Can you pray with Isha after 12? I know you are very curious to see the answer to this question. So searched and read it. I have written the response with hadith for you. Read and enrich the knowledge.
What is the Isha prayer?
Isha is an Arabic word meaning the first darkness of the night. Isha starts after the end of Maghrib.
The Isha prayer means the prayer performed at the time of Isha, i.e., the first darkness of the night. In other words,
It is the last prayer among the five daily prayers. Isha can be prayed after 12. And Isha’s prayer is four Rakats. And six Rakats are Sunnah. Three Rakats are spent. The rules for performing the other Isha prayers are the same as for all other prayers.
However, if the pray Isha prayer is performed in the congregation, Surah Kirat should be recited in a loud voice in the first two rak’ahs and a low voice in the last two rak’ahs.
Significance and importance of Isha prayer
Isha prayer is essential among the five daily prayers. During Isha prayer, people are free from busyness and rest.
As a result, he neglects to participate in the congregation during these two times. For this reason, Isha prayer has been especially encouraged in the hadith.
The significance and virtues of performing the Isha prayer have been described in various hadiths. Here we mention some hadiths.
The reward for praying half the night: Rasulullah – may Allah bless him and grant him peace – said,
“Whoever prays the Isha prayer in congregation, it is as if he prayed the (Nafal) prayer until half the night.” And the person who performed the Fajr prayer in congregation is as if he had prayed the whole night awake.’ (Sahih Muslim – 1377)
In another narration, “Whoever prays Isha and Fajr with the congregation, it is as if he stood up and prayed the whole night.” (Sahih Muslim – 656)
Freedom from the list of hypocrites: Rasulullah – may Allah bless him and grant him peace – said,
‘There is no prayer more difficult for the hypocrites than the Fajr and Isha prayers. Had they known the virtues of these two prayers, they would have attended them even if they crawled.’ (Sahih Bukhari – 657)
On the authority of Ubayy Ibn Ka’b – Radiyallahu Anhu -,
“Once Rasulullah – may Allah bless him and grant him peace – led us to Fajr prayer. Salam asked back, what is there? People said no. Then asked another person’s name; what is there? People said no.
He said these two prayers (Isha and Fajr) are the most difficult for the hypocrites. If you knew how much reward there is in these two prayers, join them even if you crawl.’ (Abu Dawud – 554)
When does Isha prayer start and end?
The Isha prayer time starts after the end of the Maghrib prayer time. In other words, the time for Isha prayer begins when the sun’s red glow disappears from the western sky.
And the time of praying Isha prayer ends after 12 or a third of the night. The time between these two times is the primary time of Isha prayer.
Once Jibreel came to teach at the time of prayer Isha. Then on the first day, after sunset of the sun, he performed the Isha prayer with the Prophet – may God bless him and grant him peace.
Then on the second day, at one-third of the night, perform the Isha prayer and say –
” الوقت ما بين هذين “. رواه أصحاب السنن.
Translation, ‘The time between the two is the time for praying Isha. (The hadith is found in the Sunan books)
Another hadith has –
عن عائشة رضي الله عنها أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: “صلوا فيما بين أن يغيب الشفق إلى ثلث الليل “
On the authority of Aisha – Radiyallahu Anha – she said – The Prophet – may God bless him and grant him peace – said, “Pray the Isha prayer from the sunset of the red moon of the night until one-third of the night.” (Sahih Bukhari and Muslim)
So the last time of Isha prayer is one-third of the night. Some say – the last time of Isha prayer is till midnight. But the truth is that the Isha prayer time ends one-third of the night.
Can you pray Isha after 12?
Yes, you can pray Isha After 12. Midnight is after 12 in some seasons. And there is a hadith about praying Isha until midnight.
So there is no difficulty in offering Isha prayer after 12 during the season, which is midnight of 12.
But in some countries or seasons, it is midnight before 12. Isha prayer can be offered after 12 in that season as well. But this is not good.
In any case, if it is not possible to pray the Isha prayer on the first night or before midnight for some reason, then it is possible to complete the Isha prayer not only after midnight but until Fajr.
Is it best to pray Isha in after 12?
Yes, the best time to pray Isha is after 12. But that is for the residents of those countries where midnight is after 12.
Because the best time for Isha prayer is the third of the night or midnight, this is the best time for Isha prayer in hadith.
Again there are some countries or seasons where midnight is before 12. They should pray Isha before 12.
This is the order of the person who will not be bothered to wait until that time, will not forget the prayer, will not be afraid of missing the congregation, or will not fall asleep without saying the prayer.
Because in a hadith Rasulullah – may Allah bless him and grant him peace – said,
لولا ضعف الضعيف وسقم السقيم لأمرت بهذه الصلاة أن تؤخر إلى شطر الليل
Translation: If the weak were not afraid of getting more fragile and the sick were not scared of getting sicker, I would have ordered the Isha prayer to be offered in the middle of the night. (Abu Dawud and Nasa’i)
However, a lazy person, who finds it difficult to wait until 12, or is sick or afraid of falling asleep without praying, should pray Isha before 12.
That is, when the time for the Isha prayer begins – the sun’s red light will perform the Isha prayer after sunset.
Nowadays, almost all mosques have fixed prayer times. If Isha prayer is not offered in the congregation now, there is no benefit in praying in the congregation later.
Therefore, praying Isha at 12 with the congregation in the mosque is better.
How to pray Isha after 12?
There is no separate rule for performing Isha prayer after 12. As per the general rules of Namaz, Isha must be performed after 12.
I am giving below two hadiths regarding whether Isha prayer can be offered after 12 and how to offer it.
عن أنس رضي الله عنه قال: ” (أخّر رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم صلاة العشاء إلى نصف الليل) “. رواه البخاري
Translation: On the authority of Annan – Radiyallahu Anhu, who said: The Messenger of Allah – may God bless him and grant him peace – delayed the Isha prayer until half the night. (Sahih Bukhari)
There is another hadith –
عن ابن عمر رضي الله عنهما أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: ” وقت العشاء إلى نصف الليل
Translation: Narrated by Ibn Umar – Radiyallahu Anhuma – that the Prophet – may God bless him and grant him peace – said the time for Isha prayer is until midnight. (Sahih Muslim)
These two hadiths have validated performing the Isha prayer after 12 and analyzed how to achieve it. So we can pray Isha generally after 12.
Answers to some questions
Q. Can you pray Isha before Fajr?
Ans. If, for some reason, a person does not pray Isha on time, he can pray it before Fajr or after 12. However, it is not suitable for him. Isha time is the Isha prayer in the first part of the night.
But still, Fuqbahaye Keram says that if one does not pray on time for some particular reason, such as because he forgot, fell, or was healthy, he should pray before Fajr.
Q. Can you pray Isha after Maghrib?
Ans. The Isha prayer cannot be offered after the Maghrib prayer until the time for the Isha prayer begins, and time for the pray Isha prayer begins after sunset of the sun.