Short answer
No. A prayer offered before its time begins is not valid, even by a minute, and must be prayed again once the time comes in. You do not have to wait for the adhan, though: once the time has started on a reliable timetable, you may pray. In the Hanafi school you cannot bring Asr or Isha forward into the previous prayer's time.
The time having begun is a condition of salah, so a prayer prayed before it is invalid and must be repeated. The adhan is a sunnah announcement, not a condition. Praying Asr in Dhuhr's time or Isha in Maghrib's time is not allowed, except combining at Arafah during Hajj.
Other madhhabs
- Shafi'i
- A traveller may pray Asr with Dhuhr, or Isha with Maghrib, in the earlier prayer's time, and in some cases so may someone caught in heavy rain.
- Maliki
- Combining in the earlier time is allowed for travel, and Maghrib with Isha for rain.
- Hanbali
- Combining in the earlier time is allowed for travel, illness, rain and other real hardship.
Explanation
Allah made prayer "a decree of specified times". The time having begun is one of the conditions of salah, like wudu. A Dhuhr prayed at 12:58 when Dhuhr begins at 1:00 does not count, even if you did not know, and you pray it again.
The adhan is different. It announces the prayer, but it is not what makes the time start. Many masjids call the adhan some time after the time begins, and in many places you will not hear an adhan at all. Once your timetable shows the time has come in, you may pray at home or at work without waiting. If your app or timetable is not reliable, give it a few minutes.
- Asr early: Hanafi timetables start Asr later. Praying at the earlier, one-shadow time follows Abu Hanifa's two students; see when Asr begins.
- Isha early: on Abu Hanifa's view Isha starts after the white twilight; his students say after the red. In long summer evenings at high latitudes many Hanafi scholars allow the earlier time.
- Fajr before dawn: not valid, even if you are about to sleep.
- Prayed early by mistake: pray it again within its time, or as qada if the time has passed.
For praying two prayers together, see can you combine prayers in the Hanafi madhhab. Tonight's Isha times are on when does Isha start and end.
The evidence
Quran, Surah An-Nisaa 4:103
فَإِذَا قَضَيْتُمُ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ فَٱذْكُرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ قِيَٰمًۭا وَقُعُودًۭا وَعَلَىٰ جُنُوبِكُمْ ۚ فَإِذَا ٱطْمَأْنَنتُمْ فَأَقِيمُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ ۚ إِنَّ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ كَانَتْ عَلَى ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ كِتَٰبًۭا مَّوْقُوتًۭا ﴿١٠٣﴾
And when you have completed the prayer, remember Allah standing, sitting, or [lying] on your sides. But when you become secure, re-establish [regular] prayer. Indeed, prayer has been decreed upon the believers a decree of specified times.
Each prayer has a fixed time, and it is not valid before it.
Jami' at-Tirmidhi 149
Grading to be checked... أمني جبريل عند البيت مرتين ...
"Jibril led me in prayer at the House twice."
Jibril taught the start and end of every prayer time.
Sahih al-Bukhari 527
Sahih... الصلاة على وقتها ...
"The prayer at its proper time."
Prayer at its time is among the most loved deeds.
Where the ruling is recorded
- Nur al-Idah with Maraqi al-Falah, Chapter on the conditions of prayer. The entry of the time is a condition of the prayer's validity.
- al-Hidaya, Kitab al-Salah, chapter on prayer times. Combining two prayers in one time is only at Arafah and Muzdalifah.
- al-Mughni (Ibn Qudama), Chapter on combining prayers. The Hanbali school allows combining for travel, illness and rain.
Checked by our team. For a more accurate answer to your own situation, consult a scholar. Quran translation by Sahih International. Hadith Arabic from the standard editions of the six books and the Muwatta, with gradings as recorded there; the English is our own rendering. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.