Isha prayer
| Isha prayer | |
|---|---|
Nautical dusk | |
| Frequency | Daily |
| Related to | Salah, Witr, Five Pillars of Islam |
| Part of a series on |
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The Isha prayer (
(Islamic prayer), and contains 4 cycles (rakah).The five daily prayers collectively are one pillar of the
Practices of the Religion (Furū al-Dīn) according to Shia Islam
.
In Persian it is known as نماز عشاء (Nemaze ʿišāʾ). In Kashmiri, it is known as Khoftan Nemaz. Likewise in Punjabi, it is called Khuftaan di namaz.
Ahadith mentioning virtues
Fajr salat in a congregation, it was as if he remained in salat the whole night." (Muslim
)
Abu Hurairah reported: The Messenger of Allah said, "The most difficult Salah for the Munafiqeen (the
hypocrites) is Isha and Fajr. Had they known the rewards for them, they would have attended them even if they had to crawl on their knees." (Bukhari
)
Sunni Muslims
The time period within which the Isha prayer must be recited is the following:
- Time begins: According to the Hanbali schools, the time begins when the red thread has disappeared from the sky. These times can be approximated by using the sun as a measure. When the sun has descended 12 degrees below the horizon, it is approximately equivalent to the disappearance of the red from the sky. Islamic rationalist are of the opinion that the time of Isha prayer starts after civil dusk, when darkness starts spreading across the sky. For approximating when complete darkness begins, some astronomers argue that it occurs when the sun has descended 15 degrees below the horizon while others use the safer measure of 18 degrees.
- Time ends: At the beginning of dawn when the time for Fajr prayer begins. However, it is frowned upon to delay the prayer without a legitimate reason past the first third of the night, and "night" in Islamic law means the time between the end of the Maghrib prayer and the start of the Fajr prayer. Islamic rationalist are of the opinion that the time of Isha prayer ends at nautical dusk, when the darkness spreads completely and the western horizon can no longer be observed through the naked eye. According to an opinion in the Maliki school, the prohibition is from delaying the prayer beyond the first half of the night, rather than just the first third.[1]
Shia Muslims
The time period within which the Isha prayer must be recited is the following:
For Shia Muslims:
- Time begins: once Maghrib(evening prayer) has been recited and completed.
- Time ends: at midnight, the midpoint between shafak and dawn.
However, it is very important to recite the prayer as soon as the time begins. Often Maghrib and Isha are offered together with a small gap of time in between.
See also
- Salah (Prayer)
- Wudu (Washing of some body parts to prepare oneself for praying)
- Other salah:
- Fajr prayer (Morning)
- Zuhr prayer (Mid-day)
- Asr prayer (Afternoon)
- Maghrib prayer (Sunset prayer)
- Dhikr
- Tasbih
References
- ^ Prayer Times defined for all five prayers in a day, qul.org website, Retrieved 14 May 2017