Answered by Shaykh Yūsuf Badat
Question:
It is sunnah (a prophetic practice) to pray two nafl (optional) rakʿāts (prayer units) when entering a Masjid but what if someone enters after ʿAṣr and before Maghrib. Do they still need to pray the two nafl?
Answer:
In the Name of God, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
This is a matter where jurists have varied opinions due to interpretation of source texts.
Some jurists such as Imam Shāfʿīe (may God’s mercy be with him) are of the opinion that the two units, once entering the masjid can be performed, regardless of when the entry takes place, due to the generality of the following report:
“If any of you enters the masjid, one should not sit until they have prayed rakʿāts (prayer units).” (Bukhārī)
Other jurists, such as Imam Abū Ḥanīfah (may God’s mercy be with him) state that these optional prayers should not be offered at the forbidden times (after fajr (dawn) to sunrise, at zawāl (midday) and from ʿAṣr to Maghrib (sunset)) due to narrations such as the following:
ʿOqbah bin ʿᾹmir (may God be pleased with him), said “There were the times at which God’s Messenger (peace and blessings upon him) forbade us to pray or bury our dead, when the sun begins to rise until it is fully up, when the sun is at its height at midday until it passes over the meridian, and when the sun draws near to setting until it sets.” (Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim)
“There is no ṣalāh (ritual prayer) after the Fajr (dawn) prayer until the sun rises, and no ṣalāh after the `Aṣr prayer until the sun sets” (Bukhārī)
And Allāh Knows Best
