As-Salaamu ‘Alaikum, I have a question. I’m trying to make saying the morning and evening adhkaar a habit and part of my daily routine. I know that it becomes too late to say the morning adhkaar after the onset of the Dhuhr prayer. However, I forget to say my morning adhkaar many days out of the week because this is a new habit that I’ve just recently started to implement. So with that said, even if It’s too late to say my morning adhkaar, can I still say it past its due time solely with the intention of making it into a habit? I may not get ajr for it but at least I’ll make it a habit, insha’Allah.They say that if you are consistent with something, it becomes a habit. Jazak’Allah khair.
All praise be to Allah, and may His blessings and peace be on His last Messenger, Muhammad,
The time of the morning and evening adhkaar is controversial. Here is my chosen position.
Ar-Ruhaibani (may Allah bestow mercy on him) said in his text on Hanbali faiqh ‘Matalib uli an-Nuha’: “Al-Muwaffaq al-Baghdadi said in ‘Dhayl Faseeh Tha’lab’ that Arabs call the period from the middle of the night till midday (the sun reaching its zenith) sabah, and call the period from midday (dhuhr time) to mid-night masaa’.”
Given the above, it seems that adhkar as-sabah and al-masaa’ may be said during those expanded times. However, the chosen and preferred times, as Ibn al-Qayyem pointed out in ‘Al-Kalim al-Tayyeb’ are: from fajr till sunrise for adhkaar as-sabaah and from asr till sunset for adhkaar al-masaa’. Allah said,
“وَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ قَبْلَ طُلُوعِ الشَّمْسِ وَقَبْلَ الْغُرُوبِ”
“… and exalt [Allah] with praise of your Lord before the rising of the sun and before its setting.” [Sahih International, 50:39]
It is noteworthy here that during those times nafl prayer is forbidden, so Allah gave us instead another function for those who want to excel in His ‘ibadah and wish to stay connected to Him.
Having said the above, you should try to make your dhikr during the preferred times, and you may make up later if you missed the preferred times. According to the extended time, you would be still making your wird (routine) within its prescribed time, although not the preferred one.
Allah knows best.