Details on Praying Asr at One Shadow-Length

Question

In this institution Hanafi students from the Konkan and some other regions also study, and several teachers too follow the Hanafi school. The question that has arisen is this: since for us Shafi’is the time of Asr comes after one shadow-length (mithl), while the school of the Hanafis is two shadow-lengths (mithlayn), will it be valid if these students and teachers perform the Asr prayer together with the Shafi’is? In this connection several matters must be kept in mind: (1)

Answer

To perform Asr permanently and always at one shadow-length (mithl) is, as it were, to abandon the school of Imam Abu Hanifa ﵀, so this should not be done; if such a situation happens occasionally, that is another matter. If the prayer is performed at two shadow-lengths (mithlayn), it will be valid by agreement according to both — Imam Abu Hanifa ﵀ and Imam al-Shafi’i ﵀.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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