Will you explain the times of karahah when performing a prayer is makruh, by mentioning times like forty-five minutes after sunrise and thirty minutes before sunset?

Dear Brother / Sister,

There are five periods of time called "makruh times":

The first one: It is the time period starting with the sunrise up to the time when the sun rises a spear length, about forty to fifty minutes in Turkey.

The second one: When the sun rises to the peak called zawal time. It is the time about forty minutes before the noon prayer.

The third one: It is the time in the afternoon when the sun starts to turn yellow and does not dazzle the eyes to the time when the sun sets. This is about forty-five minutes before the sunset, that is, the evening prayer.   

The fourth one: The time from fajr as-sadiq (true dawn) to the time when the sun rises.

The fifth one: The time from the performance of the afternoon prayer to the time when the sun sets.

In the first three times of karahah, no missed fard prayers, no wajib prayers like witr, no janazah prayer can be performed; nor sajdah at-tilawah can be performed. If they are performed, they have to be performed again.

No nafilah prayers can be performed at those three times. However, if a nafilah prayer is performed it is makruh but permissible; it does not have to be performed again. For, this karahah does not invalidate a nafilah prayer. However, it is more virtuous to perform such a nafilah prayer after the time of karahah.

Those three times are the worshipping times of fire-worshippers. To avoid those times is a necessity of respect shown to the true religion.

It is makruh to perform a nafilah prayer in the other two times of karahah. It is not makruh to perform fard and wajib prayers. It is not makruh to perform janazah prayer and sajdah at-tilawah. If a nafilah prayer that is started at one of those two times is broken in order to get rid of karahah, it is necessary to perform it again later.

Only the fard of the afternoon prayer of that day can be performed when the sun is about to set. However, a missed afternoon prayer of another day cannot be performed then. For, a deed of worshipping that becomes wajib at a perfect time cannot be performed as qada at an incomplete time (at a time of karahah). The time of karahah causes a deed of worshipping to be incomplete. 

If the sun rises while a prayer is being performed, that prayer becomes invalidated. Therefore, if the sun sets while a person is performing the afternoon prayer, his prayer is not invalidated but if the sun rises while a person is performing the morning prayer, his prayer is invalidated. For, in the first case, a new time period for a prayer starts. In the second case, the time period for a prayer ends but a new time period for a prayer does not start.

A fard or wajib prayer that coincides with zawal time is invalidated; if it is a nafilah prayer, it becomes makruh. However, according to Imam Abu Yusuf, it is permissible to perform a nafilah prayer at zawal time on Friday and it is not makruh. When zawal time ends and the sun starts to tend toward the west, time for karahah ends unanimously.

It is permissible to perform a sajdah due to a verse of sajdah read at the time for karahah but it is more virtuous to perform it later. A janazah prayer of a dead Muslim that is prepared at the time of karahah can be performed then. It is more virtuous to perform it at that time. For it is mandub to hurry for janazahs. 

It is makruh to perform a nafilah prayer after the sun sets and before the fard of the evening prayer is performed. For, the evening prayer is delayed in that case. As a matter of fact, it is virtuous to hurry to perform the evening prayer. 

It is makruh to start a prayer after the imam ascends the pulpit or after iqamah is called on Friday.

It is makruh to perform a nafilah prayer before eid prayer and between the sermons of eid prayer, after the sermons in the places where eid prayers are performed. It is makruh to perform a nafilah prayer during the sermons of kusuf prayer, rain prayer and hajj. It is necessary to listen to those sermons.

If a nafilah prayer that is started at a time when it is not makruh to perform a prayer and if it is broken, it is wajib to perform it as qada but makruh to perform it between the time period after the afternoon prayer and the sunset, and after dawn to the time when the sun rises a spear length. However, it is valid if it is performed as qada at those times. The other karahah times are like that too. However, the first three karahah times are not like that. It is not valid if it is performed as qada at one of those times; it has to be performed again.

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