Prayer Time Calculation Methods Explained: Which One Should You Use?

Why prayer times need a calculation method

Dhuhr and Maghrib are easy to calculate: Dhuhr starts just after the sun passes its highest point, and Maghrib starts at sunset. Fajr and Isha depend on twilight, the faint light before sunrise and after sunset. Scholars and organisations define the start of that twilight as the moment the sun is a certain number of degrees below the horizon, and they don’t all use the same angle. That angle is the main difference between methods.

Common calculation methods

• Muslim World League (MWL): Fajr at 18°, Isha at 17°. Widely used in Europe and parts of Asia.
• Islamic Society of North America (ISNA): Fajr and Isha at 15°. Common in the US and Canada, and gives a later Fajr and earlier Isha than MWL.
• Egyptian General Authority of Survey: Fajr at 19.5°, Isha at 17.5°. Used in Egypt and much of Africa.
• Umm al-Qura (Makkah): Fajr at 18.5°, with Isha a fixed 90 minutes after Maghrib (120 minutes in Ramadan). The official method in Saudi Arabia.
• University of Islamic Sciences, Karachi: Fajr and Isha at 18°. Common in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.

Organisations sometimes revise their angles, so if your local mosque publishes a timetable, compare it with your app for a few days.

Why Asr can differ by up to an hour

Asr depends on shadow length, not twilight. In the Shafi’i, Maliki and Hanbali schools (often labelled "Standard" in apps), Asr begins when an object’s shadow equals its length plus its shadow at noon. In the Hanafi school it begins when the shadow is twice the object’s length plus the noon shadow, which is later. If your Asr time looks wrong, check the madhab setting first.

High latitudes: Fajr and Isha in summer

In places like the UK, Scandinavia and Canada, the sun may never go far enough below the horizon in summer for true night. Apps then apply a high-latitude rule, such as splitting the night into parts or using the times from the nearest day when calculation is possible. Many communities in these regions follow a timetable from a local mosque or council, and that is often the best reference.

How to choose

1. Ask which method your local mosque uses and match it. Praying in line with your community matters more than which angle is "right".
2. If there’s no local guidance, use the method most common in your country (see the list above).
3. Set your madhab for Asr: Hanafi or Standard.
4. Check the times against a local timetable for a few days, and adjust if needed.

Setting this up in NUR

NUR calculates prayer times on your device from your exact location, with your choice of calculation method and madhab. Your location never leaves your phone. You can choose the adhan for each prayer, or silence. It also shows the Qibla, the Hijri date, and Home and Lock Screen widgets for the next prayer.

Also read: morning and evening adhkar.

Frequently asked questions

Keep reading

• Morning and Evening Adhkar: When to Say Them and How to Build the Habit