Salaah

Q: I reside in an area and noticed that both mussallees and trustees of the local masjid are unmindful of zawaal, this is mainly on a Juma as we come early for jumah.

I find that people are performing nafl salaah during this time including the trustees and Ulema. The other masjids that I attend during this time either put on a light or a sign that say zawal.

I would like to know the following:

Firstly when is zawaal and how long does it last for? Example the times I see on the calendar for today as well as salaah times from crescent mobile says zawal 11:59am.

Does this mean zawal sets in at this time or ends at this time?

During this time of zawal what should be done and what should not be done?

Should I bring this to the attention of the trustees and will I be accountable For this if I don't?

This has been going on for the past 3 years or so. I dont want people to be offended and neither do I want to commit any wrong actions, thus when attending this masjid I look at zawal time on my phone and as a precaution I commence my nafl salaah 10 mins after the stipulated zawal time.

Q: During salaah, I sometimes wear a shirt which has a low collar, so a bit of my upper chest (under the bone below the neck) neck gets visible. Is the salaah valid?

Also, how much portion of the chest should be covered by men during salaah? 

Q: If a person delays the esha salaah and only performs it after midnight, will the salaah be valid?

Q: If I started my zohr namaaz at 4:00pm due to being sick, and asr namaaz came in at 4:03 whilst I was reading my salah, do I have to repeat the zohr namaaz?

Q: I did not sit for qa'dah in the third rakaat of Magrib and I went straight into a fourth rakaat. I completed the rakaat and then made Sajdah Sahw. I was a munfarid. What is the status of the salaah?

Q: In the Haram Shareef, they give time after Maghrib azaan before the namaaz.

1. Can a Hanafi read nafil salaah between the azaan and iqaamah as the other people there are doing?

2. Is there any hadith to prove that this nafl salaah is sunnah?

3. Can one do the same in South Africa e.g. in Ramadaan when time is given?

Q: I have a lot of qadha salaah. Is it permissible to read all the fajr qadha salaah first and then all the zuhr qadha salaah and so on. Or should I read it in order: fajr zuhr asr maghrib esha fajr zuhr....

Q: During salaah, due to anxiety/anger because I heard someone in my family making unnecessary loud noises, I raised my voice in recitation a little. Is my prayer valid?

Q: In a few of my past prayers, I remember I had moments where I’d get confused or make a mistake during prayer due to being nervous and in those moments I’d cough or sniffle without necessity, as a result of embarrassment and me not wanting anyone around me to think that I was struggling during salah. Do these salah’s need to be repeated?

Q: In salah I mistakely thought women were supposed to point both toes towards the qibla in sajdah because I felt like I remembered reading an instruction which said that. My feet were both on the ground horizontally, however the toes were towards the qibla. I’d like to believe my past prayers were ok? Are prayers ok even if women follow the man’s way?