The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "The time of the Zuhr (noon) prayer is when the sun passes the meridian and a man's shadow is of the same length as his height. It lasts until the time of the 'Asr (afternoon) prayer. The time of the 'Asr prayer is as long as the sun has not become yellow (during its setting). The time of the Maghrib (sunset) prayer is as long as the twilight has not disappeared. The time of the 'Isha' (night) prayer is up to midnight. And the time of the Fajr (morning) prayer is from the appearance of dawn as long as the sun has not risen; (but when the sun rises abstain from prayer; for it rises between the two horns of Satan)." [Reported by Muslim].
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) used to offer the 'Asr prayer (and after the prayer) one of us would return to his house at the furthest end of al-Madinah and arrive while the sun was still hot and bright. And he (ﷺ) loved to delay the 'Isha' prayer, and he disliked sleeping before it and conversation after it. After the Fajr prayer he used to leave when a man could recognize the one sitting beside him and he used to recite between 60 to 100 Verse of Qur'an in the Fajr prayer. [Agreed upon].
Narrated Jabir (RA), in the version of al-BUkhari and Muslim:
[The Prophet (ﷺ)] used to advance the 'Isha' prayer sometimes and delay it at other times. Whenever he saw the people assembled (for the 'Isha' prayer) he would pray early and if the people delayed, he would delay the prayer. And the Prophet (ﷺ) used to offer the Fajr prayer when it was still dark.
وَعِنْدَهُمَا مِنْ حَدِيثِ جَابِرٍ: { وَالْعِشَاءَ أَحْيَانًا وَأَحْيَانًا: إِذَا رَآهُمْ اِجْتَمَعُوا عَجَّلَ, وَإِذَا رَآهُمْ أَبْطَئُوا أَخَّرَ, وَالصُّبْحَ: كَانَ اَلنَّبِيَّ - صلى الله عليه وسلم -يُصَلِّيهَا بِغَلَسٍ } [1] .
We used to offer the Maghrib prayer with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and then one of us would go (out of the mosque) and be able to see the spot his would fall at. [Agreed upon].
وَعَنْ رَافِعِ بْنِ خَدِيجٍ قَالَ: { كُنَّا نُصَلِّي اَلْمَغْرِبَ مَعَ اَلنَّبِيِّ - صلى الله عليه وسلم -فَيَنْصَرِفُ أَحَدُنَا وَإِنَّهُ لَيُبْصِرُ مَوَاقِعَ نَبْلِهِ } مُتَّفَقٌ عَلَيْهِ [1] .
The Prophet (ﷺ) delayed (the 'Isha' prayer) one night till a great part of the night passed, then he went out and offered the prayer, and said, "This is the proper time for it; were it not that I would impose a burden on my followers." [Reported by Muslim].
وَعَنْ عَائِشَةَ رَضِيَ اَللَّهُ عَنْهَا قَالَتْ: { أَعْتَمَ رَسُولُ اَللَّهِ - صلى الله عليه وسلم -ذَاتَ لَيْلَةٍ بِالْعَشَاءِ, حَتَّى ذَهَبَ عَامَّةُ اَللَّيْلِ, ثُمَّ خَرَجَ, فَصَلَّى, وَقَالَ:
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: "When it is hot, delay the (Zuhr) prayer till it cools down, for the intensity of heat is from the exhalation of Hell." [Agreed upon].
وَعَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ - رضى الله عنه - قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اَللَّهِ - صلى الله عليه وسلم -{ إِذَا اِشْتَدَّ اَلْحَرُّ فَأَبْرِدُوا بِالصَّلَاةِ, فَإِنَّ شِدَّةَ اَلْحَرِّ مِنْ فَيْحِ جَهَنَّمَ } مُتَّفَقٌ عَلَيْهِ [1] .
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: "Offer the morning prayer at dawn, for it is greater for your rewards." [Reported by al-Khamsah. at-Tirmidhi and Ibn Hibban graded it Sahih (authentic)].
وَعَنْ رَافِعِ بْنِ خَدِيجٍ - رضى الله عنه - قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اَللَّهِ - صلى الله عليه وسلم -{ أَصْبِحُوا بِالصُّبْحِ فَإِنَّهُ أَعْظَمُ لِأُجُورِكُمْ } رَوَاهُ اَلْخَمْسَةُ, وَصَحَّحَهُ اَلتِّرْمِذِيُّ, وَابْنُ حِبَّانَ [1] .
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "He who prays a Rak'a of the Fajr prayer before the sun rises, has offered the dawn prayer in its time, and he who prays a Rak'a of the 'Asr prayer before the sun sets has offered the afternoon prayer." [Agreed upon].
وَعَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ - رضى الله عنه - أَنَّ رَسُولَ اَللَّهِ - صلى الله عليه وسلم -قَالَ: { مَنْ أَدْرَكَ مِنْ اَلصُّبْحِ رَكْعَةً قَبْلِ أَنْ تَطْلُعَ اَلشَّمْسُ فَقَدْ أَدْرَكَ اَلصُّبْحَ, وَمَنْ أَدْرَكَ رَكْعَةً مِنْ اَلْعَصْرِ قَبْلَ أَنْ تَغْرُبَ اَلشَّمْسُ فَقَدْ أَدْرَكَ اَلْعَصْرَ } مُتَّفَقٌ عَلَيْهِ [1] .
Muslim reported the same above Hadith in another version narrated by 'Aishah (RA), who narrated 'Sajdah (prostration)' instead of 'Rak'a (prayer unit)' and then he (Muslim) said:
I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saying: "No Salat (prayer) is to be offered after the morning prayer until the sun rises, or after the afternoon prayer until the sun sets." [Agreed upon].
وَعَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ اَلْخُدْرِيِّ - رضى الله عنه - قَالَ: سَمِعْتَ رَسُولَ اَللَّهِ - صلى الله عليه وسلم -يَقُولُ: { لَا صَلَاةَ بَعْدَ اَلصُّبْحِ حَتَّى تَطْلُعَ اَلشَّمْسُ وَلَا صَلَاةَ بَعْدَ اَلْعَصْرِ حَتَّى تَغِيبَ اَلشَّمْسُ } مُتَّفَقٌ عَلَيْهِ.
"There are three times at which Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) used to forbid us to pray or bury our dead: (a) when the sun begins to rise till it is fully up, (b) when the sun is at its height at midday till it passes the meridian, and (c) when the sun draws near to setting till it sets." [Reported by Muslim].
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: "O descendants of 'Abd Manaf! You must not prevent anyone who goes round this House (Ka'bah) and prays (here) at any hour of the night or day that he wishes." [Reported by al-Khamsah, at-Tirmidhi and Ibn Hibban graded it Sahih (authentic)].
وَعَنْ جُبَيْرِ بْنِ مُطْعِمٍ - رضى الله عنه - قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اَللَّهِ - صلى الله عليه وسلم -{ يَا بَنِي عَبْدِ مَنَافٍ, لَا تَمْنَعُوا أَحَدًا طَافَ بِهَذَا اَلْبَيْتِ وَصَلَّى أَيَّةَ سَاعَةٍ شَاءَ مِنْ لَيْلٍ]أَ] وْ نَهَارٍ } رَوَاهُ اَلْخَمْسَةُ, وَصَحَّحَهُ اَلتِّرْمِذِيُّ, وَابْنُ حِبَّانَ [1] .
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "The twilight is the redness." [Reported by ad-Daraqutni. Ibn Khuzaimah graded it Sahih (authentic) and others graded it Mawquf (a saying of a Companion)].
وَعَنْ اِبْنِ عُمَرَ رَضِيَ اَللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا; عَنْ اَلنَّبِيِّ - صلى الله عليه وسلم -قَالَ: { اَلشَّفَقُ اَلْحُمْرَةُ } رَوَاهُ اَلدَّارَقُطْنِيُّ وَصَحَّحَ اِبْنُ خُزَيْمَةَ وَغَيْرُهُ وَقْفَهُ [1] .
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said that, "Dawn is of two types; the dawn in which eating is forbidden (for the fasting person) and prayer is permitted and the dawn in which prayer is forbidden i.e. the morning prayer and eating is permitted." [Reported by Ibn Khuzaimah and al-Hakim who (both) graded it Sahih].
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: "One of the best deeds is to offer Salat (prayer) in its early time." [Reported by at-Tirmidhi and al-Hakim who (both) graded it Sahih].
وَعَنْ اِبْنِ مَسْعُودٍ - رضى الله عنه - قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اَللَّهِ - صلى الله عليه وسلم -{ أَفْضَلُ اَلْأَعْمَالِ اَلصَّلَاةُ فِي أَوَّلِ وَقْتِهَا } رَوَاهُ اَلتِّرْمِذِيُّ, وَالْحَاكِمُ. وَصَحَّحَاهُ [1] .
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "The earliest time of prayer is what pleases Allah, the midtime is for the mercy of Allah and the latest time is what Allah pardons." [Reported by ad-Daraqutni with a very weak Sanad (chain)].
وَعَنْ أَبِي مَحْذُورَةَ - رضى الله عنه - أَنَّ اَلنَّبِيَّ - صلى الله عليه وسلم -قَالَ: { أَوَّلُ اَلْوَقْتِ رِضْوَانُ اَللَّهُ, وَأَوْسَطُهُ رَحْمَةُ اَللَّهِ; وَآخِرُهُ عَفْوُ اَللَّهِ } أَخْرَجَهُ اَلدَّارَقُطْنِيُّ بِسَنَدٍ ضَعِيفٍ جِدًّا [1] .