Prayer times

The following prayer times have been sourced using verified calculations applicable to various towns and cities worldwide.

Prayer in Islam

“Recite, what has been revealed to you of the Book and establish prayer. Indeed, prayer prohibits immorality and wrongdoing, and the remembrance of Allah is greater. And Allah knows that which you do.”

The Qur’an, chapter 29, verse 45

Salah, the second pillar of Islam, is a form of prayer which must be performed in a prescribed manner, and at particular times. It takes the form of standing, bowing, prostrating and sitting in a given sequence, whilst reciting the words of the prayer in Arabic.

People can prayer wherever is convenient, so long as it is clean. This can be at home, or where you work. For men, it is preferred they make the effort to pray in congregation at their local mosque. This is why most mosques are open for the five daily prayers.

How are the 5 Islamic prayer (salah/namaz) times calculated?

Islamic prayer times are calculated based on the sunrise and sunset time of the location. As the sunrise and sunset times vary from day to day during the year, the prayer times will also change accordingly. The calculation for the different prayer (salah/namaz) times in the sunni schools are as follows (There are some differences on how Shia schools calculate some of the prayer times)

When is Zuhr prayer time? The time for Zuhr prayer begins after the sun passes its zenith and lasts until the start of the Asr prayers.

When is Asr prayer time? There are two different calculations within the Sunni schools for Asr prayer timings. One is that the Asr prayer starts when the shadow of an object is the same length as the object itself. The second calculation method is that of the Hanafi school, which starts Asr prayer when the shadow of an object is twice its length. The time of Asr lasts till sunset. However, it is highly preferred to perform Asr prayer before the sun becomes yellow (10 to 30 mins before sunset depending on the season of the year).

When is Maghrib prayer time? The Maghrib prayer begins when the sun sets, and lasts until the red light (shafaq-al-ahmar) has left the sky.

When is Isha prayer time?: The Isha prayer starts when the red light is gone from the sky, and lasts till the middle of the night (halfway between sunset and sunrise). However, although not preferred, you are allowed to pray Isha prayer until the start of Fajr.

When is Fajr prayer time? The time for Fajr prayers begins at true dawn (fajr-al-sadiq) and ends at sunrise.

What time is Jummah (Jumu’ah) Salat (Friday prayers)?

In many parts of the world Jummah (Jumuah) starts just after Zuhr Azan (Athan). In general, the Jumuah program timing will be as follows:

The 1st Azan will be called at the time of Zuhr.

Then around 5 to 7 mins is given for the congregation to perform the Sunnah prayers.

After that, the 2nd Azan will be called.

The Imam will then deliver the Khutbah (Friday sermon). The duration of the Khutbah can vary for each Masjid/City. It can be anywhere from 15 minutes to 40 minutes.

At the end of the Khutbah, two raka'ats of Jumuah (Jummah) prayers will be conducted, which can take around 10 minutes.

There are so many benefits in performing regular prayers. Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said, “If there was a river at your door and you took a bath in it five times a day, would you notice any dirt on you?” They said, “Not a trace of dirt would be left.” The Prophet said, “That is the parable of the five prayers by which Allah removes sins.”