How many units can you pray before ‘Asr?
Question:
The hadith: رَحِمَ اللَّهُ امْرَأً صَلَّى قَبْلَ الْعَصْرِ أَرْبَعًا
“May Allah have mercy on the person that prays four (units) before ‘Asr.” [1] What is the condition of this hadith?
Answer:
This hadith is disputed regarding its authenticity. The more accurate (view) in my estimation is that it is not authentic.
However, it has been reported that the Prophet ﷺ prayed two units before ‘Asr – the hadith of ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) and it is a hasan hadith from the path of ‘Āsim Ibn Dhamara [2].
[1] Narrated by Ibn ‘Umar in Abū Dāwūd (1271)
[2] Narrated by ‘Ali in Abū Dāwūd (1272)
Answered by: Shaikh Abu Abdillah Muhammad Ba Jamaal (May Allah preserve him)
Source: https://t.me/bajmaal/4448
Translated by: Abū Sufyān Sāmi ibn Daniel Al-Ghāni