- Dhuhr
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This article is part of the series: Islam 
The dhuhr prayer (Arabic: صلاة الظهر ṣalāt aẓ-ẓuhr IPA: [sˤalaːt aðˤðˤuhr], "noon prayer") is the prayer after midday (but before the time for the Asr prayer.) Performed daily by practicing Muslims, it is the second of the five daily prayers (salah, the Islamic day begins at maghrib). The five daily prayers collectively are one of the Five Pillars of Islam in Sunni Islam, and one of the ten Practices of the Religion (Furū al-Dīn) according to Shia Islam. It is reduced to two rakaʿāt when traveling.
In both of the sects, four rakaʿāt are required (Fard) and are prayed silently.[1] However, in Sunni Islam, four rakaʿāt prior to the Fard raka'ah and two rakaʿāt following the Fard raka'ah are highly recommended. The second raka'ah is sunnah.
On Friday the Dhuhr prayer is replaced by Jumu'ah, which is obligatory for all Muslim males above the age of puberty who are resident and without a legitimate excuse.
Contents
Hadith pertaining to Dhuhr
The following quotations are from books of Sunni hadith. These books relate accounts taken from the life of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, his family, and his companions. They were compiled by Islamic scholars after Muhammad's death. These quotations include information about those who related the accounts, as well as the accounts themselves.
- Narrated Aisha: The Prophet never missed four Rakat before the Zuhr prayer and two Rakat before the Fajr prayer.[2]
- Narrated Abu Huraira and 'Abdullah bin 'Umar: Allah's Apostle said, "If it is very hot, then pray the Zuhr prayer when it becomes (a bit) cooler, as the severity of the heat is from the raging of the Hell-fire."[3]
Waqt
The waqt (prescribed time) of the Dhuhr salat is determined differently by the different branches of Islam. In each case however, it is best to perform the prayer as soon as the waqt is "in", and inadvisable to unnecessarily delay it.
The time frame of the Dhuhr daily prayer is as follows:
Shia
- Time begins: once the sun has crossed the celestial meridian (true noon), exactly halfway between sunrise and sunset. This is when the sun is at the highest point in the sky.[4]
- Time ends: before the time it takes to recite the daily Asr prayer (afternoon prayer), a little before sunset.
Sunni
- Time begins: once the sun has crossed the celestial meridian (true noon), exactly halfway between sunrise and sunset. This is when the sun is at the highest point in the sky and a little after that.
- Time ends: at the time when the Asr prayer begins (afternoon prayer) (there is scholarly disagreement as to exactly when that occurs). Also, according to the Maliki school, the dharoori time (Time of Necessity for those who had a legitimate excuse to miss the prayer during the Prescribed Time) for Dhuhr lasts all the way until a little before sunset, the beginning of Maghrib prayer. Thus, according to the Maliki school, if someone prays Dhuhr 30 minutes before sunset, he is considered to have prayed the prayer "on time", though he would be sinful if he had delayed that long without a legitimate excuse.
See also
- Wudu
- Isha'a (Night prayer)
- Salat al Eid (Eid Prayer)
References
- ^ This is for the individual prayer. In the congregation, the recitation will also be unnoticeable except for the expressions which indicate each of the stages of the prayer.
- ^ Sahih al-Bukhari, 2:21:276
- ^ Sahih al-Bukhari, 1:10:510
- ^ http://www.qul.org.au/library/a-guide-on-praying/zohr-a-asr-prayers
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