“Be guardians of your prayers and of the middle prayer (i.e., the prayer of Asr), and stand up with devotion to Allah.” [Surah Baqarah, Verse 238]
“And glorify Him early and late (the early morning Fajr and ‘Asr prayers).”
The Asr prayer, also known as the afternoon prayer, is a prayer that Muslims perform between the Zuhr prayer and the Maghrib prayer. The word Asr is derived from the Arabic language and means second afternoon time, hence the name of the prayer. Furthermore, the Asr prayer provides time for reflection and offers a peaceful start to the evening. Moreover, the Asr prayer is extremely blessed, and several hadiths emphasize its importance. Such as,
“Abu Al-Mahh narrated that they were in Buraida in a battle and it was a cloudy day. He said to offer the asr prayer earlier because the Prophet PBUH has said that whoever leaves the asr prayer, all his good deeds will be annulled.” [Sahih al-Bukhari, 553]
The Rakats of Asr Prayer
The Asr prayer consists of eight rakats:
- Four Sunnah rakats.
- Four Fard rakats.
All these rakats in the Asr prayer have their significance. Although there are only four rakats in the Asr prayer that are fard, one should strive to perform the four sunnah rakats also because the Prophet PBUH said,
“May Allah bestow His mercy upon anyone who prays four Rak’ah (i.e., the four sunnah prayers) before the ‘Asr prayer.” [Riyad as-Salihin 1120]
Even though these sunnah prayers aren’t sunan al-rawatib (the twelve rak’ahs that are considered sunnah muakkadah for the five obligatory prayers), it is mustahab (recommended) that one prays these rakats before the fard rakats of the Asr prayer because it is stated in the hadith that,
“On Qayamah (the Day of Judgement), if there are any deficiencies in a person’s obligatory prayers, Allah will ask his angels to see if there are any sunnah prayers performed by the person. And if there are any sunnah prayers, they will be used to make up for the shortcomings in the obligatory prayers.” [Sunan Abi Dawud, 864]
But if the time of prayer is coming to an end, one should always pray the fard first and then the sunnah.
Why the Asr Prayer?
The Asr prayer has a profound impact on a Muslim’s life. It not only provides a way for Muslims to take a break from their activities but also makes it easier to balance their worldly activities and their faith. It acts as a reminder that no matter how busy or tired one is, he always has Allah SWT there for him.
Since the Asr prayer occurs in the late afternoon, a time when many people typically arrange their outings, it emphasizes the importance of organizing our daily activities around our prayers rather than adjusting our prayers to fit our schedules. It provides a time for relaxation from the day’s stress and strengthens our bond with the Lord.
Entry into Paradise Through the Asr Prayer
Abu Bakr bin Abi Musa narrated that his father reported, “Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said, ‘Anyone who performs the two cool prayers, which are ‘Asr and Fajr, will enter Paradise.” [Sahih al-Bukhari, 574]
This hadith emphasizes just how important the Asr prayer is. Although this hadith only mentions two prayers, it doesn’t mean that a person doesn’t have any need to perform the other three prayers. As Muslims, it should be our top priority to perform all five obligatory prayers with all their rakats in the given order.
Al-Ahzab and the Asr Prayer
It was reported that ‘Ali RA said: On the day of al-Ahzab, they were prevented from performing the ‘Asr prayer, and he heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) declare: “They have distracted us from the middle prayer, which is the ‘Asr prayer. May Allah fill their graves, homes, or stomachs with fire.” [Musnad Ahmad, 1036]
This hadith highlights just how significant the Asr prayer is—even the Prophet PBUH, who was extremely soft-spoken, expressed a severe curse against those who distracted him from it.
Missing Asr intentionally
Ibn `Umar narrated that Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said, “Whoever intentionally misses the ‘Asr prayer has essentially lost his family and wealth.” [Sahih al-Bukhari, 552]
A person’s family and wealth are two of the most important things in his life. Thus, the Prophet PBUH connecting them to the Asr prayer symbolizes just how important this prayer is. This hadith serves as a reminder that all Muslims should ensure to perform the Asr prayer every day without fail and protect themselves against any potential harm or loss.
Asr Prayer Witnessed By Angels
The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said that angels are with you during the night and day, with one group present at night and the other during the day. Both groups come together at the times of the Asr and Fajr prayers. The angels who stayed with you overnight then ascend to heaven, where Allah, though fully aware of your state, asks them, “In what condition did you leave My servants?” The angels respond, “When we left them, they were praying, and when we arrived, they were praying.” [Sahih al-Bukhari, 7429]
This hadith underscores the importance of the Asr prayer and reminds one that he is always being observed and watched by unseen forces. Therefore, one should always try to achieve consistency and focus in the prayers because not only does our creator see them, but they are also witnessed by the angels.
Combining The Prayers
“Yahya narrated from Malik that he had heard Ali ibn Husain say that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) would sometimes combine the Dhuhr and Asr prayers if he intended to travel during the day.” [Book 9, Hadith 7]
This hadith explains the example set by the Prophet PBUH of combining two prayers when in between a journey. It is also permissible to combine the prayers in other instances, such as
Note: According to Islamic law, the combined prayers can be prayed at either the time of the Zuhr prayer or the time of the Asr prayer. Praying them at another time is not permissible.