Dhuhr (Noon Prayer)
The second daily prayer, performed when the sun passes its zenith.
Dhuhr (Arabic: ظهر) is the second of the five daily obligatory prayers in Islam. The word "dhuhr" means "noon" and refers to the time when the sun has passed its highest point in the sky (zenith) and begins to move westward.
The Dhuhr prayer consists of four rak'ah and is prayed in the period from when the sun passes the zenith until the beginning of the Asr prayer. On Fridays, Dhuhr is replaced by the Jumu'ah prayer (Friday prayer) for men, which is prayed in congregation at the mosque.
Dhuhr time is calculated astronomically as the moment when the sun crosses the meridian (the highest point in the sky for that day). This typically falls between 12:00 and 13:30 depending on the season and daylight saving time. The exact time depends on the city's longitude — cities further west have a slightly later Dhuhr than cities to the east.
It is sunnah (recommended) to pray two or four rak'ah of sunnah prayer before Dhuhr and two rak'ah after. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was very attentive to these extra prayers.
Related terms
Sunan Abu Dawud (Abu Dawud's Hadith Collection)
One of the six canonical hadith collections in Sunni Islam with a special focus on legal narrations.
Du'a al-Faraj (The Supplication of Deliverance)
A short, powerful supplication for Imam al-Mahdi's appearance and deliverance from suffering.
Salaf (The Pious Predecessors)
The first three generations of Muslims: sahabah, tabi'in, and tabi' al-tabi'in.
Taharah (Ritual Purity)
The state of ritual purity, which is a prerequisite for prayer.
Qasr (Shortened Prayer)
The permission to shorten the four-rak'ah prayers to two rak'ah during travel.
Isnad (Chain of Narration)
The chain of narrators connecting a hadith back to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).