Asr (prayer): description, time of performance and interesting facts

2024 Author: Miguel Ramacey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 06:11

In the Muslim tradition, great importance is attached to daily prayer, which must be performed at a certain time with strict adherence to the rules. Much is said about this in the writings that were left to believers by the prophets of antiquity. In the end, a fairly clear rule was drawn up, which is recommended for all true Muslim believers. And in this article we will talk about one daily prayer - asr prayer.

What is Asr prayer?

Translated from Arabic, asr is the obligatory afternoon prayer. It is also called the time that falls on it. Asr prayer is the third such prayer in a row, which is performed without fail during the day. And there are only five of them. All of them belong to the second pillar of Islam.

There is a certain rule for performing this prayer, which is written in the one hundred and third sura of the Koran. Also, references to her can be read in the ninth verse of the sura"Al-Manafiqun". The importance of this particular time is mentioned in the Qur'an in the sura Al-Asr of the same name.

Prayer times

We should be more specific about time. Asr prayer should be performed at exactly the hours allotted for it. The time of its beginning is somewhat different for different currents of Islam, but not drastically.

In general, most are of the opinion that the third prayer can be started already when the shadows on the street become twice as long as the object itself. Other schools believe that you can start a little earlier - when the shadows become equal to the object.

The time when the afternoon prayer can no longer be performed begins immediately after sunset, as the time comes for another prayer - maghrib (sunset). Many believers perform asr before the sun begins to turn reddish, setting below the horizon, thus observing the precepts of the Messenger of Allah.

That is why everyone agrees that the best time to perform a prayer is immediately at the beginning of the time period allotted for prayer. This suggests that the believer really broke away from his worldly affairs and turned to Allah. At the very end of the allotted time, it is allowed to read a prayer only if there was a good reason not to fulfill it earlier.

Rakats that make up prayer

Now let's take a closer look at the asr prayer, how many rak'ahs are performed during its execution. Rakat isa complete cycle of all readings of the prayer and the movements made at the same time. It can be repeated one or more times (depending on the type of prayer).

It includes pronouncing the takbir, then reading "Al-Fatih", bowing and straightening, bowing to the ground and straightening (the posture remains kneeling), bowing to the earth again and returning to the starting position. Of course, this is only a general guideline, because depending on which rak'ah it is, the process may differ, and it also has differences (though minor) depending on the prayer itself.

There are four rak'ahs in the afternoon Asr prayer. They are read in a whisper, but in such a way that you can hear it in silence. Those. you can’t just move your lips, you need to pronounce all the words with such a sound as if you are whispering in someone’s ear. There are the same number of rak'ahs in Zuhr and Isha prayers, but in Maghrib prayer there are three rak'ahs, in Fajr - only two. They are read differently.

How prayer is performed: actions

Let's consider in more detail how to read Asr prayer correctly, and what actions are performed. As mentioned above, the words in the afternoon prayer must be pronounced in a quiet whisper, pronouncing all the words not only with the heart, but also with the voice.

Actions, in principle, are very similar to the traditional performance of rak'ahs. At the beginning, you should make a niyat (intention), clearly fixing aloud what you are going to do. Next, you need to raise your hands with your palms towards the Qibla and raise them to the level of your ears. Say takbir.

Then clasp your hands and lower them to the navel,read du'a Sana, sura "Al-Fatiha" and any other of your choice. Lower your arms and make a waist bow. Then, pronouncing certain words, you need to bow to the ground, touch the place of saj low.

At the end, say “Allahu Akbar”, return to a sitting position, after two or three seconds, repeat the bow again. The first rak'ah is over. Start the second one by standing up. Perform all rak'ahs by reciting the appropriate words and performing the required actions. After the fourth rak'ah, prayer can be considered over.

Differences in actions for men and women

Asr prayer for women is somewhat different only in the performance of actions. For example, while turning the palms towards the Qibla, women should raise their hands to chest level, not higher. Whereas the men lift them up to the very ears, touching the earlobes with their thumbs.

Also, women do not lower their hands to the navel while reading the du'a Sana, but keep them at chest level. During the bow, they should not fully straighten their legs and back, fingers should be brought together.

During the prostration, men and women sit in the same way (the feet are parallel to each other, and the fingers are directed towards the Qibla), but the elbows are pressed to the sides of the women. While getting up from the prostration, women sit on their left thigh, picking up their legs and pointing their toes towards the Qibla.

It should also be noted that women do not pray if they have menstruation at this moment. According to all the rules, you need to start it only whenwhen the cleansing happened.

What the sacred texts say about the importance of this prayer

Namaz al asr in all sacred texts is considered the most important to perform. This comes from the fact that during its implementation, many Muslims should break away from their worldly affairs in order to perform prayer. This is precisely its advantage - the opposition of worldly pleasures, of which there are so many around, and turning to Allah.

So a Muslim can resist sin, the influence of Shaitan and follow the commandments of Allah, observing their spiritual duties. There is no such attitude to any prayer as to the afternoon, therefore it is recommended to plan your day in such a way that it fits harmoniously into it.

Other prayers

Other daily prayers in Islam should be noted. There are only five of them, and they are mandatory.

1. Farge. This is the morning prayer, which is performed before sunrise. If a Muslim managed to perform at least one rak'ah of prayer, then he managed to do it on time. If not, then she goes to debt prayers.
2. Zuhr. This is the second prayer in a row, which is called midday. It is performed after the passage of the sun through the zenith, but before the shadows of objects become larger than themselves. Therefore, prayer can be started after the sun has crossed the highest point in the sky.
3. Asr. Afternoon prayer, which this article was about.
4. Maghrib. This prayer is performed after Asraas soon as the daylight sets below the horizon. And you need to complete it before the evening dawn disappears. This prayer has the shortest time to perform, so you need to be very careful not to miss it. The preference for execution is given to the first minutes, as the resolution comes.
5. Isha. This prayer can be performed immediately after the evening glow has disappeared. The time interval when it can be done is the largest, since the end of the prayer period is the first signs of the morning dawn. However, it is still recommended to complete it before the first half or even a third of the night is over.

Conclusion

Thus, based on all of the above, asr prayer is one of the five most important daily prayers, when a Muslim can directly turn to Allah, remember that he is just a mortal person. And also about the impossibility of taking away worldly goods on the other side of earthly life, no matter how much you want to. Therefore, we should begin to take care of our other life right now, discarding at least for a while all worldly habits, worries, pleasures, etc.