2. In certain circumstances, delaying the prayer from the beginning of its time is preferable -for example, when one has the opportunity to perform the prayer in congregation (jama‘ah).

2. In certain situations, delaying the prayer from the beginning of its time is preferable — for example, when one can perform the prayer in congregation (*jama‘ah*), provided that this delay does not result in missing the *preferred time* (*waqt al-fadilah*) for offering the prayer.

3. A person must perform the prayer within its prescribed time. If one deliberately fails to do so, they are considered sinful.

2. Alternatively, two just (‘ādil) men may inform the person that the prayer time has arrived.

3. Or, a reliable and time-aware mu’adhdhin (caller to prayer) may give the adhan, in which case one may rely on it. Such as the adhans broadcast in mosques or timetables provided by reliable Islamic Centres.

4. Those who, due to obstacles in the sky (such as clouds or dust), being confined in prison, or lack of eyesight, are unable to attain certainty about the entrance of prayer time — if they have a strong assumption (ghalabat al-ẓann) that the time has begun, they may proceed with the prayer.

1. Lies on the same meridian (longitude), and
2. Shares a comparable horizon (ufūq) with their residence.

1. If a person is certain that the prayer time has begun and starts praying, but then during the prayer doubts whether the time had actually begun, their prayer is invalid.
2. If during the prayer they are certain that the time has begun, but doubt whether what they have already prayed was within the valid time or not, their prayer is valid.

1. If a person is certain that the prayer time has begun and starts praying, but during the prayer realizes that the time had not yet begun, their prayer is invalid.
2. If, after completing the prayer, they realize that the entire prayer was performed before the time, the prayer is invalid.
3. If, during the prayer, they realize that the time has begun — or if, after the prayer, they discover that part of the prayer was performed within the valid time — the prayer is valid.

1. If the entire prayer is performed before the time has begun, or if a person deliberately starts the prayer before its time, the prayer is invalid.
2. If during the prayer, the person is certain that the time has entered but doubts whether what has already been recited was within the valid time, the prayer is invalid and must be repeated after the time has definitely begun.

3-5 Same as Ayatollah Sistani’s Fatwas.

2. A person who has enough time to perform at least one rakʿah of the prayer must offer the prayer with the intention of adāʾ (on time).
Delaying the prayer intentionally until this short period is not permissible.

3. A non-traveller, if there is time remaining before sunset sufficient to perform five rakʿahs, must perform both ẓuhr and ʿaṣr prayers.
If there is less time, they must perform only ʿaṣr, and offer ẓuhr later as qaḍāʾ.

4. A non-traveller, if there is time before midnight sufficient to perform five rakʿahs, must perform both maghrib and ʿishāʾ.
If there is less time, they must first perform ʿishāʾ, and then perform maghrib before Fajr, but according to obligatory precaution (iḥtiyāṭ wājib), the maghrib should be performed without the intention of adāʾ or qaḍāʾ, but rather with the intention of mā fī al-dhimmah (that which is required of me).

5. A traveller, if before sunset there is enough time to perform three rakʿahs, must perform both ẓuhr and ʿaṣr.
If there is less time, they must perform ʿaṣr, and offer ẓuhr later as qaḍāʾ.

6. A traveller, if before midnight there is enough time to perform four rakʿahs, must perform both maghrib and ʿishāʾ.
If there is less time, they must first perform ʿishāʾ, then — according to obligatory precaution — perform maghrib without intention of adāʾ or qaḍāʾ, but with the intention of mā fī al-dhimmah.
If after completing ʿishāʾ it becomes clear that at least one rakʿah’s worth of time was still remaining before midnight, then the maghrib prayer must be offered immediately with the intention of adāʾ (on time).

2. Same as the fatwa of Ayatollah Khamenei:
If a person has time to perform at least one rakʿah, they must perform the prayer with the intention of adāʾ (on time), and it is not permissible to delay it until the very end of the time.

3. Same as the fatwa of Ayatollah Khamenei:
A non-traveller who has enough time before sunset to perform five rakʿahs must offer both ẓuhr and ʿaṣr. If less time remains, they must perform only ʿaṣr and offer ẓuhr later as qaḍāʾ.

4. A non-traveller, if there is time before midnight to perform five rakʿahs, must perform maghrib and ʿishāʾ in sequence.
If there is less time, they must first perform ʿishāʾ, and then offer maghrib afterward — without intending adāʾ or qaḍāʾ.

5. Same as the fatwa of Ayatollah Khamenei:
A traveller, if there is enough time before sunset to perform three rakʿahs, must offer both ẓuhr and ʿaṣr. If not, they offer ʿaṣr only and later make up ẓuhr as qaḍāʾ.

6. A traveller, if there is enough time before midnight to perform four rakʿahs, must perform maghrib and ʿishāʾ in sequence.
If there is time for only three rakʿahs, they should perform ʿishāʾ first, then perform maghrib afterward — so that at least one rakʿah of maghrib falls within the time.
If there is less than three rakʿahs worth of time remaining, then they must perform ʿishāʾ first and then perform maghrib without intending adāʾ or qaḍāʾ.
If, after completing ʿishāʾ, it becomes clear that at least one rakʿah’s worth of time remained before midnight, maghrib must be immediately performed with the intention of adāʾ (on time).

2. A person who has time remaining to perform **at least one rakʿah** of the prayer must offer the **entire prayer with the intention of adāʾ (on time)**.

However, it is **forbidden (ḥarām)** to deliberately delay the prayer until only this much time remains.

3. — 6. Same as Ayatollah Khamenei and Sistami;s Fatwas.

7. It is recommended (mustahabb) to perform the five daily prayers at five distinct times, meaning that each prayer should be offered within its preferred time (waqt al-faḍīlah).
Merely leaving a short gap between the prayers — such as the time taken to perform nawāfil or taʿqībāt (supplications after prayer) — is not sufficient; rather, the standard is observing the actual preferred time for each prayer.

8. The preferred times (awqāt al-faḍīlah) for the daily prayers are as follows:

• Ḍuhr (noon prayer): From zawāl (when the sun starts to decline) until the shadow of an object becomes equal to its own length (not including the initial shadow at noon — only the shadow that appears after zawāl).
• ʿAṣr (afternoon prayer): From the time the shadow of an object becomes equal to its own length until it becomes twice its length.
• Maghrib (sunset prayer): From maghrib (sunset) until the disappearance of the reddish twilight (ḥumrah al-maghribiyyah) in the western sky.
• ʿIshāʾ (night prayer): From the disappearance of the reddish twilight until one-third of the night has passed.
• Ṣubḥ (dawn prayer): From the appearance of the white dawn (true Fajr) until the sky becomes bright (i.e., before sunrise, but closer to dawn is the time of faḍīlah).