This thesis explores the concept of prayer times in perspective of Shia Ithna Ashariyyah as one of Islamic school of thought (madzhab). The research begins when the writer was anxious and interested to know three times of the obligatory prayers applied by Shia Ithna Ashariyyah. The concept is clearly different with Sunni school of thought which applies five times for the obligatory prayers. This is one of the issues, among many others, that the Shia quarrel with the Sunnis about the form, method, and time of the Prayer (ṣalāt) prescribed on
every male and female believer. The Shia acknowledges five daily prayers: ḍuhr, Aṣr, Magrib, Isha, and Ṣubuh. However, in practicing these five daily prayers, they join two prayers between Ḍuhr and Aṣr at one time, and also Magrib and Isha at one time. The Ṣubuh prayer is prayed at the same time as the Sunnis do. Therefore, Shia prayer times are known as three-prayer time’s concept, because of the joining prayer times.
The category of this research is a qualitative research and the approach of this research is Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh). Considering that the main source and the data input of this research is book or written text, so this research is also called “library research” which has two types of data, primary and secondary source. The primary data source of this research is books that are related to prayer times of Shia Ithna Ashariyyah such as four main books of Shia (al-Kutub al-Arba’ah): al-Kāfī by Abū Ja’far al-Kulainī, Man Lā Yahẓuruhu al-Faqīh by Abū Ja’far al-Qummī, Tahdzīb al-Aḥkām and al-Istibṣār fī Mā Ikhtalafa Min al-Akhbār by Abū Ja’far al-Ṭūsī. The secondary data source of this research is the books that describe about prayer times in any Islamic legal jurisprudence (fiqh) point of view, the history of Shia Ithna Ashariyyah and hadith books, encyclopedia or other written text related to this research. After collecting all of the data needed, the writer will try to analyze these data using content analyzing through descriptive method. Then, the analysis will continue using comparative method to compare the concept of prayer time of Shia Ithna Ashariyyah with other concept of prayer times especially the Sunni’s concept of prayer times.
After analyzing the sources, this research’s result is that Shia combines two prayers (Ḍuhr and Aṣr or Magrib and Isha) just like the Sunni does. The different is that Sunni compels some certain conditions and requirements such as journey, rain and fear to combine prayers (jama’). Otherwise, Shia does not compel those requirements and conditions to perform jama’. They are allowed to combine two prayers whenever and wherever they are. This difference is produced by the different source of legal ground especially in Hadith (tradition of the Prophet PBUH). Shia has their own books of reference in hadith which widely known as al-kutub al-arba’ah (the four books). On the other hand, Sunni refer their hadith to al-kutub al-sittah (the six books) which is completely different from al-kutub al-arba’ah. In result, they have different opinion about the concept of prayer times. This is reasonable because the determination of this problem is a matter of ijtihādī which is based on the method used by jurists.