When is the latest time during the day for the recitation of Shaharit?
The Mishna (Berachot 26a) records a debate between Rabbi Yehuda and other Sages on this issue. Rabbi Yehuda maintains that one must pray Shaharit by the fourth hour of the day (as defined by Halacha), whereas the majority view allows one to pray until Hasot (midday). Halacha follows the stringent position of Rabbi Yehuda, requiring one to recite Shaharit by the end of the fourth hour. However, the Shulhan Aruch writes that one who recites Shaharit after the fourth hour can still be rewarded, so long as he prays by Hasot. Although a person in this case will not receive reward for praying at the proper time, he will nevertheless receive reward for reciting a valid prayer.
Thus, although one is required to recite Shaharit by the end of the fourth hour, one who did not pray by this time may pray until Hasot.
The later authorities debate the question of to whom this Halacha applies. It is clear that a person who did not pray Shaharit by the fourth hour due to circumstances beyond his control is allowed to recite the prayer later, until Hasot. For example, if a person felt too sick to pray and he was able to pray only after the end of the fourth hour, he is undoubtedly still permitted to pray Shaharit. The question arises, however, whether one may pray after the fourth hour if he deliberately waited until then to pray. Some authorities maintain that one who was able to pray before the end of the fourth hour but deliberately waited is denied the opportunity of praying after the fourth hour. Others, however, rule leniently in this regard, and hold that under all circumstances one who did not pray by the end of the fourth hour may pray until Hasot.
Hacham Ovadia Yosef rules that in light of the controversy surrounding this issue, one who intentionally waited until after the fourth hour to recite Shaharit should pray on condition. Meaning, he should stipulate that according to the view which does not allow him to pray at this point, his prayer should be considered a "Tefilat Nedaba" – a voluntary prayer.
Hacham David Yosef, in his work Halacha Berura, notes that this option does not apply to Baruch She’amar and Yishtabah. The final time for reciting these Berachot is the same as for reciting the morning Amida, namely, one must recite them before the end of the fourth hour, though one who did not recite them by this point may recite them until Hasot. Naturally, the aforementioned debate concerning one who deliberately delayed Shaharit applies to Baruch She’amar and Yishtabah, as well. Here, too, some authorities maintain that if one deliberately chose not to recite these Berachot by the proper time, he may no longer recite them, while others disagree. Unlike prayer, however, which can be recited as a "Nedaba" (voluntary prayer), Berachot may not be recited on a voluntary basis. Therefore, one who deliberately failed to recite Baruch She’amar and Yishtabah before the end of the fourth hour should not recite them afterward, due to the different opinions that exist as to whether they may still be recited.
Summary: One must recite the Shaharit service before the end of the fourth hour of the day. If one did not pray Shaharit by this time due to extenuating circumstances, such as illness, he may still recite the prayer until Hasot (midday). If one deliberately missed the final time for Shaharit, then he may recite the Amida before Hasot, but on condition that according to the view that he may no longer pray, the prayer should be considered voluntary. In such a case, however, one may not recite the Berachot of Baruch She’amar and Yishtabah.
