How to use Prayer Times Calculator
Calculate the five daily Islamic prayer times — Fajr, Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib, and Isha — for any city or GPS coordinates worldwide. Prayer times are derived from the position of the sun relative to the local horizon using established astronomical formulas. This tool supports the major international calculation methods (Muslim World League, ISNA, Egyptian General Authority, Umm al-Qura, University of Islamic Sciences Karachi) and both Asr timing conventions corresponding to the Shafi and Hanafi madhabs.
- Enter your city name or allow the tool to detect your location automatically via GPS.
- Select your preferred calculation method from the dropdown (e.g., Muslim World League, ISNA, or Umm al-Qura Makkah).
- Choose the Asr convention: Standard (Shafi/Maliki/Hanbali — shadow equals object height) or Hanafi (shadow equals twice object height).
- View the five prayer times for today, together with sunrise time.
- Optionally select a specific date to calculate prayer times for any day of the year.
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How prayer times are calculated from solar angles
Each of the five daily prayers is defined by a specific position of the sun relative to the observer's local horizon, derived from the observer's latitude, longitude, and the solar declination for that date. Dhuhr begins at solar noon, when the sun crosses the local meridian. Fajr and Isha are determined by the sun's depression angle below the horizon — typically 15 to 18 degrees depending on the calculation method. Maghrib begins at sunset. Asr is determined by shadow length: in the Shafi, Maliki, and Hanbali schools, Asr begins when an object's shadow equals its own height plus the shadow at noon; in the Hanafi school, the shadow must reach twice the object's height plus the noon shadow.
| Prayer | Arabic | Solar definition | Prayer window ends at |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fajr | الفجر | Sun 15–18° below horizon (astronomical dawn) | Sunrise (Shuruq) |
| Dhuhr | الظهر | Sun crosses the local meridian (solar noon) | Asr begins |
| Asr | العصر | Shadow = object height (Shafi) or 2× (Hanafi) | Maghrib begins |
| Maghrib | المغرب | Sun dips below the horizon (sunset) | Isha begins (approx. 1–2 hrs later) |
| Isha | العشاء | Sun 15–17° below horizon (night twilight) | Midnight or Fajr |
Calculation methods and high-latitude adjustments
Different scholarly and governmental bodies have standardised slightly different solar depression angles for Fajr and Isha, reflecting regional traditions and legal opinions. The Muslim World League (MWL) uses 18° for both. ISNA (North America) uses 15° for each. The Egyptian General Authority uses 19.5° for Fajr and 17.5° for Isha. Umm al-Qura (Makkah) uses 18.5° for Fajr and a fixed 90 minutes after Maghrib for Isha. In high-latitude locations — such as Scandinavia or Canada in summer — the sun may not reach the required depression angle at all. In such cases, special rules are applied: the angle-based method, the midnight method, or the one-seventh-of-night method. Users should select the method recognised by scholars in their region.
Worked examples
New York in summer (MWL)
Inputs: New York · MWL method · Jun 15
Result: Fajr ≈ 3:45 AM, Maghrib ≈ 8:30 PM (method-dependent)
Method changes Fajr and Isha
Inputs: Same date and place: ISNA vs MWL
Result: ISNA (15°) gives a later Fajr and earlier Isha than MWL (18°)
Fajr and Isha twilight angles by calculation method
| Method | Fajr angle | Isha angle |
|---|---|---|
| Muslim World League (MWL) | 18° | 17° |
| ISNA (North America) | 15° | 15° |
| Umm al-Qura (Makkah) | 18.5° | 90 min after Maghrib |
| Egyptian General Authority | 19.5° | 17.5° |
| University of Karachi | 18° | 18° |
Glossary
- Solar declination
- The angle between the sun's rays and the plane of the equator, which varies throughout the year and is the primary driver of seasonal changes in prayer times.
- Madhab
- A school of Islamic jurisprudence; the four main Sunni schools — Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i, and Hanbali — differ on certain details of prayer timing, particularly for Asr.
- Adhan
- The call to prayer announced at the start of each prayer time, traditionally recited aloud by a muezzin from the mosque minaret.
- Iqama
- The second, shorter call to prayer made immediately before the congregational prayer begins, signalling worshippers to form rows.
- Shuruq
- The moment of sunrise, which marks the end of the Fajr prayer window; voluntary (nafl) prayers are discouraged in the period immediately after sunrise.
Related reading
Frequently Asked Questions
Why use Prayer Times Calculator?
- Derives all five prayer times from precise solar-position formulas for any city or GPS coordinates
- Supports six major calculation methods including Muslim World League, ISNA, and Umm al-Qura Makkah
- Offers both Shafi and Hanafi Asr shadow-length conventions to match your madhab
- Applies high-latitude adjustment rules automatically for cities such as Helsinki or Reykjavik in summer
Common use cases
- Get accurate prayer times for a new city while travelling without access to a local mosque timetable
- Switch between the Muslim World League and ISNA methods to match your local Islamic centre's convention
- Find the Fajr and Maghrib times for a specific date to schedule work or travel around prayers
- Compare Asr times under the Shafi and Hanafi conventions to understand the difference at your location
- Retrieve prayer times for a high-latitude city in summer and see which high-latitude rule is applied
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