its peak at noon to the time it starts moving to the west,
* from the time the sun tends to set to sunset."(Muslim, Musafirin, 293; Abu Dawud, Janaiz 51; Tirmidhi, Janaiz, 41; Nasai, Mawaqit, 31)

For the other hadiths regarding the issue and explanations, see Prof. Dr. İbrahim Canan, Hadis Ansiklopedisi, VII/427-446.

The three time periods mentioned in the hadith change based on the length of the day but they are about forty-five minutes. It is regarded makruh to perform prayers at those times due to the hadith mentioned above and similar ones.

It is necessary to be careful about the following issue: It is necessary not to delay the afternoon prayer to the time of karahah. However, if it has been delayed, it is definitely necessary to perform the afternoon prayer before the sun sets. For, it is makruh to delay a fard prayer to the time of karahah but it is haram to skip it.

Apart from those three times, there are two more times when it is makruh to perform nafilah prayers.

* Only the sunnah of the morning prayer can be performed after the time period for the morning prayer starts up to the time when the sun rises. It is regarded makruh to perform any other nafilah prayers.

* It is makruh to perform nafilah prayers after the afternoon prayer is performed up to the time when the sun sets.

The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) prohibited performing prayers other than the prayers of those time periods then.

Accordingly, a person who performs the morning prayer at the time of karahah has to perform it again. If he performs it as qada (missed) prayer before the time period for the noon prayer starts, he performs it together with the sunnah. If he performs it after that, he performs only the fard as qada.

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