One day I prayed Asr in my friend's home, and I performed the obligatory prayer before Sunnah, because if I pray Sunnah before the obligatory prayer, I'll be late for the obligatory prayer in Jamat in my friend's home. After we finished the obligatory prayer, I tried to pray Sunnah, but my friend told me that I can't pray Sunnah now because after ‘Asr we can't pray until Maghrib except Tahiyatul-Masjid (prayer of salutation to the mosque). Is it ok to do this?

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

In a sound Hadeeth the Prophet said: “There is no prayer after the Fajr prayer until the sun rises and there is no prayer after the ‘Asr prayer until the sun sets.”

Based on many Ahadeeth about the times of prayer, the scholars hold the view that it is prohibited to pray after the above-stated times unless there is a special reason to perform a prayer. For example, one can perform the prayer of greeting the mosque, the prayer of eclipse, the funeral prayer, and making up for the missed prayer. But the scholars also differed in opinion concerning the permissibility of performing even these prayers.

Anyway, the preponderant opinion is that it is permissible to perform the above-named prayers at any time, since it is proved that the Prophet made up the optional Sunnah of Thuhr after 'Asr prayer.

For more benefit on the times of the prayer, please refer to Fatwa 82253.

Allah knows best.