When is the Best Time for Dhuha Prayer

### When is the Best Time for Dhuha Prayer?

#### Question:

When does the time for Dhuha prayer end, and when is the most virtuous time? At what hour, specifically? Some say it is about 10 minutes before the sun passes its zenith, according to Shaykh Utsaimin. Please explain.

#### Answer:

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful,

Linguistically, "Dhuha" is derived from the word الضحو (Ad Dhah'wu), which means the time when the day becomes bright and the heat of the sun begins to intensify.

Reference: 📘 Al Qamus Al Muhith, page 216.

As Allah says in the Qur'an:

وَأَنَّكَ لَا تَظْمَأُ فِيهَا وَلَا تَضْحَىٰ

"In Paradise, you will not experience thirst nor will you feel the heat of the sun."

According to the terminology of the Fiqh scholars, Dhuha refers to the time period between the sun's elevation (after sunrise) and its zenith (before Dhuhr prayer).

Reference: 📘 Al Mau'suah Al Fiqhiyyah 27/221.

There are certain times during which Dhuha prayer is prohibited:

1. After the Fajr prayer until the sun rises.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

لا صلاة بعد صلاة الفجر حتى تطلع الشمس

"There is no prayer after Fajr until the sun rises." (Agreed upon)

2. From the rising of the sun until it is elevated by the height of a spear (approximately 1 meter according to visual estimation).

Once the sun has risen to this height, the prohibition of prayer ends.

Uqbah bin Amir (may Allah be pleased with him) reported:

صل صلاة الصبح، ثم أقصر عن الصلاة حتى تطلع الشمس حتى ترتفع...

"Pray Fajr, then refrain from praying until the sun rises and elevates..." (Narrated by Muslim)

3. When the sun is at its zenith (directly overhead) until it begins to decline towards the west, at which point the time for Dhuhr prayer begins.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

ثلاث ساعات كان النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم ينهانا أن نصلي فيهن وأن نقبر فيهن موتانا : وحين يقوم قائم الظهيرة حتى تزول...

"There are three times when the Prophet (peace be upon him) forbade us to pray or to bury our dead: ... when the sun is at its zenith until it starts to decline..." (Narrated by Muslim)

#### The Time Range for Dhuha Prayer:

Al Buhuty (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

ووقتها أي صلاة الضحى من خروج وقت النهي أي ارتفاع الشمس قيد رمح إلى قبيل الزوال. انتهى

"The time for Dhuha prayer starts from the end of the prohibited time (when the sun has risen to the height of a spear) until just before the sun reaches its zenith."

Reference: 📘 Kasy Syaiful Qina'

Thus, the time for Dhuha prayer can be divided into three periods:

1. The beginning time, which is after the sun has risen and elevated to the height of a spear.

This is based on the hadith of ‘Amr bin ‘Abasah, where the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

صَلِّ صَلاَةَ الصُّبْحِ ثُمَّ أَقْصِرْ عَنِ الصَّلاَةِ حَتَّى تَطْلُعَ الشَّمْسُ حَتَّى تَرْتَفِعَ فَإِنَّهَا تَطْلُعُ حِينَ تَطْلُعُ بَيْنَ قَرْنَىْ شَيْطَانٍ وَحِينَئِذٍ يَسْجُدُ لَهَا الْكُفَّارُ

"Pray Fajr and then refrain from praying until the sun rises and elevates. When it rises, it rises between the horns of Satan, and at that time the disbelievers prostrate to it." (Narrated by Muslim, no. 832).

Ath Thiby (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

اي ثم صلى بعد ان ترتفع الشمس قدر رمح حتى يخرج وقت الكراهة وهذه الصلاة تسمى صلاة الإشراق وهى اول صلاة الضحى

"Then, pray after the sun has risen to the height of a spear until the end of the disliked time for prayer. This prayer is called the Ishraq prayer, and it is the beginning time for the Dhuha prayer."

Reference: 📘 Tuhfatul Ahwadzi 3/158

### When is the Best Time for Dhuha Prayer?

#### Question:

Around what time does the Dhuha time begin (after the sun rises and reaches the height of a spear)?

#### Answer:

The beginning time for Dhuha prayer is approximately 15 minutes after the sun rises.

🖋️ Shaykh Al-Allamah Al-Utsaimin (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

"From when the sun rises to the height of a spear, that is about 15 or 20 minutes after the sun rises."

Reference: 📘 Majmu' Al Fatawa 14/306

🖋️ Shaykh Al-Allamah Al-Albany (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

"The time for Dhuha prayer begins after the time of dislike for prayer has passed, which is about 20 or 30 minutes after the sun rises, indicating the beginning of the time for Dhuha prayer."

Reference: 📘 Bawwabu Turatsil Imam Al-Albany

#### Ending Time:

The ending time is close to the time of zawal when the sun is about to decline towards the west (approaching Dhuhr time).

🖋️ Shaykh Al-Allamah ‘Utsaimin (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

"Approximately 10 or 5 minutes before the time of zawal (the sun's decline towards the west), that is before the time of prohibition begins."

Reference: 📘 Majmu' Al Fatawa 14/306

He also said:

"The time for Dhuha prayer remains until 10 minutes before zawal or close to it."

Reference: 📘 Syarh Riyadhus Shalihin 5/151

The last time for Dhuha prayer is before the prohibition period begins, which is when the shadow is directly under the object, not leaning to the east or west, approximately 10 or 15 minutes before Dhuhr. As long as the shadow leans to the west, Dhuha time remains. When the shadow is straight, Dhuha time ends because the sun is directly overhead.

#### Best Time:

The best and most virtuous time for Dhuha prayer is when the sun's heat becomes intense.

Evidence:

Zaid bin Arqam saw people praying Dhuha and said, "They might not know that there is a better time for this prayer. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, 'The prayer of the penitent (Dhuha prayer) is when the young camels feel the heat of the sun.'" (Narrated by Muslim no. 748).

🖋️ Imam Nawawi said, "This is the best time for Dhuha prayer.

Our Shafi’i scholars say this is the best time for Dhuha prayer, although it is permissible to perform it from sunrise until zawal."

Reference: 📘 Syarh Shahih Muslim, 6/28

🖋️ Shaykh Al-Allamah Al-Utsaimin (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

"The best time for Dhuha prayer is when the heat of the sun intensifies, and this is the prayer of the penitent."

Reference: 📘 Majmu' Al Fatawa 11/396

🖋️ Imam Ibn Baz (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

"The best time for Dhuha prayer is when the sun's heat becomes intense, and this is the prayer of the penitent."

Reference: 📘 Majmu' Fatawa 11/396

#### Optimal Time:

The optimal time for Dhuha prayer is when 1/4 of the day has passed. This means there is a prayer for every quarter of the day:

- Fajr in the first quarter,

- Dhuha in the second quarter,

- Dhuhr in the third quarter,

- Asr in the fourth quarter.

Scholars estimate this as half the time between sunrise and Dhuhr.

For example, if sunrise in Makassar today is at 06:12 and Dhuhr is at 12:08, the difference is 5 hours and 56 minutes. Half of this time is 2 hours and 58 minutes. Adding this to the sunrise time gives approximately 09:10, which is the best time for Dhuha prayer.

🖋️ Shaykh Al-Allamah Al-Muhaddits Al-Albany (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

"The best time for Dhuha prayer is when the earth becomes hot, as indicated by the Prophet in the hadith of Zaid bin Arqam, at around 9 AM."

🖋️ Shaykh Al-Utsaimin (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

"The best time for Dhuha prayer is when the sun’s heat intensifies, which is before Dhuhr by 1 or 2 hours. This is the prayer of the penitent."

Reference: 📘 Al Ifham Syarh Al Umrah 423

🖋️ Imam Ibn Baz (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

"The best time for Dhuha prayer is when the sun’s heat intensifies, which is before Dhuhr by 1.5 or 2 hours."

Reference: 📘 Fatawa Nur 'Ala Darb 10/416

🖋️ Shaykh Fathul Qadasy (may Allah protect him) said:

"The prayer of the penitent (Dhuha) is when the sun’s heat intensifies. This is when young camels feel the heat and move to the shade, which is around 9 or 10 AM depending on the heat in different countries."

[Source](https://t.me/ftawafat)

✍ Compiled by:

*Abu Hanan As-Suhaily*

3 Muharram 1446 - 8/7/2024

🌾 *From the group Naseehah for Women* 🌾

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