Asr prayer

The Asr prayer (Arabic: صلاة العصر‎ ṣalāt al-ʿaṣr, "afternoon prayer") is one of the five mandatory salah (Islamic prayer). As an Islamic day starts at sunset, the Asr prayer is the third prayer of the day.[1] If counted from midnight, however, it is the third prayer of the day.

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Asr prayer at At-Taqwa Mosque, Taiwan.

The Asr prayer consists of four obligatory rakat. An additional four rakat are recommended to be performed before the obligatory rakat.[2] As with Zuhr and Isha prayers, if it is performed in congregation, the imam is silent except when announcing the takbir[3], i'tidal[4], and taslim[5]

The period of Asr prayer begins approximately when the sun is halfway down from noon to sunset (various branches of Islam differ on the starting point; some say that it begins when the shadow of an object equals its actual length plus its shadow during noon, others say that the actual length must be doubled), following Zuhr prayer, and ends at sunset, when Maghrib prayer begins. Shia Muslims are allowed to perform Zuhr and Asr prayers one after another, so they may perform the Asr prayer before the actual period begins. Barring the Hanafi school, which forbids prayer combination, Sunni Muslims may only do this if they are traveling and incapable of performing the prayers separately.

The Asr daily prayer is mentioned as the middle prayer in the Qur'an at sura 2 (Al-Baqara), ayat 238.[6] al-Asr is also the title of the 103rd chapter (sura) of the Qur’ān.

The five daily prayers collectively are one pillar 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.

Name variations
Region/countryLanguageMain
Arab WorldArabicصلاة العصر (Ṣalāt al-ʿAṣr)
Iran, Afghanistan, TajikistanPersianنماز دیگر، نماز عصر
Afghanistan, Pakistan Pashto مازدیګر
Pakistan, IndiaUrdu, Hindiنماز عصر,

अस्र नमाज़

(Asar namaaz)

TurkeyTurkishIkindi namazı
AzerbaijanAzeriƏsr namazı
Albania, KosovoAlbanianNamazi i pasditës
BalkansSerbo-CroatianIkindija-namaz
Bangladesh, IndiaBengaliআসর, আছর (Asor)
Greater SomaliaSomaliSalaada Casir
Malay WorldIndonesian, Malaysian, Basa SundaSalat asar, Solat asar
UzbekistanUzbekAsr namozi
KazakhstanKazakhЕкінті намазы (Ekinti namazy)

Format

The Asr prayer consist of four rakats, although according to some madh'habs, it may be reduced to two rakaʿāt when travelling.

Ja'fari and Zaydi schools of thought

According to the Ja'fari and Zaydi schools of thought the time period within which the Asr prayer must be recited is the following:

  • Time begins: once the Dhuhr prayer (mid-day daily prayer) has been recited.[7]
  • Time ends: at the beginning of the setting of the Sun.

However, it is very important to recite the prayer as soon as the time begins. Letter 52 of Nahj al-Balagha contains instruction of Ali to his governors on the timings of salat, "The Asr prayers can be performed till the sun is still bright and enough time of the day is left for a person to cover a distance of six miles."

Hanafi, Hanbali, Shafi`i, and Maliki schools of thought

The time period within which the Asr prayer must be recited is the following:

  • Time begins: The Sunni schools differ on when the time begins. The Maliki, Shafi`i, and Hanbali schools say it is at the time when the length of any object's shadow equals the length of the object itself plus the length of that object's shadow at noon. The dominant opinion in the Hanafi school says it begins when the length of any object's shadow is twice the length of the object plus the length of that object's shadow at noon.[8]
  • Time ends: Once the sun has completely set below the horizon. However, it is frowned upon (and sinful in the Maliki school) to delay the prayer without a legitimate excuse to the point of the day in which the sun turns a pale red or orange color as it begins to set, though it would still be considered to have been prayed on time.

The Islamic prophet Muhammad said, "He who observes Al-Bardan (i.e., Fajr and `Asr prayers) will enter Jannah.Sahih Bukhari and Muslim, Narrated by Abu Musa. In another hadith: Muhammad said 'He who misses his Asr Salat (i.e. performs it after its specified time) is as if he had lost his wife, children and all his wealth.’ (Sahih Muslim)

Impact on health

Some sources show that after praying asr, adrenaline in the blood rises, which creates energy in the physical faculties, especially the activity of the heart. Asr prepares the heart for this sudden activity. It gradually energizes the heart and makes it work more efficiently after having been in a state of relaxation and without becoming exhausted.[9]

See also

Notes
  1. The Islamic date (Hijri date) starts after Maghrib – Permanent Committee, AbdurRahman website, Published 9 September 2009, Retrieved 23 May 2020
  2. Number of Rakaats for Prayers, MuslimConverts website, Retrieved 23 May 2020
  3. A-llāhu akbar
  4. Samiʿa-llāhu li-man ḥamidah
  5. As-salāmu ʿalaykum wa raḥmatu llāh.
  6. Quran 2:238
  7. "Ways to pray and more about Zohar and Asr".
  8. If the length of an object is 'x' inches. Its shadow's length at noon will be 'y' inches. When the length of the shadow becomes x+y inches, the time for Asr will have set in according to the majority. According to the minority, the shadow must reach 2x+y inches in order for Asr to begin.
  9. Ahmad, Yusuf. Islamic Medicine. Darussalam Publishers.
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