Issue 381: Prayers other than the daily prayers, do not have special time, and depend on the cause which obliges such prayers, as “Ayaat” prayer which becomes obligatory when an earthquake, eclipse, etc., happens, or as prayer for the dead which becomes obligatory when a Muslim dies.

Issue 382: If the whole prayer is offered before its time, or if one intentionally beings offering prayers before its time, the prayers will be void, but if while praying, they realize that the time has set in, or after finishing the prayers, they realize that the time has set in during the prayers, the prayers will be valid.

Issue 383: Everyone must offer their prayers in its prescribed time, and if they intentionally avoid doing so, they have committed a sin.

Issue 384: It is recommended that one should offer their prayers in its prime time, and the closer it is to the prime time, the better, unless it would be better in one way or another if it is offered later, for instance, if one delays the prayer in order to offer it in congregation.

Q385: Due to their working hours, bank clerks are busy and obliged to work at midday time and have to serve clients. Thus, they cannot offer their prayers at its prime time. Is this accounted as disrespect to prayers or does it not matter if they carry out their duties?

A: They must observe their working rules and while being at work, the clerks’ time is in the hands of the employer, so they are not allowed to spend that time on their personal businesses in the case of such a recommended act.

Issue 386: When the time left for prayer is so little that if one performs some recommended acts of prayer, then an obligatory part of the prayer will fall beyond the prescribed time, they must avoid those recommended acts. For example, if on account of offering their Qunut (Personal supplication), a part of the prayer will lapse beyond time, one must skip Qunut.

Issue 387: If one has enough time for offering only one Rak'at of their prayers, they must offer their prayers, as Ada' (that is, to offer something in its time) and it will not be Quadha, but they must not intentionally delay their prayers to such a time.

Issue 388: If a person who is not a traveler has enough time, before sunset, to offer five Rak'ats of prayer, they must offer both their midday and afternoon prayers, but if the time is less than that, they must only offer their afternoon prayer and later, offer the Quadha prayer for their midday prayer. Similarly, if one who is not a traveler, has enough time before midnight, to offer five Rak'ats, they must offer both their sunset and evening prayers, but if they have less time and have sinfully delayed their prayers, they must first offer their evening prayer and then their sunset prayer without making an intention of Ada' (being in time) or Quadha.

Issue 389: If one who is a traveler has enough time, before sunset, to offer three Rak'ats, they must offer both their midday and afternoon prayers, but if they have less time, they must only offer their afternoon prayer and then offer the Quadha prayer for their midday prayer. Similarly, if they have enough time, before midnight, to offer four Rak'ats, they must offer both their sunset and evening prayers, but if they have less time, and have sinfully delayed their prayers, they must only offer their evening prayers, and then offer their sunset prayers without making an intention of Ada' ( being in time) or Quadha. However, if after offering the evening prayers in such a situation, one realizes that they still have enough time before midnight, to offer one Rak'at they must immediately begin offering their sunset prayer with the intention of Ada' (being in time).

Issue 390: If while offering afternoon prayer one becomes certain that they have not offered their midday prayer, and thus changes their intention to midday prayer and then enters the next element (Rukn) of their prayer, and at this time they remember that they have offered their midday prayer, their prayer will be void and they must offer their afternoon prayer again. But if before entering the next element (Rukn) of their prayer, they remember that they have offered their midday
prayer, they must revert their intention to the afternoon prayer again and repeat what they have offered with the intention of midday prayer, again with the intention of afternoon prayer and thus their prayer will be valid.

Issue 391: If while offering afternoon prayer, one doubts whether they have offered their midday prayer, they must change their intention to midday prayers, but if the time is so little that after finishing midday prayer, the sun will set, they must finish their prayer with the intention of afternoon prayer and they will not need to offer Quadha prayer for their midday prayer.

Issue 392: It is not permissible to change one's intention from Quadha prayers to Ada' prayers, or from recommended prayers to obligatory prayers.

Issue 393: If a person has enough time to offer their prayers within the time, they can, while offering their prayers, change their intention to Quadha prayers, provided that it is possible to do so. For example, if they are offering midday prayer, they can change to the Quadha of dawn prayer, only when they have not entered the third Rak'at.