They add that the period between the end of zuhr prayer and...

They add that the period between the end of zuhr prayer and the beginning of maghrib is allotted exclusively to ‘asr prayer in which performing zuhr prayer is not permissible. d. The time allotted exclusively to maghrib prayer extends from the commencement of the religiously prescribed sunset ( maghrib ash-shar‘i ) up to the time when one completes the three rak‘ah s of maghrib prayer and in this period, performing other than maghrib prayer is not permissible. e.

The time allotted exclusively to ‘isha’ prayer is a limited time which precedes the religiously prescribed “midnight” which encompasses only the time for the four rak‘ah s of ‘isha’ prayer, and in this period, performing other than ‘isha’ prayer is not permissible. f. The common time for maghrib and ‘isha’ prayers extends from the moment which marks the end of the time allotted exclusively to maghrib prayer up to the beginning of the time allotted exclusively to ‘isha’ prayer.

According to the Shi‘ah, in the common time one is allowed to perform maghrib and ‘isha’ prayers one after the other with no interval between them. The Ahl as-Sunnah, however, say that the period which extends from the beginning of maghrib to the declension of aurora { zuwal ash-shafaq } is the time allotted exclusively to maghrib prayer and in this period performing ‘isha ’ prayer is not permissible.

And they say that the period between the declension of aurora and the religiously prescribed “midnight” is allotted exclusively to ‘isha’ prayer in which performing maghrib prayer is not permissible. The conclusion is that according to the Shi‘ah view, when the religiously prescribed noon { zuhr ash-shar‘i } begins, we may perform zuhr prayer and perform ‘asr prayer immediately afterward.

We may also delay zuhr prayer and perform it before the time allotted exclusively to ‘asr prayer provided that our performing of zuhr prayer ends before the beginning of the time allotted exclusively to ‘asr prayer and we can perform ‘asr prayer afterward. As such, we can perform zuhr and ‘asr prayers successively though it is recommended to perform zuhr prayer after the declension (from the meridian) and ‘asr prayer when the shadow of every object becomes equal to itself in length.

Also, we may perform maghrib prayer as soon as the religiously prescribed sunset { maghrib ash-shar‘i } begins and perform ‘isha’ prayer immediately afterward.