When is it Prohibited to Recite the Quran? Understanding Zawal and Prayer Times

The Truth About Quran Recitation and Prohibited Times

Question: At what times is it prohibited to recite the Quran? It is often said that one should not recite during the time of zawal

Answer: Those who claim that it is forbidden to recite the Quran during *zawal* (midday) are spreading false information about the religion. The Quran is a great remembrance of Allah, and it can be recited at any time, day or night. There is no specific time during which reciting the Quran is prohibited. However, regarding voluntary prayers, there is a hadith in which it is mentioned that there are three times when it is prohibited to perform voluntary prayers. Uqbah bin ‘Amir narrated that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said:

ثَلَاثُ سَاعَاتٍ كانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عليه وَسَلَّمَ يَنْهَانَا أَنْ نُصَلِّيَ فِيهِنَّ، أَوْ أَنْ نَقْبُرَ فِيهِنَّ مَوْتَانَا: حِينَ تَطْلُعُ الشَّمْسُ بَازِغَةً حتَّى تَرْتَفِعَ، وَحِينَ يَقُومُ قَائِمُ الظَّهِيرَةِ حتَّى تَمِيلَ الشَّمْسُ، وَحِينَ تَضَيَّفُ الشَّمْسُ لِلْغُرُوبِ حتَّى تَغْرُبَ.(صحیح مسلم:831)

Translation: There were three times at which Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) forbade us to pray, or bury our dead: When the sun begins to rise till it is fully up, when the sun is at its height at midday till it passes over the meridian, and when the sun draws near to setting till it sets.

In light of this hadith, it is prohibited to perform voluntary prayers during these three times. However, obligatory prayers or prayers with a specific cause, such as the tahiyyat al-masjid (greeting the mosque), the prayer after wudu, or the prayer after completing a tawaf, are permissible even during these times. Thus, it is clear that there is no time when Quranic recitation is prohibited.

Respondent: Sheikh Maqbool Ahmed Salafi Hafizahullah 

Jeddah Dawah Center, Saudi Arabia  

Interpreter: Hasan Fuzail