Question Summary:
Salah Times – Clock Inaccuracy

Question Detail:

asar time starts at 3:55 - just say someone completed his zuhar fard salaah at 3:54:58 (2 seconds before Asar starts, is his salaah valid?

Answer :

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

In the enquired situation, the issue is not about his zuhr salah being valid or not. The zuhr salah will be valid even if the zuhr time expired according to another watch. The issue is whether his zuhr salah is qadha’ or not.

A Muslim ought to be sensitive to performing his salah on time. He should avoid delaying his salah until the last moment or even to the extent that creates a doubt whether his salah is ada’ (performed on time) or qadha’ (performed out of time).

If one is aware that the time on his watch is different from other watches, he should adjust his watch according to the standard time.[1] 

And Allah Ta‘ālā Knows Best.

Lutfi

Student, Darul Iftaa

USA

Checked and Approved by:
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.

_____

[1]

عمدة الرعاية بتحشية شرح الوقاية (٢/٢١٤)

وآخرُ وقتِ العصر، وقتٌ ناقص، إذ هو وقتُ عبادةِ الشَّمْس، فوجبَ ناقصاً، فإذا أدَّاه أدَّاه كما وجب، فإذا اعترضَ الفسادُ بالغروبِ لا تفسد، وفي الفجرِ كلُّ وقتِه وقتٌ كامل؛ لأنَّ الشَّمسَ لا تعبدُ قبلَ الطُّلوع، فوجبَ كاملاً، فإذا اعترضَ الفسادُ بالطَّلوع تفسد؛ لأنَّه لم يؤدِّها كما وَجَب

تبيين الحقائق شرح كنز الدقائق وحاشية الشلبي (١/٨٥)

وَآخِرُ وَقْتِ الْعَصْرِ وَقْتٌ نَاقِصٌ إذْ هُوَ وَقْتُ عِبَادَةِ الشَّمْسِ فَوَجَبَ نَاقِصًا فَإِذَا أَدَّاهُ أَدَّاهُ كَمَا وَجَبَ فَإِذَا اعْتَرَضَ الْفَسَادُ بِالْغُرُوبِ لَا تَفْسُدُ وَفِي الْفَجْرِ كُلُّ وَقْتِهِ وَقْتٌ كَامِلٌ؛ لِأَنَّ الشَّمْسَ لَا تُعْبَدُ قَبْلَ الطُّلُوعِ فَوَجَبَ كَامِلًا فَإِذَا اعْتَرَضَ الْفَسَادُ بِالطُّلُوعِ يَفْسُدُ

الأشباه والنظائر لابن نجيم (ص: ٥٦)

الْيَقِينُ لَا يَزُولُ بِالشَّكِّ