This has two units2, and its time is from dawn to sunrise.

This has two units2, and its time is from dawn to sunrise. 1 ‘Ibadat al-Islam, 3rd printing, Beirut, 1994. 2 Each unit (or raka‘) consists (briefly) of standing, bowing and then two prostrations. 2.

Noon or Midday prayer (called dhuhr): four units, and its time is from the passing of the sun from the middle of the sky of the country where you happen to be until shortly before the sun sets beneath the horizon.1 Afternoon prayer (called ‘asr): four units, and its time is from after the noon prayer until the setting of the sun beneath the horizon.

Sunset prayer (called maghrib): three units, and its time is from sunset, which means in this case when the redness in the sky has passed from above one’s head (that is about a quarter of an hour after the actual sunset), until shortly before the middle of the night2. Evening prayer (called ‘isha’): four units, and its time is from after the sunset prayer until the middle of the night. Question: Do prayers while travelling differ from prayers in the place of residence? Answer: Yes.

Prayers while travelling are “qasr - shortened” that is the midday (dhuhr), afternoon (‘asr) and evening (‘isha’) prayers should each be performed in two units like the dawn (fajr) prayer3. Question: How is the prayer divided up? Answer: It is divided up as follows: Saying Allahu akbar4, after first having made the intention. 1 to the extent that there is still time for the afternoon prayer. 2 so that there is time to prayer the evening prayer.

📌Night here is defined as being the time from sunset (in the prayer sense) until the beginning of dawn. 3 Note that the sunset prayer is not shortened. 4 God is great. The reading of the first chapter (sura) of the Qur’an (al- Fatiha), and any one other chapter, while standing. Bowing with its specific invocation1. Standing upright again after bowing. Two prostrations with their specific invocation2, respectively, and sitting up between the two prostrations.

Standing up straight again, then the recitation of al- Fatiha and any other sura (just like 2 above) followed by the Qunut prayers3 which are recommended but not obligatory. Then bowing and standing up straight, after bowing; two prostrations (just like 5 above) and sitting back; then the saying of the tashahhud4 and the salam5. That is the way to pray two units.

As for prayers of three or four units, however, in the third and fourth unit instead of reciting al- Fatiha and any other sura, special praises to God are recited6.

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