When does Asr time start?
It depends on the school you follow. Most scholars say Asr begins when an object's shadow is as long as the object itself, not counting the shadow it already had at noon. The Hanafi school waits until the shadow is twice as long. That is why prayer apps can show two different Asr times.
The shadow rule
The texts don't give a clock time for Asr (the afternoon prayer). Instead, the Prophet ﷺ taught its time through the angel Jibril (Gabriel), who led him in prayer on two days. On the first day, Jibril prayed Asr "when the shadow of everything was as long as itself" (Sunan Abi Dawud 393). The shadow an object already has at midday isn't counted; you only measure the extra length that grows after noon.
Nobody needs a measuring stick today. Prayer apps and mosque timetables work this out with astronomy.
Two ways to read the same hadith
- Standard view (Maliki, Shafi'i, Hanbali): Asr starts when the shadow equals the object's height. Dhuhr ends at that moment.
- Hanafi view: Asr starts when the shadow is twice the object's height, so Dhuhr lasts longer.
The same hadith says that on the second day Jibril prayed Asr when the shadow was twice as long (Sunan Abi Dawud 393). Most scholars take that as the end of the best time for Asr, while the Hanafi school takes it as the start. Both are recognised views, and the gap between the two times depends on where you live and the season. See When does each prayer time end?
Why your apps may disagree
Most prayer apps have an Asr setting, usually "Standard" (or Shafi'i) and "Hanafi". Switch it and Asr moves later. Smaller differences of a minute or two between apps and your mosque's timetable come from rounding. See Can I trust prayer time apps?
Which should you follow? Use your local mosque's timetable, or the school your teacher follows. If you're unsure, remember that praying at the later Hanafi time is also fine for the other schools, as long as it leaves you comfortably before the sun turns yellow. Praying at the earlier time is correct for most scholars, but a Hanafi would be praying too early.
How long Asr lasts
The Prophet ﷺ said Asr lasts as long as the sun has not turned yellow (Sahih Muslim 612). After that it is disliked to delay it, but it can still be prayed until sunset (Sahih al-Bukhari 579). Many scholars understand Asr to be the "middle prayer" Allah highlights:
On the day of the Trench, the Prophet ﷺ said the enemy had kept the Muslims from the middle prayer until the sun had set (Sahih al-Bukhari 4533), which is why many connect it with Asr. See What is the middle prayer in the Quran?
- Asr starts when an object's shadow equals its height (most scholars) or twice its height (Hanafi).
- Apps differ because of the Asr setting; check yours matches your mosque.
- Asr lasts until the sun turns yellow, and can still be prayed until sunset.
- Don't leave Asr to the last minutes; it is a prayer to protect.
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