How it is calculated
Prayer times follow the sun’s position relative to your location:
- Fajr: when the sun is a set angle below the horizon, which varies between authorities (15° to 19.5°).
- Sunrise and Maghrib: when the sun’s disc appears and disappears (0.833° below the horizon, allowing for refraction).
- Dhuhr: just after solar noon.
- Asr: when an object’s shadow equals its length (majority) or twice its length (Hanafi), plus the noon shadow.
- Isha: a set angle below the horizon, or 90 minutes after Maghrib for Umm al-Qura and Qatar.
| Method | Fajr | Isha |
|---|---|---|
| Morocco (Ministry of Habous) | 19° | 17° |
| Umm al-Qura (Saudi Arabia) | 18.5° | 90 min (120 in Ramadan) |
| Egyptian General Authority of Survey | 19.5° | 17.5° |
| Muslim World League | 18° | 17° |
| Kuwait | 18° | 17.5° |
| Qatar | 18° | 90 min |
| Dubai | 18.2° | 18.2° |
| Karachi | 18° | 18° |
| ISNA (North America) | 15° | 15° |
Worked example
In Rabat with the Moroccan method (Fajr 19°, Isha 17°), Fajr falls a little before 5:00 in midsummer but after 6:30 in winter, because the sun’s declination changes through the year.
Frequently asked questions
Why do times differ from my mosque by a few minutes?
Some authorities add precautionary minutes to certain prayers and angles differ. You can adjust each prayer by minutes; follow your country’s official timetable when they differ.
Shafi’i vs Hanafi Asr?
For the majority Asr begins when a shadow equals the object’s length; for Hanafis when it is twice the length, so Hanafi Asr is about 45–60 minutes later.
Do I need an internet connection?
No, everything is calculated in your browser. Location permission is only needed to use your current position.
What about high latitudes?
When twilight does not disappear in summer, the “middle of the night” rule estimates Fajr and Isha, as most apps do.