5. Voluntary Prayers
٥۔ كتاب التطوع
The Prophet ﷺ prohibited to offer prayer after the afternoon prayer except at the time when the sun is high up in the sky.
أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ نَهَى عَنِ الصَّلاَةِ بَعْدَ الْعَصْرِ إِلاَّ وَالشَّمْسُ مُرْتَفِعَةٌ
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ would offer two rak'ahs after every obligatory prayer except the dawn and the 'Asr prayer.
كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يُصَلِّي فِي إِثْرِ كُلِّ صَلاَةٍ مَكْتُوبَةٍ رَكْعَتَيْنِ إِلاَّ الْفَجْرَ وَالْعَصْرَ
Some reliable people testified before me, and among them was Umar ibn al-Khattab, and most reliable in my eyes was Umar: The Prophet of Allah ﷺ said: There is no prayer after the dawn prayer until the sun rises; and there is no prayer after the 'Asr prayer until the sun sets.
أَنَّ نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ لاَ صَلاَةَ بَعْدَ صَلاَةِ الصُّبْحِ حَتَّى تَطْلُعَ الشَّمْسُ وَلاَ صَلاَةَ بَعْدَ صَلاَةِ الْعَصْرِ حَتَّى تَغْرُبَ الشَّمْسُ
I asked: Messenger of Allah, in which part of night the supplication is more likely to be accepted? He replied: In the last part: Pray as much as you like, for the prayer is attended by the angels and it is recorded till you offer the dawn prayer; then stop praying when the sun is rising till it has reached the height of one or two lances, for it rises between the two horns of the Devil, and the infidels offer prayer for it (at that time). Then pray as much as you like, because the prayer is witnessed and recorded till the shadow of a lance be- comes equal to it. Then cease prayer, for at that time the Hell-fire is heated up and doors of Hell are opened. When the sun declines, pray as much as you like, for the prayer is witnessed till you pray the afternoon prayer; then cease prayer till the sun sets, for it sets between the horns of the Devil, and (at that time) the infidels offer prayer for it. He narrated a lengthy tradition. Abbas said: AbuSalam narrated this tradition in a similar manner from AbuUmamah. If I have made a mistake unintentionally, I beg pardon of Allah and repent to Him.
أَنَّهُ قَالَ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَىُّ اللَّيْلِ أَسْمَعُ قَالَ جَوْفُ اللَّيْلِ الآخِرُ فَصَلِّ مَا شِئْتَ فَإِنَّ الصَّلاَةَ مَشْهُودَةٌ مَكْتُوبَةٌ حَتَّى تُصَلِّيَ الصُّبْحَ ثُمَّ أَقْصِرْ حَتَّى تَطْلُعَ الشَّمْسُ فَتَرْتَفِعَ قِيْسَ رُمْحٍ أَوْ رُمْحَيْنِ فَإِنَّهَا تَطْلُعُ بَيْنَ قَرْنَىْ شَيْطَانٍ وَتُصَلِّي لَهَا الْكُفَّارُ ثُمَّ صَلِّ مَا شِئْتَ فَإِنَّ الصَّلاَةَ مَشْهُودَةٌ مَكْتُوبَةٌ حَتَّى يَعْدِلَ الرُّمْحُ ظِلَّهُ ثُمَّ أَقْصِرْ فَإِنَّ جَهَنَّمَ تُسْجَرُ وَتُفْتَحُ أَبْوَابُهَا فَإِذَا زَاغَتِ الشَّمْسُ فَصَلِّ مَا شِئْتَ فَإِنَّ الصَّلاَةَ مَشْهُودَةٌ حَتَّى تُصَلِّيَ الْعَصْرَ ثُمَّ أَقْصِرْ حَتَّى تَغْرُبَ الشَّمْسُ فَإِنَّهَا تَغْرُبُ بَيْنَ قَرْنَىْ شَيْطَانٍ وَيُصَلِّي لَهَا الْكُفَّارُ وَقَصَّ حَدِيثًا طَوِيلاً قَالَ الْعَبَّاسُ هَكَذَا حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو سَلاَّمٍ عَنْ أَبِي أُمَامَةَ إِلاَّ أَنْ أُخْطِئَ شَيْئًا لاَ أُرِيدُهُ فَأَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ وَأَتُوبُ إِلَيْهِ
Yasar, the client of Ibn Umar, said: Ibn Umar saw me praying after the break of dawn. He said: O Yasar, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ came to us while we were offering this prayer. He (the Prophet) said: Those who are present should inform those who are absent: Do not offer any prayer after (the break of) dawn except two rak'ahs.
يَا يَسَارُ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ خَرَجَ عَلَيْنَا وَنَحْنُ نُصَلِّي هَذِهِ الصَّلاَةَ فَقَالَ لِيُبَلِّغْ شَاهِدُكُمْ غَائِبَكُمْ لاَ تُصَلُّوا بَعْدَ الْفَجْرِ إِلاَّ سَجْدَتَيْنِ
We bear witness that 'Aishah said: Not a day passed but the Prophet ﷺ prayed two rak'ahs after the 'Asr prayer
عَنِ الأَسْوَدِ وَمَسْرُوقٍ قَالاَ نَشْهَدُ عَلَى عَائِشَةَ ؓ أَنَّهَا قَالَتْ مَا مِنْ يَوْمٍ يَأْتِي عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ إِلاَّ صَلَّى بَعْدَ الْعَصْرِ رَكْعَتَيْنِ
Dhakwan, the client of Aisha, reported on the authority of Aisha: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to pray after the afternoon prayer but prohibited others from it; and he would fast continuously but forbid others to do so.
أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ كَانَ يُصَلِّي بَعْدَ الْعَصْرِ وَيَنْهَى عَنْهَا وَيُوَاصِلُ وَيَنْهَى عَنِ الْوِصَالِ