Ruling on delaying ‘Asr prayer and its adhaan for an hour so that employees can gather
Question

                We are work colleagues in al-Jubayl Industrial City (Eastern Province). We pray Zuhr and ‘Asr in a small mosque at work, and there is no other congregation. Some of the brothers suggested that we organise the time of the adhaan and iqaamah as follows:

1. Zuhr prayer: adhaan at 11.45 and iqaamah at 12.00 noon

2. ‘Asr prayer: adhaan at 3.35 and iqaamah at 3.45

The reason for that is to enable everyone to pray in the mosque in congregation. This is the most suitable time when everyone will have returned to their offices from various distant places. Our question is: by doing that, will we have fulfilled what is meant in the hadeeth narrated from our Messenger Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), “The most beloved of deeds to Allah is prayer offered on time”? Another question: is praying ‘Asr at 3.45 within the time for ‘Asr prayer?
Praise be to Allah.
    Firstly: 

    The Sunnah is to give the adhaan when the time for the prayer 
    begins, because that was the usual practice of the mu’adhdhins of the 
    Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). But there is 
    nothing wrong with those who want to offer the prayer later than the 
    beginning of its time delaying the adhaan so that it will be closer to the 
    time when they offer the prayer. 

    Ar-Ramli said in his commentary on Asna al-Mataalib 
    (1/133): The adhaan should be given for the prayer when the time for it 
    begins, although it is acceptable to do it until the time for the prayer 
    ends. End quote. 

    In other words, the time for the adhaan lasts from when the 
    time for the prayer begins until that time ends. 

    With regard to giving the adhaan before the time for prayer 
    begins, that is not permissible except in the case of Fajr prayer. 

    Ibn Qudaamah (may Allah have mercy on him) said in 
    al-Mughni (1/246): Giving the adhaan before the time for prayer begins, 
    except for Fajr, is not acceptable, and we do not know of any difference of 
    opinion concerning that. Ibn al-Mundhir said: The scholars are unanimously 
    agreed that the Sunnah is to give the adhaan for prayer after the time for 
    the prayer has begun, except in the case of Fajr. Because the adhaan was 
    prescribed to signal the time for prayer, it is not prescribed to do it 
    before the time begins, lest the purpose for which it was prescribed is 
    missed. End quote. 

    Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked 
    about the ruling on delaying the adhaan from the beginning of the time for 
    prayer.

     He said: If a person is in a town, it is not appropriate to 
    delay it from the beginning of the time, because that will lead to chaos and 
    differences among the mu’adhdhins, and it will lead to people becoming 
    confused as to which of them is more correct, the one who does it sooner or 
    the one who does it later? But if the adhaan has nothing to do with the town 
    (rather it is the matter of a group of people working in some institution 
    and the like) then it is up to them, but it is better for them to give the 
    adhaan at the beginning of the time and then pray, because doing the prayer 
    at the beginning of its time is preferable except in cases where it is 
    prescribed to delay it. If it is prescribed to delay it, then the adhaan may 
    also be delayed. Hence it is proven in Saheeh al-Bukhaari that the 
    Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was on a journey and 
    the mu’adhdhin got up to give the call to prayer, but the Prophet (blessings 
    and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Wait until it cools down.” Then he 
    wanted to get up and he said, “Wait until it cools down.” Then he wanted to 
    get up and he said, “Wait until it cools down,” until the hill was the same 
    length as its shadow, then he gave the call to prayer. This indicates that 
    the adhaan is prescribed when the prayer is prescribed. If the prayer is one 
    of those that may be delayed, such as Zuhr prayer in the case of extreme 
    heat and ‘Isha’ prayer, then the adhaan may be delayed. This applies outside 
    of towns and villages in which there are mu’adhdhins. Otherwise it is not 
    appropriate to delay it from the time when the people usually give the 
    adhaan.

    End quote from Fataawa ash-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 
    12/189. The hadeeth mentioned was narrated by al-Bukhaari (539) and Muslim 
    (616) 

    Based on that, you may give the adhaan at the beginning of 
    the time for prayer, then you may give the iqaamah only when you want to 
    pray, or you may delay the adhaan so that it will be close to the time when 
    you actually pray. 

    Secondly: 

    The preferred time for ‘Asr prayer ends when the sun turns 
    yellow, and it is not permissible to delay the prayer until after that 
    except in case of necessity, because the Prophet (blessings and peace of 
    Allah be upon him) said: “The appropriate time for ‘Asr is so long as the 
    sun has not turned yellow.” Narrated by Muslim (612) from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr 
    ibn al-‘Aas (may Allah be pleased with him). See also the answer to question 
    no. 9940 

    The best is to hasten to offer the prayer, because of the 
    general meaning of the hadeeths which speak of the virtue of offering the 
    prayer at the beginning of its time. But if delaying it is appropriate so 
    that the employees may gather and prepare themselves for the prayer, and 
    that is before the sun turns yellow, then there is nothing wrong with it. 

    Referring to the Umm al-Qura prayer timetable, we see that 
    the shortest time for ‘Asr prayer is at the end of November and the 
    beginning of December, when the time for ‘Asr begins at 2.30 pm and the sun 
    sets at 4.50 pm, and you said that you want to pray ‘Asr at 3.45 pm. This is 
    before the sun turns yellow, in sha Allah. 

    Based on that, there is nothing wrong with you praying ‘Asr 
    at the time stated. 

    With regard to Zuhr prayer, we see that on some days of the 
    year the time for it begins after 11.45 am, which is the time that you 
    mention for the adhaan. In the middle of February, the time for Zuhr begins 
    at approximately 11.55 am according to the Umm al-Qura timetable. 

    What this means is that on some days of the year, you will be 
    giving the adhaan for Zuhr prayer before the time for it begins, and this is 
    not permissible according to scholarly consensus, as stated above. 

    So you have to revise the time for the adhaan of Zuhr, even 
    if that means delaying it so that it will be at 12.00 noon. 

    Thirdly: 

    With regard to the words of the Prophet (blessings and peace 
    of Allah be upon him) when he was asked which deed is most beloved to Allah, 
    and he said: “Prayer offered on time” (narrated by al-Bukhaari (527) and 
    Muslim (85), this indicates that prayer should be offered on time. Some of 
    the scholars said that it indicates that it is preferable to offer it when 
    the time for it begins. See: Fath al-Baari. 

    But Abu Dawood (426) narrated that Umm Farwah (may Allah be 
    pleased with her) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah 
    be upon him) was asked: Which deed is best? He said: “Prayer offered when 
    the time for it begins.” Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi 
    Dawood. 

    This clearly indicates that it is preferable to pray when the 
    time for the prayer begins, with the exception of waiting until it cools 
    down to pray Zuhr in the case of extreme heat, and delaying ‘Isha’ prayer if 
    that does not cause any hardship to the worshippers. 

    With regard to Zuhr prayer, you will be offering it at the 
    beginning of its time throughout the year, according to the Umm al-Qura 
    timetable. 

    With regard to ‘Asr prayer, there are some days of the year 
    when the day is short, so you will be offering it after more than half of 
    its time has passed, which means that you will not be offering it at the 
    beginning of its time; however doing it at that time is permissible, so long 
    as it is before the sun turns yellow. 

    And Allah knows best.