Answer
✅پاسخ :عَنْ سَمَاعَةَ قَالَ قُلْتُ لِأَبِی عَبْدِ اللَّهِ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاکَ مَتَی وَقْتُ الصَّلَاةِ فَأَقْبَلَ یَلْتَفِتُ یَمِیناً وَ شِمَالًا کَأَنَّهُ یَطْلُبُ شَیْئاً فَلَمَّا رَأَیْتُ ذَلِکَ تَنَاوَلْتُ عُوداً فَقُلْتُ هَذَا تَطْلُبُ قَالَ نَعَمْ فَأَخَذَ الْعُودَ فَنَصَبَ بِحِیَالِ الشَّمْسِ ثُمَّ قَالَ إِنَّ الشَّمْسَ إِذَا طَلَعَتْ کَانَ الْفَیْ ءُ طَوِیلًا ثُمَّ لَا یَزَالُ یَنْقُصُ حَتَّی تَزُولَ فَإِذَا زَالَتْ زَادَتْ فَإِذَا اسْتَبَنْتَ الزِّیَادَةَ فَصَلِّ الظُّهْرَ ثُمَّ تَمَهَّلْ قَدْرَ ذِرَاعٍ وَ صَلِّ الْعَصْرَ
📚Tahdhib, Vol. 2, p. 27
Translation: Sama'a said: I said to Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): 'When is the time for the Dhuhr prayer?' The Imam began looking to the right and left as if searching for something. When I saw this, I picked up a stick and said: 'Are you looking for this?' He said: 'Yes,' so he took the stick from me and placed it upright in front of the sun, then he said: 'Indeed, when the sun rises, the shadow is long, then it continuously shortens and diminishes until it passes the zenith (zawal). When it passes the zenith, it begins to lengthen. So when its lengthening becomes clear to you, perform the Dhuhr prayer.'
عَنْ عَلِیِّ بْنِ أَبِی حَمْزَةَ قَالَ ذُکِرَ عِنْدَ أَبِی عَبْدِ اللَّهِ زَوَالُ الشَّمْسِ قَالَ فَقَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ تَأْخُذُونَ عُوداً طَوْلُهُ ثَلَاثَةُ أَشْبَارٍ وَ إِنْ زَادَ فَهُوَ أَبْیَنُ فَیُقَامُ فَمَا دَامَ تَرَی الظِّلَّ یَتَقَصَّرُ فَلَمْ تَزُلْ فَإِذَا زَادَ الظِّلُّ بَعْدَ النُّقْصَانِ فَقَدْ زَالَتْ
📚Tahdhib, Vol. 2, p. 27
Translation: The passing of the sun's zenith (the time of Dhuhr) was mentioned in the presence of Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him); Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: 'Take a stick that is three handspans long, and if it is larger, it will show more clearly, and set it upright. As long as you see its shadow shortening, the zenith has not yet passed. When the shadow begins to lengthen after shortening, the time of the zenith (Dhuhr) has surely arrived.'
✅According to these narrations, to determine the time of the zenith (Dhuhr), we place a marker in front of the sun near noon. When its shadow, after shortening, becomes stagnant and then begins to lengthen, the time of the zenith, which is the Islamic noon, has arrived, and it is the main time for the Dhuhr supererogatory prayers. The one who does not intend to perform the supererogatory prayers can perform the Dhuhr prayer at that very moment.
✅Whoever, for any reason, does not use a marker, must be certain of the time's entry to perform the prayer. Pay attention to the following three narrations:
عَنْ سَمَاعَةَ بْنِ مِهْرَانَ قَالَ قَالَ لِی أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ إِیَّاکَ أَنْ تُصَلِّیَ قَبْلَ أَنْ تَزُولَ فَإِنَّکَ تُصَلِّی فِی وَقْتِ الْعَصْرِ خَیْرٌ لَکَ مِنْ أَنْ تُصَلِّیَ قَبْلَ أَنْ تَزُولَ
📚Tahdhib, Vol. 2, p. 141
Translation: Sama'a said: Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said to me: 'Beware of praying before the zenith, for if you pray the Dhuhr prayer at the time of the Asr prayer, it is better for you than if you pray before the sun's zenith.'
عَنْ مُعَاوِیَةَ بْنِ وَهْبٍ عَنْ أَبِی بَصِیرٍ عَنْ أَبِی عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع قَالَ مَنْ صَلَّی فِی غَیْرِ وَقْتٍ فَلَا صَلَاةَ لَهُ
📚Kafi, Vol. 3, p. 285
Translation: Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: 'Whoever prays at a time other than the time of prayer, there is no prayer for him.'
قَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ لَأَنْ أُصَلِّیَ بَعْدَ مَا مَضَی الْوَقْتُ أَحَبُّ إِلَیَّ مِنْ أَنْ أُصَلِّیَ وَ أَنَا فِی شَکٍّ مِنَ الْوَقْتِ وَ قَبْلَ الْوَقْتِ
📚Man la Yahduruhu al-Faqih, Vol. 1, p. 223
Translation: Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) said: 'If I pray after the time of prayer has passed, it is more beloved to me than if I pray before the time has entered or if I pray while being in doubt about the time's entry.'
✅When we have doubt about the time's entry, we act according to the following hadith:
عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ عَجْلَانَ قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ إِذَا کُنْتَ شَاکّاً فِی الزَّوَالِ فَصَلِّ رَّکْعَتَیْنِ فإِذَا اسْتَیْقَنْتَ الزَّوَالَ فَابْدَأْ بالْفَرِیضَةَ
📚Tahdhib, Vol. 3, p. 12
Translation: Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: 'When you are in doubt about the zenith, then perform two rak'ahs of prayer, and when you are certain of the zenith, perform the obligatory prayer.'
✅It is worth noting that the sun's zenith, according to some narrative evidence, is the time when the day reaches its midpoint, meaning the time from sunrise to the sun's zenith is equal to the time from the sun's zenith to sunset. And whoever does not have a marker at their disposal, when they are certain that the day has passed its midpoint, they can perform their Dhuhr prayer.
✅According to the narrations, the announcement of a trustworthy person and also the 'adhan' of a trustworthy 'mu'adhdhin' and any other correct way that leads a person to certainty is sufficient for the time's entry.