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Fatwa CenterTime of Asr according to the Hanafi school
Question
Assalamu alaikum, After taking a shower and while putting on my pants my hand Unintentioanlly touched my private part, so i did not redo my wudu and prayed, was what I did right? Also, this is from like 3-4 months before, i prayed zuhur at like 3:20-3:25, and asr was around 3:15 according to standard time, also what is the deal with hanafi time, is it okay, so i wanted to is my salat valid or i need to make it up? JazakAllah Khair
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu 'alyhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.
With regards to your first question, please refer to Fatwa 83121
As for the second question, Allaah has determined a specified time for each prayer, and it is not permissible to perform the prayer before its due time, or to delay it from its prescribed time without a sound reason; Allaah Says (what means): {Indeed, prayer has been decreed upon the believers a decree of specified times.} [Quran 4:103]
Indeed the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, clarified the beginning and ending time of each prayer and it will not suffice whoever performs the prayer before its due time and he is obliged to re-do it after its time starts. What is meant here by its time is the time prescribed by Allaah; for instance the time of Thuhr - about which the question was asked - starts from the time the sun is at its meridian to when the shadow of something is similar to its length.
The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: "Thuhr (noon prayer) begins when the sun passes its meridian and its time continues until the shadow of a man is similar to his length and as long as the time of 'Asr does not start. The time of 'Asr lasts until the yellowing of the sun (during its setting). The time of Maghrib begins with the disappearance of the sun and lasts until the red twilight ends. As for the time of 'Ishaa', it starts when the red twilight disappears and continues until the middle of a night of medium duration. The time of Fajr starts with the appearance of dawn and lasts until sunrise." [Muslim]
The Hanafi school has two opinions with regard to the ending time of the Thuhr prayer. Their first opinion is in accordance with the view of the majority of the scholars
which is when the shadow of a thing is similar to its length, and the second opinion is when the shadow of an object is twice its length. The most preponderant opinion, however, is the view of the majority of the scholars
The evidence for this is that Jaabir Ibn 'Abdullaah 
narrated, "The angel Jibreel (Gabriel) came to the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, when the sun was at its meridian and said to him, ‘Stand and pray,’ and they performed the Thuhr prayer when the sun had passed its meridian. He then came to him for the 'Asr prayer and said, ‘Stand and pray,’ and they performed the 'Asr prayer when the shadow of a man was similar to his height… Then Jibreel came on the next day at noon and said to the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, ‘Stand and pray,’ and they performed Thuhr when the length of the shadow of a man was close to the length of his height. Then he came for the 'Asr prayer and said, ‘Stand and pray,’ and they performed 'Asr when the shadow of a man was twice as long as his height. Then Jibreel said, ‘Between these times are the times for the prayers.’" [Ahmad, An-Nasaa'ee and At-Tirmithi]
Therefore, your Thuhr prayer is correct according to one of the two opinions of the Hanafi school. Your prayer is also correct according to the view of the majority of the scholars if you prayed while the length of the shadow of a man was equal to his height but you are sinful if you had performed it after its due time expired without a sound reason, like sleeping, forgetting and the like. Their [the Hanafi school’s] time is when the shadow of an object is similar to its length. So, you are obliged to repent to Allaah, for the conditions of repentance, please refer to Fatwa 87903
Finally, it should be noted that what is important is the beginning of the real time of the prayer, and not the Athaan (call to prayer) only because if the Athaan is called in advance or is delayed, it does not affect the validity of the prayer as long as one prays after the real time of the prayer has started.
For more benefit, please refer to Fatwa 88333.
Allaah Knows best.
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