Prayer times explained Calculation methods
The five daily prayers follow the sun. Sunrise, noon and sunset are the same for everyone, but dawn (Fajr) and nightfall (Isha) depend on how deep below the horizon the sun must be. Islamic authorities have chosen slightly different angles, which is why two apps can show Fajr several minutes apart. Here is what each method means and where it is used.
Methods at a glance
| Method | Fajr | Isha | Used in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina | timetable | timetable | Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sandžak, northern Montenegro |
| Muslim World League (MWL) | 18° | 17° | Most of Europe, the Far East and much of Africa |
| Kemenag (Ministry of Religious Affairs, Indonesia) | 20° | 18° | Indonesia |
| JAKIM (Department of Islamic Development Malaysia) | 20° | 18° | Malaysia and Brunei |
| Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (MUIS) | 20° | 18° | Singapore |
| Diyanet İşleri Başkanlığı | 18° | 17° | Türkiye and many Turkish communities abroad |
| Umm al-Qura University, Makkah | 18.5° | 90 min after Maghrib (120 min in Ramadan) | Saudi Arabia |
| Gulf Region | 19.5° | 90 min after Maghrib | UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman |
| Egyptian General Authority of Survey | 19.5° | 17.5° | Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and parts of Africa |
| University of Islamic Sciences, Karachi | 18° | 18° | Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Afghanistan |
| Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) | 15° | 15° | United States and Canada |
| Institute of Geophysics, University of Tehran | 17.7° | 14° | Iran (Ja‘fari school) |
How each prayer time is defined
- Fajr
- Begins at true dawn, when the first light spreads across the horizon — the sun is 15° to 19.5° below the horizon depending on the method. It ends at sunrise.
- Sunrise
- The moment the upper edge of the sun appears. The same for every method; it marks the end of Fajr.
- Dhuhr
- Just after solar noon, when the sun passes its highest point.
- Asr
- When an object's shadow reaches its own length plus its noon shadow (standard), or twice its length plus the noon shadow (Hanafi).
- Maghrib
- At sunset, when the sun has fully set. This is also iftar time in Ramadan.
- Isha
- When the evening twilight has disappeared — either at a set angle (14° to 18°) or a fixed interval after Maghrib.
The methods in detail
Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Used in: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sandžak, northern Montenegro. The official vaktija that mosques in Bosnia and Herzegovina follow: a fixed timetable for Sarajevo with a correction in minutes for each of its 118 towns.
Muslim World League (MWL)
Fajr at 18°, Isha at 17°. Used in: Most of Europe, the Far East and much of Africa. A widely used general-purpose convention and the default when no regional method applies.
Kemenag (Ministry of Religious Affairs, Indonesia)
Fajr at 20°, Isha at 18°. Used in: Indonesia. The official Indonesian convention. Local timetables usually add about two minutes of precaution (ihtiyat).
JAKIM (Department of Islamic Development Malaysia)
Fajr at 20°, Isha at 18°. Used in: Malaysia and Brunei. The official Malaysian convention. State timetables may add a short precaution.
Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (MUIS)
Fajr at 20°, Isha at 18°. Used in: Singapore. The official convention of Singapore.
Diyanet İşleri Başkanlığı
Fajr at 18°, Isha at 17°. Used in: Türkiye and many Turkish communities abroad. Applies Diyanet's own minute adjustments (temkin) to sunrise, Dhuhr, Asr and Maghrib.
Umm al-Qura University, Makkah
Fajr at 18.5°, Isha 90 min after Maghrib (120 min in Ramadan). Used in: Saudi Arabia. Isha is a fixed interval after sunset rather than an angle.
Gulf Region
Fajr at 19.5°, Isha 90 min after Maghrib. Used in: UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman. Similar to Umm al-Qura with a slightly earlier Fajr.
Egyptian General Authority of Survey
Fajr at 19.5°, Isha at 17.5°. Used in: Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and parts of Africa. One of the earliest Fajr angles in common use.
University of Islamic Sciences, Karachi
Fajr at 18°, Isha at 18°. Used in: Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Afghanistan. Equal angles for dawn and dusk. Hanafi Asr is the common choice in this region.
Islamic Society of North America (ISNA)
Fajr at 15°, Isha at 15°. Used in: United States and Canada. Smaller angles give a later Fajr and an earlier Isha, which helps at northern latitudes.
Institute of Geophysics, University of Tehran
Fajr at 17.7°, Isha at 14°. Used in: Iran (Ja‘fari school). Maghrib is calculated at 4.5° below the horizon, a few minutes after sunset.
Frequently asked questions
Which calculation method should I use?
Use the convention your local mosque or Islamic authority follows. If you are not sure, choose “Automatic” — PrayerTime Live then uses the standard method for the country you are in.
Does PrayerTime Live use the official vaktija in Bosnia and Herzegovina?
Yes. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, and in the towns of Sandžak and northern Montenegro that it covers, the default is the vaktija of the Islamic Community — the same times your mosque uses. You can still choose another method at any time.
Why are my times different from my mosque timetable?
Mosques may use a different method, round times, or add a few minutes of precaution (ihtiyat) to Fajr, Maghrib or Isha. Differences of 1–5 minutes are normal; larger differences usually mean a different method or Asr school.
What is the difference between standard and Hanafi Asr?
In the standard (Shafi‘i, Maliki, Hanbali) opinion, Asr begins when an object's shadow equals its length plus the shadow at noon. In the Hanafi school it begins when the shadow is twice the object's length (plus the noon shadow) — usually 30 to 70 minutes later.
Why does Fajr change so much between methods?
Fajr is defined by the sun's angle below the horizon at dawn. Between 15° and 19.5° the sun moves for 20–40 minutes, more in summer and at higher latitudes, so the chosen angle matters most for Fajr and Isha.
What happens in summer in northern countries?
Far from the equator the sky may never get dark enough for the twilight angle to be reached. Times are then estimated with a high-latitude rule that divides the night into portions, so Fajr and Isha stay realistic.