How are the prayer times calculated?
Times are computed from the sun's position relative to each city: Dhuhr at solar noon, Sunrise and Maghrib at the sun's rising and setting, Asr by shadow length, and Fajr and Isha when the sun reaches a set angle below the horizon, which differs between authorities.
Available methods
| Method | Fajr | Isha |
|---|---|---|
| Muslim World League | 18° | 17° |
| ISNA (North America) | 15° | 15° |
| Egyptian General Authority of Survey | 19.5° | 17.5° |
| Umm al-Qura, Makkah | 18.5° | 90 min after Maghrib |
| University of Islamic Sciences, Karachi | 18° | 18° |
| Institute of Geophysics, Tehran | 17.7° | 14° |
| Shia Ithna-Ashari (Leva, Qum) | 16° | 14° |
| Gulf region | 19.5° | 90 min after Maghrib |
| Kuwait | 18° | 17.5° |
| Qatar | 18° | 90 min after Maghrib |
| UAE | 18.2° | 18.2° |
| Jordan | 18° | 18° |
| Diyanet, Turkey | 18° | 17° |
| Singapore / Malaysia / Indonesia | 20° | 18° |
| Morocco | 19° | 17° |
| Algeria | 18° | 17° |
| Tunisia | 18° | 18° |
Ja'fari method
For Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain and Lebanon we also show Ja'fari (Shia) times: Maghrib after the eastern redness disappears (about 4° below the horizon), Fajr at 16° and Isha at 14°.
Accuracy
Astronomical calculation is usually accurate to within a minute or two, but official calendars may add precautionary minutes or use different settings. If our time differs from your mosque or official calendar, follow the local one.
In high-latitude cities in summer (e.g. London, Stockholm) the sun may not reach the Fajr/Isha angle, so we use the angle-based rule to estimate it.