Changing Prayer Times

Zurara ibn A'yan narrates from Imam al-Sadiq:

"I asked Abā ʿAbdillāh (peace be upon him) about what is lawful and unlawful. He said: ‘The lawful of Muhammad is lawful forever until the Day of Resurrection, and his unlawful is unlawful forever until the Day of Resurrection. There will be no other [law] besides it, and none will come after it.’”

عن زرارة قال سألت أبا عبد الله عليه‌السلام ـ عن الحلال والحرام فقال حلال محمد حلال أبدا إلى يوم القيامة وحرامه حرام أبدا إلى يومالقيامة لا يكون غيره ولا يجيء غيره

These eternal words of al-Sadiq (as) forever sealed the matters of sharia - those relating to halal and haram - in the person and message of prophet Muhammad.

There is no valid law other than that of Muhammad (s), nor will any law come after it.

This is what the esteemed companion, Zurara ibn A'yan, narrated from Imam al-Sadiq (as).

Zurara's narration is not to be taken lightly.

He is a man whom Imam al-Sadiq described as:

(Rijal al-Kashi)

"Abū ʿAbd Allāh (peace be upon him) said:

“May Allah have mercy on Zurārah ibn Aʿyan.

Were it not for Zurārah and those like him, the traditions (hadiths) of my father (peace be upon him) would have been lost (wiped out).”

قال أبو عبد الله (عليه السلام): " رحم الله زرارة بن أعين لولا زرارة ونظرائه لاندرست أحاديث أبي (عليه السلام) ".

He is a man whose strict vigilance in preserving the traditions of the Imams of Ahlulbayt (as) helped preserve them from being lost and wiped out.

Knowing this about Zurara,

And knowing the hadith mentioned above which forever closes the Muhammadan canon.

It would come to an utter shock to us when we observe ahadith, such as the following, speaking of Abu al-Khattab having "corrupted the people of Kufa so they used not to pray the Maghrib until the redness of the sky disappears". 

(Rijal al-Kashi)

Narrated Muhammad b. Masud from Ali b. al-Hasan from Muammar b. Khallad who said: Abu al-Hasan عليه السلام said: Verily Aba al-Khattab corrupted the people of Kufa so they used not to pray the Maghrib until the redness of the sky disappears, but that is not appropriate except for the traveller or someone who has a problem.”

إنّ أبا الخطّاب أفسد أهل الكوفة، فصاروا لايصلّون المغرب حتى يغيب الشفق، ولم يكن ذلك، وإنما ذاك للمسافر، وصاحب العلّة

If the laws of Muhammad are not subject to change nor replacement, 

How could Abu al-Khattab have possibly been excused to even initiate a change such as obligating himself & his companions to pray Maghrib when "the redness of the sky disappears" - instead of the typical time among the Shia?

We will not endeavor to answer this question from our personal outlook,

Nor from the view of companions linked to Abu al-Khattab.

Rather, this question will be answered purely from the ahadith of Zurara ibn A'yan.

So without further adue

Let us begin!

A) The Excuse of Zurara

Zurara ibn A'yan is perhaps one of the best known and most pre-eminent companions of Imam al-Sadiq in the city of Kufa.

Although never appointed to a position of deputyship over the Shi'a, he frequently left on voyages to the city of Medina to visit and learn from both Imams al-Baqir and al-Sadiq.

He narrated many ahadith from those respective Imams, with regards to the area of jurisprudence (halal and haram, methods of prayer, fast, etc).

It is then, no wonder, a great shock for the Shi'a when they had observed Zurara praying at a time different from them.

Muhammad ibn Abi Umar narrates:

I entered upon Abū ʿAbd Allāh (peace be upon him — meaning Imām al-Ṣādiq), and he said: “How did you leave Zurārah?”

I said: “I left him not praying the ʿAṣr (afternoon) prayer until the sun had set.”

Instead of praying Asr at the time of the Asr Adhan, Zurara would postpone praying Asr until the sun had set (Maghrib time).

A man of this juristic prowess was certainly not unaware that Asr was typically prayed at Asr time by  all other Shi'a, as our Imams ordered in their ahadith.

So what exactly was his justification?

(Rijal al-Kashi)

Narrated Muḥammad ibn Abī ʿUmar, who said:

I entered upon Abū ʿAbd Allāh (peace be upon him — meaning Imām al-Ṣādiq), and he said: “How did you leave Zurārah?”
I said: “I left him not praying the ʿAṣr (afternoon) prayer until the sun had set.”

He said: “Then you are my messenger to him. Tell him to pray at the same times as my companions, for I have burned (turned away) [from that instruction].”

So I conveyed this to him (Zurārah), and he said:

“By Allah, I know that you did not lie about him. But he had commanded me with something, and I dislike abandoning what he ordered me to do.”

حدثني أبو عبد الله محمد بن إبراهيم الوراق، قال: حدثني علي بن محمد ابن يزيد العلقمي، قال: حدثني بنان بن محمد بن عيسى، عن ابنأبي عمير، عن هشام بن سالم، عن محمد بن أبي عمر، قال: دخلت على أبي عبد الله عليه السلام فقال: كيف تركت زرارة؟ فقلت: تركته لايصلي العصر حتى تغيب الشمس. فقال: فأنت رسولي إليه فقل له فليصل في مواقيت أصحابي فاني قد حرقت (صرفت)، قال: فأبلغته ذلكفقال: أنا والله أعلم أنك لم تكذب عليه، ولكن أمرني بشئ فأكره أن أدعه

Something becomes intensely clear now:

• Imam al-Sadiq ordered Zurara to postpone Asr until Maghrib prayer time
• This was a commandment and prayer time, different from all other Shi'a with regards to Asr prayer
• Imam al-Sadiq informed Zurara now that his commandment had changed. Zurara must now pray at times of other Shi'a: Tell [Zurara] to pray at the same times as my companions, for I have burned (turned away) [from that instruction].”
• Zurara refused to abide by the order from Imam al-Sadiq's messanger, to cease from postponing Asr time.

Just like the Khattabiya, who postponed Maghrib prayer until the redness of the sky disappears - dissimilar to most Shi'a:

Narrated Muhammad b. Masud from Ali b. al-Hasan from Muammar b. Khallad who said: Abu al-Hasan عليه السلام said: Verily Aba al-Khattab corrupted the people of Kufa so they used not to pray the Maghrib until the redness of the sky disappears, but that is not appropriate except for the traveller or someone who has a problem.”

Zurara postponed Asr prayer until the sunset - dissimilar to most Shi'a:

"I left [Zurara] not praying the ʿAṣr (afternoon) prayer until the sun had set.”

Zurara's action of postponing Asr was not out of nowhere - it was based on an order by the Imam which the Imam then abrogated.

Yet, Zurara disliked abandoning Imam al-Sadiq's original order (of postponing Asr):

"[Imam al-Sadiq] had commanded me with something, and I dislike abandoning what he ordered me to do.”

The only justification is that Zurara understood that the new commandment of abandoning the postponing of Asr, to be taqiyya by Imam al-Sadiq - from the Shi'a and Sunnis who were bedazzled as to how Zurara could postpone Asr prayer in such a way without a valid excuse (like "the traveller or someone who has a problem").

So the question now would be:

Why exactly would Zurara consider Imam al-Sadiq's order for him (Zurara) to pray at normal prayer times to be taqiyya?

And postponing Asr to be the truth?

The answer lies in the following belief by Zurara, which was disagreed upon by his brother Humran but validated by Imam al-Sadiq:

"Zurarah says that the time for Salah (prayer) was delegated to the Messenger of Allah. He was the one who determined them."

Hadith:

(Al-Kafi, vol 3, page 273)

“Narrated Zurara:

“I once was sitting in the presence of Abu Abdullah (al-Sadiq) and Humran ibn ’A‘yan was also present. 

Humran asked him (the Imam), ‘What do you say about the words of Zurarah with which I do not agree?’ 

Abu Abdullah asked: ‘What are they?’ 

Humran said: ‘Zurarah says that the time for Salah (prayer) was delegated to the Messenger of Allah. He was the one who determined them.’ 

Abu Abdullah asked: ‘What do you (Humran) say about it?’ 

I (Humran) said, ‘ Jibril came to him (the Holy prophet) on the first day with the first time and on the last day with the last time. Jibril then said, ‘In between there are times for Salah (prayer).’ 

Abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, then said, ‘O Humran, Zurarah says that Jibril came to the Messenger of Allah only to give him an indication. Zurarah is right. Allah left it to Muhammad, O Allah grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, who made the determination. Jibril provided him with an indication about it.’”

1 - علي بن إبراهيم، عن أبيه، عن ابن أبي عمير، عن عمر بن أذينة، عن زرارة قال: كنت قاعدا عند أبي عبد الله (عليه السلام) أنا وحمران بنأعين فقال له حمران: ما تقول فيما يقول زرارة وقد خالفته فيه؟ فقال أبو عبد الله (عليه السلام): ما هو؟ قال: يزعم أن مواقيت الصلاةكانت مفوضة إلى رسول الله (صلى الله عليه وآله) هو الذي وضعها فقال أبو عبد الله (عليه السلام):

فما تقول: أنت؟ قلت: إن جبرئيل (عليه السلام) أتاه في اليوم الأول بالوقت الأول وفي اليوم الأخير بالوقت الأخير ثم قال جبرئيل (عليهالسلام): ما بينهما وقت. فقال أبو عبد الله (عليه السلام):

يا حمران إن زرارة يقول: إن جبرئيل (عليه السلام) إنما جاء مشيرا على رسول الله (صلى الله عليه وآله) و صدق زرارة إنما جعل الله ذلك إلىمحمد (صلى الله عليه وآله) فوضعه وأشار جبرئيل (عليه السلام) به [عليه] (1).

If "Zurarah says that the time for Salah (prayer) was delegated to the Messenger of Allah. He was the one who determined them"

How does is prophet determining time of prayer relevant to our Imams ordering Zurara to postpone Asr prayer until Maghrib time?

The answer lies in the following hadith:

(Al-Kafi, vol 1, page 255)

“Zurara narrates:

I heard Abu Jaa’far, peace be upon him, say: 

If it were not for the fact that we are increased in knowledge (by receiving wahi), we would have ran out (out of knowledge).

I (Zurara) said: Are you adding something that the Messenger of God, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him and his family, does not know? 

He (the Imam) said: As for that, any knowledge is first presented to the Messenger of God, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him and his family, then to the Imams (one by one), till the matter ends with us (the present Imam)”

محمد بن يحيى، عن أحمد بن محمد، عن ابن أبي نصر، عن ثعلبة، عن زرارة قال: سمعت أبا جعفر عليه السلام يقول: لولا أنا نزداد لأنفدنا،قال: قلت: تزدادون شيئا لا يعلمه رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله؟ قال: أما إنه إذا كان ذلك عرض على رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله ثم علىالأئمة ثم انتهى الامر إلينا.

Zurara believed that the Imams cannot have new knowledge, which the prophet did not have.

The origin of this belief lies in the question he asked Imam al-Baqr above:

"Are you adding something that the Messenger of God, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him and his family, does not know?"

Any new event, phenomenon that occurs in modern times, which didn't exist in prophet times.

Allah answers that questions related to that event by first supernaturally transmitting knowledge of it to prophet Muhammad in the heavens, then the Imams one by one, till it reaches the current Imam:

"He (the Imam) said: As for that, any knowledge is first presented to the Messenger of God, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him and his family, then to the Imams (one by one), till the matter ends with us (the present Imam)”

That way, anything the current Imam narrates is automatically the words of Rasul Allah and the words of his Imam predecessors.

Any change in prayer time by the current Imam would be change in prayer time by the prophet himself.

Thus, Zurara did not believe that postponing Asr - by Imam al-Sadiq's order - is contradictory to the idea that the Muhammedan canon was closed:

"The lawful of Muhammad is lawful forever until the Day of Resurrection, and his unlawful is unlawful forever until the Day of Resurrection. There will be no other [law] besides it, and none will come after it.’”

This puts the final, most pressing question into the picture:

Why even postpone Asr or Maghrib - as Zurara and the Khattabiya did respectively?

Salim Abi Khadija, previously a Khattabi - who had even fought with Abu al-Khattab in his rebellion but did not die, perhaps provides the best insight on why he participated in postponing Maghrib along with the Khattabiya.

Salim narrates from Imam al-Sadiq:

(Tahdheeb al-Ahkam, vol 2, page 252) 

“Muhammad b. Yahya from Muhammad b. al-Husayn from Abd al-Rahman b. Abi Hashim al-Bajali from Salim Abi Khadija from Abi Abdillah عليه السلام, he (Salim) said: a man asked [him] while I was present: I happen to enter the Masjid and one of our companions is praying the Asr prayer while another is praying Dhuhr [why this divergence]? He said: I ordered them to do that, if they were all to pray at one time they would be known and it would be off with their necks.”

عن سالم أبي خديجة، عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام قال: سأل إنسان وأنا حاضر فقال: ربما دخلت المسجد وبعض أصحابنا يصلي العصر،وبعضهم يصلي الظهر، فقال: أنا أمرتهم بهذا لو صلوا على وقت واحد لعرفوا فاخذ برقابهم.

The purpose can thus be summarized as one:

• A literal order by the Imam: "I ordered them to do that"

• The Imam can issue this order or withdraw it, whenveer he wishes: Tell [Zurara] to pray at the same times as my companions, for I have burned (turned away) [from that instruction].”

 - The purpose is protecting Shi'ism: If they were all to pray at one time they would be known and it would be off with their necks.”

Hence,

The Khattabiya's decision to postpone Maghrib:

Narrated Muhammad b. Masud from Ali b. al-Hasan from Muammar b. Khallad who said: Abu al-Hasan عليه السلام said: Verily Aba al-Khattab corrupted the people of Kufa so they used not to pray the Maghrib until the redness of the sky disappears, but that is not appropriate except for the traveller or someone who has a problem.”

إنّ أبا الخطّاب أفسد أهل الكوفة، فصاروا لايصلّون المغرب حتى يغيب الشفق، ولم يكن ذلك، وإنما ذاك للمسافر، وصاحب العلّة

• It can only be obeying a literal order by the Imam, which he can issue or withdraw from whomever he likes
• The purpose is to protect Shi'i creed and the lives of the Shi'a

I hope this was beneficial

Wasalaam

John Andaluso