Asr (Afternoon Prayer)
The third daily prayer, performed in the afternoon.
Asr (Arabic: عصر) is the third of the five daily obligatory prayers in Islam. The word "asr" means "afternoon" or "time/epoch" in Arabic. This prayer is performed in the afternoon, when the shadow of an object has become longer than the object itself (plus the shadow's length at noon).
The Asr prayer consists of four rak'ah. There are two main methods for calculating the Asr time, which vary between the Islamic schools of law: according to the Shafi'i, Maliki and Hanbali schools, Asr begins when the shadow of an object equals the object's length plus the shadow's length at noon. According to the Hanafi school, Asr begins when the shadow is twice as long as the object plus the noon shadow.
The Quran specifically mentions the Asr prayer: "Guard strictly your prayers, especially the middle prayer" (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:238). Many scholars interpret "the middle prayer" as the Asr prayer. Neglecting the Asr prayer is considered particularly serious.
The Asr time can vary significantly — from around 1:30 PM in winter to 5:00 PM or later in summer.
Related terms
Zakat (Alms)
The obligatory alms that the Quran mentions alongside prayer.
Laylat al-Mi'raj (The Night of Ascension)
The night when Prophet Muhammad journeyed to the heavens and received the gift of prayer.
Ashura (The Tenth of Muharram)
The tenth day of Muharram, the commemoration of Imam Husayn's martyrdom.
Salat al-Duha (Forenoon Prayer)
A voluntary prayer performed after sunrise and before noon, with great reward according to the narrations.
Khutbah (Sermon)
The Islamic sermon delivered before the Friday prayer and at the Eid prayers.
Du'a al-Iftitah (The Opening Supplication)
A beautiful supplication recited during Ramadan nights, attributed to Imam al-Mahdi.