How it works
The five daily obligatory prayers (Salah) are timed by precise astronomical positions of the sun relative to the local horizon. Using high-precision spherical astronomy formulas for solar declination and the equation of time, this calculator computes Imsak, Fajr, Sunrise (Shuruq), Dhuhr, Asr (both Standard/Majority and Hanafi shadow ratios), Maghrib, and Isha for 20 major Arab and international cities on any date of the year.
Comparison of Official Astronomical Calculation Methods
While Sunrise, Dhuhr, Asr, and Maghrib are identical across all astronomical authorities, Fajr (true dawn) and Isha (nightfall) depend on the twilight depression angle adopted in each region:
| Calculation Method | Fajr Twilight Angle | Isha Twilight Angle / Interval | Regions Using This Standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Umm al-Qura University (UMM_AL_QURA) | 18.5° below horizon | 90 min after Maghrib (120 min in Ramadan) | Saudi Arabia & Arabian Gulf States |
| Egyptian General Authority of Survey (EGYPT) | 19.5° below horizon | 17.5° below horizon | Egypt, Sudan, Syria, Lebanon & Africa |
| Muslim World League (MWL) | 18.0° below horizon | 17.0° below horizon | Europe, Far East, Kuwait & Jordan |
| University of Islamic Sciences, Karachi (KARACHI) | 18.0° below horizon | 18.0° below horizon | Pakistan, India, Bangladesh & South Asia |
| Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) | 15.0° below horizon | 15.0° below horizon | United States & Canada |
Astronomical Definitions of Each Prayer Time
- Imsak (Precautionary Fast Buffer): Displayed 10 minutes before Fajr as a precautionary reminder for fasters; the obligatory fast legally begins at Fajr itself.
- Fajr (Dawn Prayer): Begins at Al-Fajr Al-Sadiq (true dawn), when horizontal twilight light spreads across the eastern horizon, and ends at Sunrise.
- Sunrise (Shuruq): When the upper limb of the sun’s disk appears above the eastern horizon (accounting for 0.833° atmospheric refraction).
- Dhuhr (Noon Prayer): Begins immediately after solar noon (Zawal), once the sun passes the highest point on the local meridian toward the west.
- Asr (Afternoon Prayer): Under the Majority (Shafi’i, Maliki, Hanbali) school, Asr begins when an object’s shadow equals its height plus its noon shadow (Shadow Factor = 1). Under the Hanafi school, it begins when the shadow equals twice its height plus the noon shadow (Shadow Factor = 2).
- Maghrib (Sunset Prayer & Iftar): Begins when the sun’s disk disappears completely below the western horizon.
- Isha (Night Prayer): Begins when red twilight disappears from the western sky (or 90 minutes after Maghrib in the Umm al-Qura calendar).
Selecting Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (Latitude 24.71° N, Longitude 46.67° E, UTC+3) with the Auto (Umm al-Qura) method and Majority Asr computes local solar noon to the minute and displays the exact 24-hour times for Imsak, Fajr, Sunrise, Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib, and Isha for your chosen date.
Find the exact compass bearing to the Kaaba from your city with the /en/qibla-finder, check today’s Hijri and Gregorian date via /en/todays-date, track the days left until Ramadan with the /en/ramadan-countdown, and compute your household Fitrana using the /en/zakat-al-fitr-calculator.