Mufti Awyda Osman of Egypt’s Dar Al-Ifta responded to a woman’s question: she sleeps shortly after Maghrib and wakes up an hour before Fajr, performing Isha then. He clarified that this is not in accordance with the Sunnah.

During the program Fatawa Al-Nas on Al-Nas TV, the Mufti explained that the preferred time for Isha prayer is the first third of the night, calculated from Maghrib to Fajr and dividing the night into three parts.

He added that delaying Isha until just before Fajr is only permissible in cases of necessity, such as:

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  Taking medication that causes long sleep, allowing wake-up only shortly before Fajr.

  
  


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  Illness or unconsciousness.

  
  


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  Travel or unavoidable work obligations.

  
  

He warned against using early sleep as a constant excuse to delay Isha, saying: "If you can, do not delay Isha; this is the Sunnah."