If the time of another prayer starts while performing a prayer, is that prayer valid?

The Details of the Question

While I was performing the noon prayer, adhan for the afternoon prayer started to be called. Should I leave the prayer at that time or finish the noon prayer and perform the afternoon prayer later?  

The Answer

Dear Brother / Sister,

The time for the morning (fajr) prayer starts with imsak and ends when the sun rises. However, according to Hanafis, it is more virtuous to delay it to the time when it becomes a bit bright but according to Shafiis to perform it early, when it is still dark. If the sun rises while performing the prayer and before the prayer ends, the prayer is invalidated. It is necessary to perform it again after the time for karaha ends.

One of the fards of the prayer is its time. For instance, we cannot perform the noon prayer before the time for the noon prayer starts. The time for a prayer starts when its time starts and ends when the time for the next prayer starts. We can perform prayers between these two times. I will give you an original example. It may help you understand the issue better:

Suppose that you delayed the noon prayer. The afternoon time is close. You started to perform the noon prayer. The time for the afternoon prayer started after you prostrated for the first rak’ah. There are three more rak’ahs of the afternoon prayer. What should you do?  You should continue the prayer and perform the remaining three rak’ahs. For, the following is stated in a hadith: 

“Whoever could get one rak`ah of a prayer, (in its proper time) he has got the prayer." (Bukhari, Mawaqitus-Salat 17, 28; Muslim, Masajid 161-162)

However, it is necessary to perform the morning and afternoon prayers more carefully. It is makruh to perform prayers when the sun rises in the morning and when the sun sets in the evening so as not to resemble those who worship the sun. Therefore, it is necessary to complete the morning prayer one or two minutes before the sun rises and the afternoon prayer before the sun sets. 

If we salute after the morning prayer before the sun rises, our prayer is valid. Therefore, our prayer is valid if we salute even one minute before the sun rises.

It is necessary not to delay the afternoon prayer to a time close to the sunset. Therefore, it is makruh to perform it at a time close to the sunset. However, if we perform one rak’ah and then the sun sets, the remaining rak’ahs are completed. This is something unpleasant but the prayer is valid.

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