Performing Asr Salaah according to the Shafi’ee time of Asr

Question:-

I am from KZN and in Cape Town on a holiday. I am a follower of the Hanafi Madhab, while the local Masajid here follow the times stipulated according to the Shafi’ee school of thought. I have been reading my Asr Salaah at home since the Asr time for followers of the Shafi’ee Madhab enters much earlier.

I was not aware that Shafi’ee followers have an earlier time for Esha, which is about 20 mins before the Hanafi time – as per Jamiat Salaah timetable. I found this out only yesterday. Now, I’ve been reading my Esha Salaah for the past three weeks at the Masjid at this earlier time.
Also, it seems that at this masjid, they are calling out the Adhaan about 10 minutes before the Shafi’ee time sets in and they commence Salaah the moment the time comes in. In fact – whilst studying the Shafi’ee Esha times – I fear that that they may have even began Salaah on certain days a minute or two before the time comes in. My concern is that I’ve been reading Salaah here for the past three weeks. Are my Salaah valid, and should I read the Asr and Esha Salaah at the Masjid?

Answer:-

With regard to Asr Salaah, it will be best that you perform your Asr Salaah in Hanafi time; that is when the shadow of an object reaches twice its length, since this is the preferred view in the Madhab. There is a particular Masjid in Cape Town that performs their Asr Salaah in Hanafi time. If you are able to perform your Salaah in this particular Masjid, then you should try to perform Salaah with Jamaat in this Masjid. If this is not possible, then it is best that you perform Salaah in Jamaat with one or two individuals in Hanafi time (to attain the virtue of Jamaat), and if this is not possible, then you may perform your Salaah individually in Hanafi time.

With regard to Esha Salaah, it is most virtuous that you perform your Esha Salaah in Hanafi time; that is after the whiteness disappears from the horizon. If all the Masjid are performing the Esha Salaah before the whiteness disappears (that is before the Hanafi time sets in), then you should perform your Salaah when the Hanafi time sets in, even if it means performing Salaah individually. Now, if the Salaah was being performed before the Shafi’ee Esha time sets in, then Salaah was not valid, hence all the Esha Salaah performed during the Maghrib time, should be repeated.

وَانْظُرْ هَلْ إذَا لَزِمَ مِنْ تَأْخِيرِهِ الْعَصْرَ إلَى الْمِثْلَيْنِ فَوْتُ الْجَمَاعَةِ يَكُونُ الْأَوْلَى التَّأْخِيرَ أَمْ لَا، وَالظَّاهِرُ الْأَوَّلُ بَلْ يَلْزَمُ لِمَنْ اعْتَقَدَ رُجْحَانَ قَوْلِ الْإِمَامِ تَأَمَّلْ. ثُمَّ رَأَيْت فِي آخِرِ شَرْحِ الْمُنْيَةِ نَاقِلًا عَنْ بَعْضِ الْفَتَاوَى أَنَّهُ لَوْ كَانَ إمَامُ مَحَلَّتِهِ يُصَلِّي الْعِشَاءَ قَبْلَ غِيَابِ الشَّفَقِ الْأَبْيَضِ فَالْأَفْضَلُ أَنْ يُصَلِّيَهَا وَحْدَهُ بَعْدَ الْبَيَاض) رد المحتار ص333 ج1)

ALLAH TA’ALA KNOWS BEST!

ANSWERED BY:

Mufti Mohammed Desai

Date: 01 Jumadal Ukhra 1444 / 25 December 2022