Prescribed time of five salaats

Surah No. 2, Al-Baqar Ayat No. 238

o حَافِظُواْ عَلَى الصَّلَوَاتِ والصَّلاَةِ الْوُسْطَى وَقُومُواْ لِلّهِ قَانِتِينَ

Translation :

Safeguard your Prayer regularly, especially the middle prayer “( Asr )

Surah No.11, Hud Ayat No.114


وَأَقِمِ الصَّلاَةَ طَرَفَيِ النَّهَارِ وَزُلَفًا مِّنَ اللَّيْلِ إِنَّ الْحَسَنَاتِ يُذْهِبْنَ السَّـيِّئَاتِ

o ذَلِكَ ذِكْرَى لِلذَّاكِرِينَ

Translation :

Attend your prayer at the two ends of the day and some hours of night “ (Fajar, Maghrib and Isha)

Surah No. 17, Bani Israel Ayat No. 78


أَقِمِ الصَّلاَةَ لِدُلُوكِ الشَّمْسِ إِلَى غَسَقِ اللَّيْلِ وَقُرْآنَ الْفَجْرِ إِنَّ قُرْآنَ الْفَجْرِ كَانَ مَشْهُودًا

Translation :

Establish prayer at the decline of the sun till the darkness of the night (Zohr, Asr, Maghrib and Isha) and keep recital of the Quran in the morning prayer “ (Fajar)

Hadis :

Narrated by Ibne Abbas (ra): "The Prophet (saws) had initially recited Namaz for two consequent days which was guided by Hazrat Jibraeel.

First day – Zohar was recited immediately after the decline of the sun and then Asar was recited when the shadow of an object became equal to its size. Maghrib was immediately after the sun set, Isha was when the glow of the sun set disappeared and finally Fajar, before the sun rise.

Vol 1, Book No.10,  Hadis No.516  from Sahih Bukhari


 Second day – Zohar was  recited when the shadow became equal to the size of an object, Asar when shadow became double the size of an object, Maghrib after the sunset, Isha when 1/3 rd night passed away and Fajar when light of the day started appearing   ( Tirmizi and Abu Dawoo )

Vol 1, Book No.10 Hadis No.513  from Sahih Bukhari  

 Surah No.20, Taha Ayat No. 130

فَاصْبِرْ عَلَى مَا يَقُولُونَ وَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ قَبْلَ طُلُوعِ الشَّمْسِ وَقَبْلَ غُرُوبِهَا وَمِنْ

o آنَاء اللَّيْلِ فَسَبِّحْ وَأَطْرَافَ النَّهَارِ لَعَلَّكَ

Translation :

Bear patiently what they say, and celebrate the praises of your Lord before rising of sun (Fajar) and before its setting (Asar) and hours of night (Isha) and at the sides of the day “(Fajar and Maghrib)

Surah No. 30, Room Ayat No. 17-18 

وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ o فَسُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ حِينَ تُمْسُونَ وَحِينَ تُصْبِحُونَ

o وَعَشِيًّا وَحِينَ تُظْهِرُونَ

Translation :

So glorify Allah when you are in the evening (Maghrib prayer) and when you enter the morning (Fajr prayer).

And to Him all the praises and thanks in the heavens and the earth and glorify Him in the afternoon (Zohr prayer) and when you come upto the decline of the day (Asr prayer)
Names of five salats and their Rakats

Please keep in mind that in addition to farz and sunnat salat, if any one wants to recite nafil salat he would be free to recite, except after Fajr and Asr.

1. Fajr

The time starts at dawn and remains effective slightly before sun rise

Two Rakats Sunnat 
Two Rakats Farz

2. Zohr :

The time begins when sun starts tilting towards west and the shadow of an object becomes equal to the size of the object. It remains effective half an hour before start of time of salaate Asr.

Four Rakats or two Rakats Sunnat
Four Rakats Farz
Two Rakats Sunnat 

3. Asar :

The time starts when the sun declines and the shadow of an object becomes double the size of the object. It remains effective till few minutes before the sunset.

Four Rakats Farz

  4. Maghrib:

It is recited just after sunset and the time remains effective till the afterglow remains visible in the west (twilight). (The afterglow is visible approximately 1 hour 15 minutes from the time of the sunset). But it would be much better to recite the salaat just after sun set .

Three Rakats Farz
Two Rakats Sunnat 

 5. Isha :

The time starts when the afterglow in the west vanishes (end of twilight which is approximately 1 hour 15 minutes after the sunset ) It remains effective upto approximately three hours before sunrise. But it is advisable to recite it before 2/3 of the night passes away.

Four Rakats Farz
Two Rakats Sunnat 
Three Rakats Wajib Witr

Question : 28743    Date :  9/9/2008

Topic  :   Total Number of Rakats in each Salat

Fajr :             2 Sunnah , 2 Fard

Zuhar  :          4 Sunnah , 4  fard , 2 Sunnah

Asr  :            4  Fard

Maghrib  :    3  Fard , 2 Sunnah

Isha     :        4  Fard , 2 Sunnah , 3 Witr 


Truely speaking the obligatory number of rakats of Fajr is 2,  Zuhar is 4, Asr is  4,  Maghrib is 3  and  Isha is 4. If one prays this then the salah  (Namaz)  is complete.


Please note that the messenger of Islam (saws) recited salate witr along with his late night prayer . 

Hadis :

Narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Umar :


Volume 2, Book 16, Number 107: Sahi Bukhari Sharif


Namaz-e-Juma ( Salat-e- Juma )

This namaz is in place of Zuhr namaz and it is obligatory to recite it in congregation.

Surah No.62, Surah Juma ,Ayat No.9
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا نُودِي لِلصَّلَاةِ مِن يَوْمِالْجُمُعَةِ فَاسْعَوْا إِلَى ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَذَرُوا

o الْبَيْعَ ذَلِكُمْ خَيْرٌلَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ

Translation :

O` believers ! When the call is heard for the prayer on Friday (the Day of Assembly), move hurriedly and sincerly to the Remembrance of Allah, leave off business : That is best for you, if you know!

Two Rakats Sunnat  

Two Rakats Farz

Four Rakats Sunnat

Two Sunnat

For more details please go to the topic Importance of Friday in topic Important guidelines

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