What, if anything, is so significant about 12am that we can't pray or read?

I've never heard this either.

edit: Someone asked a similar question, and nothing about midnight here: http://www.islamqa.com/en/ref/109254

Salaam

I think I have heard of something called forbidden times of salah - maybe you could check that out.

peace

Perhaps the answer is so simple we can not see it. We have specific times for the prescribed prayers we are obligated to say them.

Midnight is a well defined time during which it is obvious any prayers said will not be considered part of the prescribed prayers. I doubt if it means we are forbidden to pray at that time, it is simply that any prayer said at that time could not satisfy the requirement of being any of the prescribed obligatory prayers.

Sounds like culture has complicated something that should not even be an issue.

format_quote Originally Posted by abbas_ali

As-Salamu Alaykum,

I have had a question i have wanted to ask for while. My mum has always said to me we cannot pray at midnight and this includes reading the Quran. I have asked her why and she always give me a half-baked answer about spirits and stuff being moving around or a in a state of flux . She admits she is not sure on the reason and probably her parents have told her and so on...

I know there are obviously the forbidden times of prayer (sunrise, sunset and when the sun it at its zenith) and also Isha prayer is makrooh after midnight but my mum insists that for example if i am reading Quran, i stop 5 mins before midnight and only start again 5 mins after midnight>

Is there a reason for this so i know why i am actually doing it? Or is this just a cultural practice?

Jazakallah-khair

To be away from the disturbances of those mentioned above in bold... - If u feel that it is true for that interval of time. Then I feel it would be better for you to pray at that interval of time.... Thats my Practical/Logical answer.

But i have never heard of this (new) time limitation for prayer any where...and hav never thought about it as well.....your post info was the first... and am not beleiving it.

format_quote Originally Posted by abbas_ali

As-Salamu Alaykum,

I have had a question i have wanted to ask for while. My mum has always said to me we cannot pray at midnight and this includes reading the Quran. I have asked her why and she always give me a half-baked answer about spirits and stuff being moving around or a in a state of flux . She admits she is not sure on the reason and probably her parents have told her and so on...

I know there are obviously the forbidden times of prayer (sunrise, sunset and when the sun it at its zenith) and also Isha prayer is makrooh after midnight but my mum insists that for example if i am reading Quran, i stop 5 mins before midnight and only start again 5 mins after midnight>

Is there a reason for this so i know why i am actually doing it? Or is this just a cultural practice?

Jazakallah-khair

Asalaamu Alaikum Wr Wb, what your mother is referring to is simply cultural or traditional beliefs and is not a part of Islam. Midnight is not a forbidden time to pray Salaah and this belief that it is should be disregarded.

Even Isha Salaah is not forbidden to pray after midnight. One can pray Isha Salaah until dawn. However it is far better to pray Isha Salaah during the first third of the night and not delay it without a valid reason. If delayed beyond the first third of the night then it is disliked but still accepted. It is better to pray Witr prayer in the third part of the night after Tahajjud Salaah but that is only if one is certain that one will wake up in time to pray it. If one is not certain then one should pray it after Isha Salaah.

In Ramadan it is easier to pray both Tahajjud and Witr as we awaken for Sehri anyway and so one should try and wake up a bit earlier to gain the huge rewards of praying Tahajjud and dua's at this time are also readily accepted.

And Allah knows best in all matters

thats silly i pray after 12 all the time if anything Allah will reward us for staying up so late and praying whilst people are sleeping especially reciting qur'an i mean this is so rewarding.. you can recite qur'an at anytime brother and when ever you feel like it.

Question:

Can one pray or recite the Quran during Zawal time?

Answer:

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) forbade Muslims from performing Salah when the sun is at its Zenith (Zawal). He did not explicitly prohibit Muslims from reciting the Quran at this time. Some scholars have said that because the recitation of the Quran is also part of Salah (i.e. the recitation of Surah Fatiha), it should not be read at the time of Zawal. However, as long as a person does not make a permanent habit of reciting the Quran at Zawal, he/she is free to recite the Quran at this time. If he/she is required to perform a Sajda Tilawa (prostration of recitation), then he/she performs this after Zawal time.