Salah

Muslims across the globe offer Salah five times a day. The prayer times vary from region to region depending on the movement of the sun and changes considerably across seasons. Part of the wisdom of the daily prayer times is that the hearts of the believers are warmed, day and night, with the remembrance of Allah (SWT) which in turn help the believers keep away from sin.

Determine prayer times.

All Islamic schools agree that the prayer times must be determined according to the position of the sun. Our natural light source is unfortunately not always and everywhere clearly visible. Moreover, the position of the sun relative to the earth changes during the different seasons. To make it somewhat practical anyway, various scholars and institutions have been busy developing a formula for calculating prayer times.

Below you will find the principles of the methods mostly used across the globe:

Muslim World League

The method of Muslim World League (MWL) uses the following principles:

• salat Fajr should be done when the sun is at 18 degrees to the horizon.

• salat Isha should be performed when the sun has dropped 17 degrees below the horizon.

Islamic Society of North America

The methodology of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) uses the following principles:

• salat Fajr should be done when the sun is at 15 degrees to the horizon.

• salat Isha should be performed when the sun has dropped 15 degrees below the horizon.

Diyanet Methode

It is not known which starting points the Diyanet Method uses. This method for calculating prayer times is used by our Turkish brothers and sisters.

History of daily prayers

The five daily prayers were bestowed on Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) by Allah (SWT), during Al Isra’ wal Miraj—Prophet’s ascension to the heavens. Salah is the first pillar of Islam and is enjoined on every mentally and physically abled Muslim at a prescribed time, as Allah (SWT) says in the Holy Quran: “Verily, the prayer is enjoined on the believers at fixed hours.” [Al- Quran 4:103] Just as Allah (SWT) has prescribed a specified time to offer each fard (compulsory) prayer, He has also specified times when Salat should not be observed.

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) provided a clear outline of the prayer times in the following hadith: “The time for Zuhr is from when the sun has passed its zenith and a man’s shadow is equal in length to his height, until the time for ‘Asr comes. The time for ‘Asr lasts until the sun turns yellow. The prayer time for Maghrib lasts until the twilight has faded. The timeslot for ‘Isha’ lasts until midnight. The time for Subh (Fajr) prayer lasts from the beginning of the pre-dawn so long as the sun has not yet started to rise. When the sun starts to rise then stop praying, for it rises between the two horns of the Shaytaan.” [Muslim] The salah times of the fard prayers can be further detailed as follows:

Salah Fajr

Fajr Salah Time- the first prayer of the day which should be observed before sunrise.

The Fajr prayer consists of two rak’at with two sunnah rak’at to be observed before the fard prayer. The Prophet (PBUH) never missed an opportunity to offer the two sunnah rak’at before the Fajr prayer; he said: “The two Sunnah cycles of prayer preceding Fajr prayer are better than this world and all that it contains.” [Tirmidhi]

The Fajr salat time begins at pre-dawn and ends at sunrise. No prayers should be observed from sunrise to when the sun has risen to the height of a spear above the horizon (i.e. no prayer should be offered roughly 20 minutes after sunrise).

Salah Dhuhr

Dhuhr Salah time- the second prayer of the day which should be observed from noon to late afternoon.

The Dhuhr prayer consists of four rak’at with four sunnah rak’at before and two sunnah rak’at after the fard prayer. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) stated: “This is an hour at which the gates of heaven are opened, and I like that my good deeds should rise to heaven at that time.” [Tirmidhi]

The Zuhar salat time begins when the sun has passed the zenith and ends when the sun turns yellow (or when the shadow of an object placed outside is the same length as the object itself). The Prophet (PBUH) stated that prayers should not be observed from the time when the sun is overhead until it has passed the zenith. Ibn ‘Abbaas said: “There are three times at which the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) forbade us to pray or to bury our dead: when the sun has clearly started to rise until it is fully risen, when it is directly overhead at midday until it has passed its zenith, and when the sun starts to set until it has fully set.” [Bukhari & Muslim]

Salah Asr

Asr Salah Time- the third prayer of the day which should be observed from late afternoon to sunset.

The Asr prayer comprises of four rak’at with no sunnah rak’at. The Prophet (PBUH) stressed on the significance of the Asr prayer in the following hadith: “He who performs salat (prayers) before the rising of the sun and before its setting, will not enter the Hell.” [Muslim]

The Asr salat time begins when the sun turns yellow (or when the shadow of an object placed outside is the same length as the object itself). It ends when the sun begins to set. Prayers should not be observed from the end of Asr salah until the sun has completely set (i.e. prayers should not be offered roughly 20 minutes before the Maghrib prayer).

Salah Maghrib

Maghrib Salah Time- the fourth prayer of the day which can be observed from sunset until complete darkness.

This salat consists of three rak’at with two sunnah rak’at that can be offered following the fard prayer. The Maghrib prayer time starts from sunset and ends when the red, yellow twilight has faded from the sky and complete darkness has emerged.

Salah Isha

The Isha salat consists of four rak’at with two sunnah rak’at that can be offered following the fard prayer. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: “The most difficult salah for the munafiqeen is Isha and Fajr. Had they known the rewards for them. They would have attended them even if they had to crawl on their knees.”[Bukhari]

Isha salat begins when complete darkness has emerged and can last till half of the night had passed.

History of Ramadan calendar

The Idea of the Imsakiah started at the Ottoman Empire in Egypt in the shape of a piece of paper to remind the fasting people of the dates of Iftar, Suhoor and prayer times. The content of Ramadan calendar has changed during the time. Current calendars contain next to the five prayer times some Quranic verses and morning and evening remembrances.