Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

After morning namz i read quaran & sadida (Bow down) come, Is it alright to do it while sun is ricing?

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Forbidden times for prayer sajdah

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Fiqh-us-Sunnah Fiqh 2.41a

Topic: Ruling concerning prostration during the Quranic recitation

The majority of the scholars say that prostrations for the "'ayyat of sajdah" are Sunnah for the one who recites the 'ayyah’ and for the one who hears it. This is based on what al-Bukhari recorded from 'Umar who recited Surah An-Nahl upon the minbar one Friday, until he came to the "'ayyah of sajdah," and he descended from the pulpit and prostrated along with the people. On the next Friday, he recited the same and when he came to the 'ayyah of sajdah, he said: "O people, we have not been Commanded to prostrate (on a Verse of Sajdah). Whoever does so has acted correctly, while, there is no sin upon one who does not do so."

It is preferred and a Sunnah to make the prostration when one hears or recites a Verse of Prostration from the Glorious Quran, but if one forgets or delays the prostration for any reason whatsoever, there is no harm and no sin upon the person.

Amr ibn 'Abbas related that he said, "O Prophet of Allah (saws), inform me about the prayers." He (saws) said, "Pray the morning prayer, and then abstain from prayer until sunrise and the sun has completely risen, for it rises between the horns of Shaitaan. That is when the unbelievers prostrate to it. Then pray, as your prayer will be witnessed and attended to until the shadow of a spear becomes less than its length. At that time stop praying, for at that time the hell-fire is fed with fuel. When the shade comes, you may pray, for your prayer will be witnessed and attended (to by angels) until you pray the afternoon prayer. Then abstain from praying until the sun sets, for its sets between the horns of Shaitaan, and that is when the unbelievers make prostrations to it."

Related by Ahmad and Muslim.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) forbade the believers from offering voluntary prayers after one has prayed one’s obligatory prayers of ‘fajr’ until the sun has completely risen; and after one’s obligatory ‘asr’ prayers until after the sun has completely set.

But there is absolutely no harm if one wishes to make prostration, either as a prostration when reciting the Quran (sajdah-tilawah) or to supplicate one’s Lord Most Gracious even after one has fulfilled one’s fajr or asr prayers. The Messenger of Allah (saws) however discouraged the believers to make prostration at three distinct times:

1. When the sun is actually in the process of rising from the horizon until it has completely risen.
2. When the sun is at its exact zenith in the noon.
3. When the sun is actually in the process of setting in the horizon until it has completely set.

Thus if one happens to recite the Quran and comes across a ‘sajdah-tilawah’ or ‘Verse of Prostration’ and notices that it is one of the three (listed above) times when prayer or prostration is prohibited, it would best and preferred that one delay one’s ‘sajdah tilawah’ after the prohibited time of prostration has elapsed.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan