Ruling on singling out the time between Maghrib and 'Isha' for dhikr
What is the ruling on singling out the time between Maghrib and 'Isha' for remembering Allah and sending blessings upon the Prophet? And what is the ruling on singling out the time after Jumu'ah prayer until 'Asr prayer for remembering Allah?
May Allah reward you with the loftiest Paradise.
Praise be to Allah.
Singling out a particular time for remembering Allah or sending blessings upon the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) may takes one of the following two forms:
1. Doing it thinking that there is some virtue in doing acts of worship at this particular time. This is not prescribed except in cases where it is proven that singling out this time is prescribed in Islam.
2. Doing acts of worship at this time but not because one thinks that there is any particular virtue in doing it at this time; rather the time is singled out because one is free and has energy, and so on. There is nothing wrong with this. The earlier and later generations always set out times for studying, reviewing, memorising and teaching according to what suited their situation and the situation of those who were learning from them. This is what people usually do when choosing and singling out times. But there are some followers of innovation who choose a particular time, or a particular number of times to repeat (a word or action), or a particular way of doing something that is not prescribed in Islam. The scholars regard this as a kind of innovation.
Ash-Shaatibi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Innovation (bid'ah) is a word that refers to a way (of worship) that has been introduced into Islam; it may appear similar to what is prescribed in sharee'ah and the aim of doing it is to show extra devotion in worshipping Allah… that includes adhering to certain ways and manners (of worship), such as reciting dhikr in unison, taking the day of the Prophet's birth as a festival, and so on.
It also includes adhering to specific acts of worship at specific times that are not prescribed in sharee'ah, such as always fasting on the fifteenth of Sha'baan (an-nusf min Sha'baan) and spending that night in prayer.
End quote from al-I'tisaam, 1/37-39
The times that it is prescribed in Islam to single out for dhikr include the period between Fajr prayer and sunrise, and the period between 'Asr and sunset, because Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
"and glorify the praises of your Lord before the rising of the sun, and before its setting"
[Ta-Ha 20:130]
"And remember your Lord by your tongue and within yourself, humbly and with fear without loudness in words in the mornings, and in the afternoons"
[al-A 'raaf 7:205].
The word translated here as afternoon refers to the period between 'Asr and Maghrib.
And Allah, may He be glorified, says (interpretation of the meaning):
"So glorify Allah (above all that (evil) they associate with Him (O believers)), when you come up to the evening (i.e. offer the (Maghrib) sunset and (Isha) night prayers), and when you enter the morning (i.e., offer the (Fajr) morning prayer).
And His is all the praises and thanks in the heavens and the earth, and (glorify Him) in the afternoon (i.e,. offer Asr prayer) and when you come up to the time, when the day begins to decline (i.e., offer Zuhr prayer)"
[ar-Room 30:17-18].
Muslim (670) narrated from Jaabir ibn Samurah that when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had prayed Fajr, he would sit in the place where he had prayed until the sun had risen properly.
At-Tirmidhi (586) narrated that Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "Whoever prays Fajr in congregation then sits remembering Allah until the sun has risen, then prays two rak'ahs, will have a reward like that of Hajj and 'Umrah." The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "Complete, complete, complete."
This hadeeth was classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh at-Tirmidhi.
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Chapter on remembering Allah (dhikr) at the two ends of the day (as mentioned in Hud 11:114), which are the times between Fajr and sunrise, and between 'Asr and Maghrib. Allah, may He be glorified and exalted) says: "O you who believe! Remember Allah with much remembrance. And glorify His Praises morning and afternoon" [al-Ahzaab 33:41-42]. The "afternoon": al-Jawhari said: This is the time after 'Asr until Maghrib. And Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): "and glorify the praises of your Lord in the 'Ashiy (i.e. the time period after the midnoon till sunset) and in the Ibkaar (i.e. the time period from early morning or sunrise till before midnoon)" [Ghaafir 40:55]. The ibkaar is the beginning of the day and the 'ashiy is the end of the day. And Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): "and glorify the praises of your Lord before the rising of the sun, and before its setting" [Ta-Ha 20:130]. This interpretation is what is mentioned in the hadeeths about saying such and such in the morning and evening. What is meant is before the sun rises and before it sets. Therefore the time for these adhkaar is after Fajr and after 'Asr.
End quote from al-Waabil as-Sayyib, p. 127
Some scholars are of the view that the time for the afternoon or evening adhkaar extends until 'Isha'.
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
The author (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Chapter on dhikr in the morning and the evening.
What he meant by morning and evening was at the beginning of the day, and at the end of the day and the beginning of the night. The morning begins when dawn breaks and ends when the sun has risen at the forenoon. And the evening begins with 'Asr prayer and ends with 'Isha' prayer or thereabouts.
End quote from Sharh Riyadh as-Saaliheen
Another time at which it is mustahabb to remember Allah (dhikr) and offer supplication (du'aa') is the last hour of Friday, because of the hadeeth of Jaabir ibn 'Abdillah (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "The day of Friday has twelve hours, in which there is no Muslim slave who asks Allah for anything but He will grant it to him, so seek it in the last hour after 'Asr."
Narrated by Abu Dawood (1048) and an-Nasaa'i (1389); classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood; and by an-Nawawi in al-Majmoo', 4/471
See also question no. 82609 and 112165
We have not found anything about the virtue of the time between Jumu'ah and 'Asr prayer. Based on that it may be said that there is nothing wrong with singling out this time for dhikr, so long as that is not based on a belief that there is any particular virtue in this time; rather it is because it is when one has the time or energy.
With regard to the time between Maghrib and 'Isha', this is the time for the evening adhkaar according to some scholars, as stated above. Others said that it is mustahabb to offer naafil acts of worship in general at this time, as was stated by Qataadah and 'Ikrimah. See: al-Bahr al-Muheet by Abu Hayyaan, 8/437
And Allah knows best.
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
Islam Q&A
The Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said,
"When Allah wishes good for someone, He bestows upon him the understanding of the Deen." [Bukhari]
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