With regards to your query, please be informed of the following:
- As a rule, the time for ʿAṣr is to be calculated from the length of an object’s shadow after it has reached its minimum length at midday.
- The Shāfiʿī madhhab takes the position that when the shadow of an object grows to the same length as the object itself, minus the shadow it happened to have at midday, the time for ʿAṣr sets in.
- In the Ḥanafī madhhab there are two views.
- One view concurs with the position of the Shāfiʿī madhhab.
- The other requires the shadow to grow to twice the length of the object. It is this second view which causes a later ʿAṣr Ḥanafī time.
- A number of very eminent Ḥanafī jurists are known to have preferred the view that conforms to the Shāfiʿī position.
- As such it would be in order and acceptable for your wife to join you for ʿAṣr at the earlier time.
والله تعالى أعلم
And Allah knows best.
MT Karaan
