Question Summary:
What is the latest time that one is allowed to read Esha salah.

Question Detail:

Assalam-wa-lai-kum
What is the latest time that one is allowed to read Esha salah. I am often so exhausted that I end up falling asleep when I put my children to bed. I then get up between midnight and 1am and offer my Esha salah. Is this acceptable?

Answer :

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Assalaamu `alaykum waRahmatullahi Wabarakatoh
It is Mustahab (preferable) to delay the Esha Salaah to one third of the night. Rasulullah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said “If I did not fear difficulty upon my Ummah, I would have commanded them to delay the Esha to one third of the night. It is Mubah (permissible) to delay Esha Salaah unto half of the night. To delay it to after half of the night is Makrooh (reprehensible) (Tahtaawi Page 184 Ilmiyya).
And Allah knows best
Wassalam
Muhammed Zakariyya Desai,
Checked and Approved by:
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Darul Iftaa, Madrassah In'aamiyyah