مکروہ اوقات: زوال، طلوع اور غروب
Makrooh auqat are the times when praying is not allowed or is disliked. There are three forbidden times every day, tied to the sun, and two more times when only voluntary prayers are disliked. Knowing them keeps your nafl and qaza valid.
'Uqbah bin 'Amir said: "There were three times at which the Messenger of Allah ﷺ forbade us to pray or to bury our dead: when the sun begins to rise until it is fully up, when it is at its height at midday until it passes the meridian, and when the sun begins to set until it has set" (Sahih Muslim 1929).
| Time | Starts | Ends | What is not allowed (Hanafi) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tulu (sunrise) | sun begins to rise | about 15 minutes after sunrise | every prayer, incl. qaza and sajda tilawat |
| Zawal (midday) | a few minutes before solar noon | when Dhuhr begins | every prayer |
| Ghuroob (sunset) | sun turns pale and starts to set | sunset (Maghrib) | every prayer, except that day's Asr if not yet prayed |
Zawal is the moment the sun is at its highest. Its exact time changes every day and every city. Today's zawal: Lahore · Karachi · Islamabad · Peshawar · Makkah · Dubai · London. To be safe, avoid starting a prayer about 5 minutes before and after it; Dhuhr begins right after zawal.
In these times the Hanafi school allows qaza of farz prayers, janaza and sajda tilawat, but not nafl prayers (qaza namaz ki niyat aur waqt).
Because the Prophet ﷺ forbade it, as in the hadith above. Wait a few minutes; Dhuhr begins as soon as zawal passes.
Yes, in the Hanafi school, until the sun starts to set.
Yes. Only prayer (and sajda tilawat at the three forbidden times) is restricted; reciting Quran and dhikr are allowed.
The forbidden moment itself is short, but because clocks and calculations vary, keep a margin of about 5 to 10 minutes.
Check the zawal time once in the morning, and you will never accidentally start a prayer at the wrong moment.
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