Midday Islamic prayer, (See Wasaṭ (وسط, الْوُسْطَىٰ) – The Middle one
عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ يُونُسَ عَنْ يَزِيدَ بْنِ خَلِيفَةَ قَالَ قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ( عليه السلام ) إِنَّ عُمَرَ بْنَ حَنْظَلَةَ أَتَانَا عَنْكَ بِوَقْتٍ فَقَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ( عليه السلام ) إِذاً لَا يَكْذِبُ عَلَيْنَا قُلْتُ ذَكَرَ أَنَّكَ قُلْتَ إِنَّ أَوَّلَ صَلَاةٍ افْتَرَضَهَا اللَّهُ عَلَى نَبِيِّهِ ( صلى الله عليه وآله ) الظُّهْرُ وَ هُوَ قَوْلُ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ أَقِمِ الصَّلاةَ لِدُلُوكِ الشَّمْسِ فَإِذَا زَالَتِ الشَّمْسُ لَمْ يَمْنَعْكَ إِلَّا سُبْحَتُكَ ثُمَّ لَا تَزَالُ فِي وَقْتٍ إِلَى أَنْ يَصِيرَ الظِّلُّ قَامَةً وَ هُوَ آخِرُ الْوَقْتِ فَإِذَا صَارَ الظِّلُّ قَامَةً دَخَلَ وَقْتُ الْعَصْرِ فَلَمْ يَزَلْ فِي وَقْتِ الْعَصْرِ حَتَّى يَصِيرَ الظِّلُّ قَامَتَيْنِ وَ ذَلِكَ الْمَسَاءُ فَقَالَ صَدَقَ
Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from Mohammed ibn ‘lsa from Yunus from Yazid ibn Khalifah who has said the following:
“I once said to Abu Abd Allah-asws that Umar ibn Hanzalah has reported to us from you about timing (for Salat). Imam Abu Abd Allah-asws asked: ‘If this is so then he does not ascribe lies to us’. I then said, ‘He quotes your-asws statements. He says the first Salat which Allah-azwj made obligatory on His Prophet-saww was Al-Zuhr Salat. Allah-azwj Says: ‘Perform Salat from the time of declining of the Sun toward the West at noontime (17:78).’ So when the Sun declines toward the West at noon time, there is no other obstacle except your ‘Nafil’[1]. This time continues until the shadow of an object becomes equal to its length and that is the end of this time. When the shadow of an object becomes equal to its length, it is the time for al-Asr Salat which continues until the shadow of an object becomes double its length and that is evening’. (Upon listen to this, Imam-asws) said: ‘He narrated the truth.[2]
[1] Recommended Salat
[2] الكافي (ط – الإسلامية)، ج3، ص: 275, H. 1