Reference Guide

Islamic Prayer Time Calculation Methods

How Fajr, Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib and Isha times are calculated — the scholarly methods, sun angles, and regional standards used worldwide.

How Prayer Times Are Calculated

Islamic prayer times are determined by the position of the sun relative to the observer's location. Each prayer corresponds to a specific solar event:

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Fajr

Sun reaches a set angle below horizon at dawn (15°–20.5° depending on method)

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Dhuhr

Solar noon — sun crosses the meridian (due south/north)

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Asr

Shadow length equals 1× or 2× the object height (Shafi'i or Hanafi school)

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Maghrib

Sunset — upper limb of sun disappears below horizon

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Isha

Sun reaches a set angle below horizon at dusk (12°–19.5° depending on method)

The calculation uses your latitude, longitude, timezone, and the date to compute the precise moment for each prayer. Global Prayer Times uses the Aladhan API — an open-source Islamic prayer times engine trusted by mosques and developers worldwide.

Calculation Methods Used on This Site

Each country uses its officially recognised method. You can switch to any method on any city page.

ISNA — Islamic Society of North America

United States & Canada

Fajr

15°

Isha

15°

Widely adopted across North America. The 15° angles produce slightly earlier Fajr and later Isha compared to higher-angle methods, providing a comfortable margin in summer months at northern latitudes.

Asr: Standard (Shafi'i) Islamic Society of North America ↗

Karachi — University of Islamic Sciences

Pakistan, Bangladesh, India & South Asia

Fajr

18°

Isha

18°

The standard for the Indian subcontinent. The Hanafi Asr rule delays Asr by approximately 30–60 minutes compared to the Shafi'i school, which is the madhab majority in South Asia.

Asr: Hanafi (shadow = 2× height) University of Islamic Sciences, Karachi ↗

Dubai — UAE Official Method

United Arab Emirates

Fajr

18.2°

Isha

18.2°

Issued by the IACAD (Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department) for the emirate of Dubai and adopted across the UAE. Very close to the MWL method.

Asr: Standard (Shafi'i) Dubai Islamic Affairs & Charitable Activities Department ↗

Umm Al-Qura — Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia

Fajr

18.5°

Isha

Fixed: 90 min after Maghrib

The official method of Saudi Arabia, published by the Umm Al-Qura University in Makkah. Uniquely, Isha is set at a fixed 90 minutes after Maghrib (120 minutes during Ramadan) rather than calculated by sun angle. This produces Isha times earlier than angle-based methods in summer.

Asr: Standard (Shafi'i) Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah ↗

Diyanet — Turkey

Turkey

Fajr

18°

Isha

17°

The official Turkish state calculation, issued by the Diyanet İşleri Başkanlığı. Turkey uses the Hanafi Asr school, as does most of the Anatolian tradition.

Asr: Hanafi (shadow = 2× height) Diyanet İşleri Başkanlığı (Presidency of Religious Affairs) ↗

Egyptian General Authority

Egypt and parts of the Arab world

Fajr

19.5°

Isha

17.5°

Uses the highest Fajr angle (19.5°) of any mainstream method, producing an earlier Fajr start. Widely used across Egypt, Iraq, and some parts of North Africa.

Asr: Standard (Shafi'i) Egyptian General Authority of Survey ↗

Moonsighting Committee Worldwide

United Kingdom & Ireland

Fajr

15°

Isha

15°

Developed by Khalid Shaukat and adopted by many UK mosques and the Muslim Council of Britain. The 15° angles are suitable for high-latitude locations like the UK, where extreme summer angles can produce near-midnight Isha with higher-angle methods.

Asr: Standard (Shafi'i) Moonsighting Committee Worldwide ↗

Ministry of Religious Affairs — Indonesia

Indonesia

Fajr

20°

Isha

18°

Indonesia uses the highest Fajr angle in our dataset at 20°, reflecting the equatorial location and the Shafi'i juristic school that is predominant in Southeast Asia.

Asr: Standard (Shafi'i) Kementerian Agama Republik Indonesia ↗

Muslim World League (MWL)

Global default — Australia, South Africa, Singapore and others

Fajr

18°

Isha

17°

The most widely-adopted global default. Published by the Muslim World League, a Saudi-based international Islamic organisation. Used for countries without a local official method, including Australia, Nigeria, South Africa, and Singapore.

Asr: Standard (Shafi'i) Muslim World League (Rābitat al-ʿĀlam al-Islāmī) ↗

Union of Islamic Organisations of France (UOIF)

France

Fajr

12°

Isha

12°

Uses the lowest angles of any mainstream method. The UOIF adopted these angles to address high-latitude issues in northern France, where standard 18° methods produce very short summer nights and very late Isha.

Asr: Standard (Shafi'i) Union des organisations islamiques de France ↗

The Two Asr Schools

Shafi'i / Standard

Asr begins when an object's shadow equals its own height (plus the noon shadow). Earlier Asr time. Used by Shafi'i, Maliki, and Hanbali madhabs. Default in most of the world.

Hanafi

Asr begins when shadow equals twice the object's height. Approximately 30–60 minutes later than Shafi'i. Used in South Asia (Pakistan, Bangladesh, India) and Turkey. The Hanafi madhab's dominant position in these regions.

High Latitude Adjustments

⚠️ Affects: UK, northern Europe, Canada, northern USA, Scandinavia

At latitudes above ~48°N in summer, the sun may never reach 18° below the horizon, making standard Fajr/Isha calculation impossible. Islamic scholars permit three alternative approaches:

Nearest latitude: Use prayer times from the closest city below 48° latitude
Middle of the night: Divide the night in half; Isha is at the midpoint
One-seventh rule: Isha = Maghrib + 1/7 of the night duration

The Moonsighting Committee (UK) and ISNA methods mitigate this by using lower 15° angles, which work for most UK locations.

Frequently Asked Questions

How are Islamic prayer times calculated? +

Islamic prayer times are calculated from the position of the sun relative to the observer's latitude and longitude. Each prayer corresponds to a specific solar event: Fajr (when the sun is 15–20° below the horizon at dawn), Dhuhr (solar noon), Asr (when shadow length equals a multiple of the object's height), Maghrib (sunset), and Isha (when the sun is 15–20° below the horizon at dusk). The exact angles for Fajr and Isha vary by calculation method and scholarly organisation.

Why do prayer times differ between apps and websites? +

Prayer times differ because of two main variables: (1) the calculation method — different scholarly organisations use slightly different sun angles for Fajr and Isha, producing differences of 2–15 minutes; and (2) the Asr school — the Shafi'i school calculates Asr earlier than the Hanafi school, with a typical difference of 30–60 minutes. Global Prayer Times uses the officially recognised method for each country by default, but you can switch methods in any city page's settings.

What is the difference between Shafi'i and Hanafi Asr? +

In the Shafi'i school (and most other madhabs), Asr begins when an object's shadow length equals the object's own height plus its noon shadow. In the Hanafi school, Asr begins when the shadow equals twice the object's height. This makes Hanafi Asr approximately 30–60 minutes later than Shafi'i Asr, depending on latitude and season. The Hanafi rule is standard in South Asia (Pakistan, Bangladesh, India) and Turkey.

Which prayer time calculation method should I use? +

Use the method endorsed by the scholars or mosque federation in your region. For North America: ISNA. For Pakistan/Bangladesh/India: Karachi (Hanafi Asr). For UAE: Dubai. For Saudi Arabia: Umm Al-Qura. For UK/Ireland: Moonsighting Committee (15°). For Turkey: Diyanet. For Egypt: Egyptian General Authority. For France: UOIF (12°). For most other countries: Muslim World League (MWL). You can customise the method on any city page using the settings panel.

What does the Fajr angle mean? +

The Fajr angle is the angle of the sun below the horizon at which Fajr (dawn prayer) begins. An 18° angle means Fajr starts when the sun is 18 degrees below the horizon. Higher angles produce an earlier Fajr. At high latitudes (UK, northern US, Scandinavia) in summer, the sun may not reach 18° below the horizon at all — this creates the "high latitude problem" that some methods solve with adjusted rules.

What is the high latitude problem for prayer times? +

At latitudes above approximately 48°N or 48°S, the sun does not set deeply enough below the horizon in summer for standard Fajr/Isha angles to apply. This affects cities like London, Edinburgh, Berlin, Toronto, and Minneapolis. Methods like ISNA (15°) and Moonsighting Committee (15°) mitigate this by using lower angles. For extreme cases, Islamic scholars have permitted approximation methods: nearest latitude (use times from nearest city under 48°), middle of the night (divide night into two equal halves), or one-seventh of the night rule.

How is Dhuhr prayer time calculated? +

Dhuhr (midday prayer) begins at solar noon — the moment the sun crosses the meridian (due south in the northern hemisphere, due north in the southern hemisphere). This is not necessarily 12:00 clock time; it depends on longitude within the timezone and the equation of time. Dhuhr typically falls between 12:00 and 13:30 local time. It ends when Asr begins.

How is Maghrib calculated? +

Maghrib begins at sunset — when the upper limb of the sun disappears below the horizon. Unlike other prayers, Maghrib has very little variation between calculation methods; it is essentially the same across all methods for a given location. Some methods add a few minutes after sunset for caution (ihtiyat), which Global Prayer Times does not apply by default.

See Prayer Times for Your City

Each city page shows today's prayer times calculated with the correct regional method, plus a 7-day timetable and local mosque information.

London New York Dubai Mecca Karachi Istanbul Cairo Jakarta Paris All cities →

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