Salaatul Ishaa is the last prayer of the day
(or the second if you are starting from Salaatul Maghrib).
When does it come in and go out?
What are its characteristics?
When is Salaatul Ishaa to be prayed?
Excerpts: (the bracketed headings are my addition)
[When does Ishaa begin?]
Imaam An-Nawawee (rahimahullaah) said: “The Ummah is united upon the fact that the time of ‘Ishaa is at the disappearance of the afterglow of sunset.”
So whenever you see that the redness on the horizon has ceased, then this is proof that the time for Maghrib has indeed elapsed, and it varies between an hour and a quarter to an hour and thirty three minutes – approximately – after Maghrib.
[When does Ishaa end?]
There is some differing on when Ishaa ends. Some say it is until a third of the night, some say it is until a half of the night, and some say it is until fajr.
Shaikh ‘Abdul-‘Azeez bin Baaz (rahimahullaah) mentioned: “When the afterglow of sunset disappears; and it is the redness in the western direction, the time for Maghrib ends, and the time for ‘Ishaa enters until half of the night, and that which comes after half of the night is a time of pressing need/necessity for the time of ‘Ishaa. So it is impermissible to delay until that which comes after half the night, however that which is after the setting (i.e. disappearance) of the afterglow of sunset until half of the night – all of it is a time of preference for ‘Ishaa. So if one were to pray it after half of the night, he has carried it out in time, however he is sinful, because he delayed it until the time of pressing need/necessity.”
Delaying the ‘Ishaa Prayer Until a Third of the Night or Until Half of it
Al-Haafidh Ibn Hajr (rahimahullaah) said regarding the hadeeth:
لَوْلَا أَنْ أَشُقَّ عَلَى أُمَّتِي لَأَمَرْتُهُمْ أَنْ يُؤَخِّرُوا العِشَاءَ إِلَى ثُلُثِ اللَّيْلِ أَوْ نِصْفِهِ
((Were it not that I would impose hardship upon my Ummah, then I would have ordered them to delay ‘Ishaa until a third of the night or its half.))[22]
“Based upon this, whoever finds strength within himself to delay it and is not overcome by sleep and that it does not prove difficult upon any one of those that are following the Imaam, then delay in his right is better, and An-Nawawee resolved that in the explanation of Muslim, and it is the preference of many of the people of hadeeth from the Shaafi’iyyah and other than them, and Allaah Knows Best.”[23]
Shaikh ‘Uthaimeen (rahimahullaah) said: “As for delaying the ‘Ishaa prayer until the end of its time, then it is better, because the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) came out one night and a great part of the night had elapsed, so he said:
إِنَّهُ لَوَقْتُهَا لَوْلَا أَنْ أَشُقَّ عَلَى أُمَّتِي
((Indeed it is its time, were it not that I would impose difficulty upon my Ummah
.... so what is between a third and half then this is the best time for ‘Ishaa.
The article also discusses what is meant by half of the night and how it is calculated. It also discusses the proofs for why the end of Isha is not dawn.
What are the characteristics of Ishaa?
How Many Rakaat are there?Salaatul Ishaa has 4 rakaat.
Is Ishaa Recited Aloud or Quietly?
It is a "jahri" prayer which means its recitation is aloud.
Recitation in Salaatul Ishaa
In the Prophet's Prayer Described, by Shaykh Uthaymeen, some of the surahs that the Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam) recited after Suratul Fatihah during Ishaa are mentioned:
- (02) Al Baqarah
- (82) Al Infitar
- (84) Al Inshiqaaq
- (87) Al Alaa
- (91) Ash-Shams
- (95) At-Tin
- (96) Al Alaq
- Medium length surahs of the Mufassal surahs (the mufassal surahs are those from Surah Qaaf to Suratun-Naas)
What is its related sunnah (voluntary) prayer like?
It is two rakaat prayed AFTER Salaatul Ishaa (Source: "A Description of the Supererogatory (Sunnah) Prayers" by Shaykh Muhammad ibn Umar Bazmool)Should the Sunnah Prayers be recited aloud or quietly? Article 1 Article 2
