Asr prayer
The Asr prayer (Arabic: صلاة العصر ṣalāt al-ʿaṣr, "afternoon prayer") is one of the five mandatory salah (Islamic prayers).
| Asr prayer | |
|---|---|
Afternoon sun | |
| Official name | صلاة العصر، الصلاة الوسطى، صلاة العشي، صلاة الآصال |
| Also called | Afternoon prayer |
| Observed by | Muslims |
| Type | Islamic |
| Significance | A Muslim prayer offered to Allah at the afternoon hour of the day. |
| Observances | Fard |
| Begins | Afternoon |
| Ends | Sunset |
| Frequency | Daily |
| Related to | Salah, Wazifa, Five Pillars of Islam |
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The Asr prayer consists of four obligatory rakat. An additional four rakat are recommended to be performed before the obligatory rakat. As with Zuhr prayer, if it is performed in congregation, the imam is silent except when announcing the takbir, i'tidal, and taslim.
The period of Asr prayer begins approximately when the sun is halfway down from noon to sunset (various branches of Islam differ on the starting point; some say that it begins when the shadow of an object equals its actual length plus its shadow during noon, others say that the actual length must be doubled). Asr prayer ends at sunset.
The Asr daily prayer is mentioned as the middle prayer in the Qur'an at sura 2 (Al-Baqara) and it is emphasized on the Muslims to protect this prayer meaning that it should be performed at all costs, ayat 238. al-Asr is also the title of the 103rd chapter (sura) of the Qur’ān.
The five daily prayers collectively are one pillar of the Five Pillars of Islam, in Sunni Islam, and one of the ten Practices of the Religion (Furū al-Dīn) according to Shia Islam.