Forbidden Prayer Times: Sunrise, Zenith and Sunset Explained
Three times when prayer is disliked (Muslim 831): while the sun rises, at its peak and as it sets. How long each lasts and how the schools differ.
Uqba ibn Amir said that there were three times at which the Prophet, peace be upon him, forbade them to pray or to bury their dead: when the sun rises until it has risen fully, when it stands at its peak until it passes, and when it leans towards setting until it has set (Muslim 831). Every timetable silently respects these three; knowing them helps you plan voluntary prayers, and it explains a few things apps do.
The three times
| Period | Starts | Ends | How long in practice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunrise | The sun's upper edge appears | The sun has fully risen "a spear's length" | about 15 to 20 minutes after the printed sunrise |
| Zenith | The sun is at its highest point | It starts to move west (the start of Dhuhr) | a few minutes around solar noon |
| Sunset | The sun yellows and weakens | The disc has fully set (Maghrib) | commonly about 15 to 20 minutes before Maghrib; stricter views take the whole time after Asr |
The spear's length is a description in several hadith of how high the sun should be before prayer is resumed; scholars have converted it to roughly 15 to 20 minutes, and some to 12. Adding 20 minutes to the sunrise printed by our prayer times tool keeps you on the safe side, and most masjid timetables use a figure in that range.
Two longer periods
Besides the three short times, there are two longer periods during which voluntary prayer is disliked, from hadith in al-Bukhari and Muslim: after the Fajr prayer until the sun has risen, and after the Asr prayer until it has set. The distinction matters:
- The three short times are about the sun's position and apply whatever you have prayed.
- The two longer periods begin only when you have prayed Fajr or Asr. If you have not yet prayed Asr, you can still pray its sunnah before it.
Obligatory prayers of the day itself are not affected by the two longer periods: you may pray Asr at any time until sunset, and Fajr any time until sunrise.
How the schools differ on exceptions
This is where honest differences exist, and a short table says it better than paragraphs.
| Prayer | Hanafi | Maliki | Shafi'i | Hanbali |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Making up missed obligatory prayers | Not at the three short times; allowed in the two longer periods | Allowed at all times | Allowed at all times | Allowed at all times |
| Prayers with a cause (greeting the mosque, after wudu, funeral prayer) | Funeral allowed in the longer periods; otherwise generally avoided | Funeral and prostration allowed with limits; others avoided | Allowed, including at the three times | Funeral allowed; other voluntary prayers generally avoided |
| Voluntary prayer with no cause | Disliked throughout | Disliked throughout | Disliked throughout | Disliked throughout |
| That day's Asr at sunset | Valid even as the sun sets | Valid | Valid | Valid |
| In the Sacred Mosque in Makkah | Same as elsewhere | Same as elsewhere | No disliked time for prayer there | No disliked time for tawaf prayer there |
Hanafi scholars also hold that an Asr prayer begun before the yellowing may be completed into sunset, and that a Fajr prayer caught by sunrise is interrupted; the other schools regard the prayer as valid if begun in time. These are detailed matters; follow your school and ask a scholar or imam you trust where in doubt.
What this means on a normal day
Using London, Monday 8 February 2027 as an example (sunrise 07:28, Dhuhr 12:16, Maghrib 17:02):
- 05:34 to 07:28: Fajr. Pray the two sunnah rak'ahs before Fajr, not after it.
- 07:28 to about 07:48: sunrise. No prayer. Dhikr, Qur'an and dua are fine, and the morning adhkar are especially suited here.
- 07:48 to about 12:05: duha can be prayed any time; the later morning is best (Muslim 720 and the hadith that the prayer of the penitent is when the sand is hot, reported by Muslim).
- About 12:10 to 12:16: the sun at its peak. Wait for the printed Dhuhr.
- 14:36 to 17:02: Asr. After praying it, no voluntary prayer. From roughly 16:45 the sun yellows; finish Asr before then.
- After 17:02: Maghrib. The disliked period is over.
The exact minute does not need to be fretted over; praying a voluntary prayer that begins a minute before the sun's yellowing is not something anyone can measure. The point is to keep a margin.
Why these times
The hadith of Amr ibn Abasa in Sahih Muslim explains that the sun rises between the two horns of Satan and that the disbelievers prostrate to it at those moments, so the believer's prayer is kept clear of them. The zenith period is described as the time when Hell is stoked. Scholars have taken from this that the prohibition is about avoiding any resemblance to sun-worship, which is also why dhikr and dua at those times are not restricted.
Friday and Jumu'ah
There is a known exception discussed by Shafi'is and others: voluntary prayer at the zenith on Friday, for those waiting for Jumu'ah, since people would continue praying until the imam came out. Masjids differ in practice; see Jumu'ah prayer.
Where to find these moments on our tool
The prayer times tool prints sunrise and Dhuhr; the sunrise disliked period is the 15 to 20 minutes after sunrise, the zenith period is the few minutes before the printed Dhuhr, and the sunset period is the 15 to 20 minutes before Maghrib. The sunnah prayer times article shows the duha and night-prayer windows that sit between them, and the article on missed prayers covers making up prayers in more detail.
Useful tools
Questions and answers
Can I pray Fajr after sunrise if I overslept?
Yes. A missed obligatory prayer is prayed when you remember (Bukhari 597; Muslim 684). Most schools say pray it at once; Hanafis prefer to wait until about 15 to 20 minutes after sunrise. Either way it is not left until later in the day.
How long after sunrise can I pray duha or other voluntary prayers?
When the sun has risen about a spear's length above the horizon, which timetables and scholars commonly take as 15 to 20 minutes after sunrise. Add 20 minutes to the printed sunrise to be safe.
Is the zenith period long?
No. It is the few minutes while the sun is at its highest, before it starts to move west. The Dhuhr time on a timetable is set after it, so praying Dhuhr at its printed time is fine.
Can I pray the two rak'ahs of greeting the mosque during these times?
Shafi'is and Hanbalis generally allow prayers that have a cause, such as greeting the mosque or the prayer after wudu, even then. Hanafis and Malikis generally do not. Ask your imam what is practised in your masjid.
Does the disliked time after Asr start at the adhan or at the iqamah?
It starts after you have prayed Asr, under the view that voluntary prayer is disliked from then until sunset. It is not tied to the clock. The separate, stricter period runs from the sun's yellowing to sunset regardless of whether you have prayed.
Sources
- Sahih Muslim 831 (Uqba ibn Amir: three times prayer and burial are disliked)
- Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim (no prayer after Fajr until sunrise nor after Asr until sunset)
- Sahih al-Bukhari 597; Sahih Muslim 684 (pray a forgotten prayer when you remember)
- Sahih al-Bukhari 444; Sahih Muslim 714 (two rak'ahs on entering the mosque)