Praying Before the Actual Start of the Time of the Prayer

2-11-2022 | IslamWeb

Question:

Assalamualikum warahmatullahi wabarakathu respected Scholars. My question is about praying 3 to 5 minutes before the actual start of prayer time. Is it allowed to do this for Zuhr and Asr prayers? What about Fajr, Maghrib and Isha? Is the prayer acceptable if prayed a few minutes earlier? How many minutes can it be please specify number? May Allah subhana watala reward you with goodness.

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

Praying before the actual prayer time specified by Sharee'ah is not valid, even if it was a minute earlier, because Allah the Almighty says (what means): {Indeed, prayer has been decreed upon the believers a decree of specified times.} [Quran 4:103]. Thus, the prayer is not valid before its specified time.

However, if a person finds out that the time of prayer has begun by seeing its recognized sign, such as the setting of the sun, there is nothing wrong with him if he prays, and thus his prayer is valid, even if that was before the call to prayer.

However, for the whom the recognized sign which indicates that the time of prayer has begun is not clear and he imitates the Mu'aththin in that or relies on the calendar that determines the times of prayer in his country, then in this case, it is not allowed for him to pray before hearing the call to prayer or before the actual time of the prayer specified according to the calendar.

Allah knows best.