Can You Pray before Prayer Time?

Question: 20788

Is it permissible to pray the ‘Isha prayer just before we go to sleep, instead of the appointed time? Show evidence please.

Summary of answer

Prayer offered before its time is not valid, according to the consensus of the Muslims. If a person offers a prayer before its time deliberately, the prayer is invalid. If that was not done deliberately, then it is not a sin and his prayer is regarded as nafl.

Answer

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah and his family.

Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Uthaymin (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

“Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Verily, the prayer is enjoined on the believers at fixed hours.” [Al-Nisa 4:103]

We have already explained the times of prayer in detail in question no. 9940 .

Prayer offered before its time is not valid, according to the consensus of the Muslims. If a person offers a prayer before its time:

if he does that deliberately, then the prayer is invalid and he is not free of sin.
If that was not done deliberately, and he did it because he thought that the time for prayer had begun , then it is not a sin, and his prayer is regarded as nafl, but he has to repeat it because one of the conditions of the prayer is that it be done at the right time.” (Al-Sharh al-Mumti’, 2/88)

For more, please see these answers: 48998 , 65941 , 2183 , and 13496 .

And Allah knows best.

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