Bismi llāh, wa l-ḥamdu lillāh, wa ṣ-ṣalātu wa s-salāmu 'alā rasūli llāh, sayyidinā Muḥammadini bni 'Abdi llāh, wa 'alā ālihī wa ṣaḥbihī wa man wālāh. Ammā ba'd:
Chances are that you've got an app on your phone to give you the times of the five daily prayers. But have you got it configured correctly? What if the whole time your prayer app was configured incorrectly and so it turns out that you've been praying at the wrong time for all these years?
Pretty important then that you've got your settings configured correctly, isn't it?
So you open your phone's flashy prayer app. You then go to the settings to set your location. But then you're greeted with a whole bunch of other options:
- Calculation method: ISNA, Muslim World League, Umm al-Qura, etc.
- ‘Aṣr method: Standard vs Ḥanafī
- Minutes adjustment
- etc.
So how do we go about with all these settings? Read on to find out.
I JUST WANT TO SET UP MY APP. I DON'T CARE ABOUT ALL THE TECHNICALITIES.
If all you're worried about is setting up your app to give you accurate prayer times, then adjust your app's settings as follows.
Calculation Method (Fajr and ‘Ishā’ Method)
Use the University of Islamic Sciences, Karachi method.
(Generally, this method is the one to use for most places around the globe – Sydney, Australia included. However, in various other regions around the globe, a different method[s] would need to be used.)
‘Aṣr Method
This depends on the madh'hab you follow (read this if you have no clue what a madh'hab is). If you follow the Ḥanafī madh'hab, use the Ḥanafī option (applies mostly, though not exclusively, to those from the Indian subcontinent and the Afghan region). For those who follow one of the other three madh'habs, use the Standard option (your app may call it something like the "Shāfi‘ī" or the "Shāfi‘ī, Mālikī, Ḥanbalī" option).
Minutes Adjustment
For Ẓuhr, adjust it by at least +3 minutes (many suggest +5 minutes; this is safer).
For Maghrib, also adjust it by at least +3 minutes..
OK, COOL. BUT WHY THESE SETTINGS?
Hmm. So you are curious, eh? Read on.
Calculation Method (Fajr and ‘Ishā’ Method)
So you might be asking: why the University of Islamic Sciences, Karachi method?
First of all, let's look at how the sharī‘ah has defined the entry times of Fajr and ‘Ishā’. The time for Fajr is said to start at al-Ṣubḥ al-Ṣādiq (true dawn), i.e. when the sky around the horizon begins to grow light. In other words, Fajr starts with the appearance of the white dawn twilight. The time for ‘Ishā’, meanwhile, is said to start when the white dusk twilight (more discussion on the white twilight later on) that trails the setting Sun disappears below the horizon. (Just to put things into perspective, three different twilights trail the Sun as it sets, as stated by our Islamic scholars: a red twilight, a yellow twilight, and a white twilight. ‘Ishā’ starts when the white twilight sets.)
Now, astronomers can calculate when both al-Ṣubḥ al-Ṣādiq and the setting of the white twilight occur. They do this by calculating the angle between the centre of the Sun's disc and the horizon. Now, for most regions of the world, the angle at which both al-Ṣubḥ al-Ṣādiq and the setting of the white twilight occur is 18°, i.e. both al-Ṣubḥ al-Ṣādiq and the setting of the white twilight occur when the centre of the Sun makes an angle of 18° with the horizon. These two diagrams both illustrate it well.
Going back to all those different calculation methods, the reason there are several calculation methods on your app is because several institutions have determined different angles at which both al-Ṣubḥ al-Ṣādiq and the setting of the white twilight occur, based on which figures they deem most correct. For example, the "Egyptian General Authority of Survey" method has Fajr and ‘Ishā’ start when the Sun's centre is 19.5° and 17.5° respectively below the horizon, while the "Muslim World League" method has ‘Ishā’ start at an angle of 17°. Although these figures may be used for certain parts of the world, they can't be used for all – Sydney definitely included. Meanwhile, the only calculation method out of the whole lot that has both al-Ṣubḥ al-Ṣādiq and the setting of the white twilight occur at 18° is the "University of Islamic Sciences, Karachi" method. Accordingly, this is the one you should configure your prayer app to.
‘Aṣr Method
So you might be asking: why are there two different ‘Aṣr calculation methods?
It all goes back to the difference of opinion amongst the fuqahā’ (jurists) on when the time for ‘Aṣr enters. According to the Mālikī, Shāfi‘ī, and Ḥanbalī schools, ‘Aṣr time starts when the length of an object's shadow, in addition to the length of its shadow at the time of zawwāl, equals the object's height. However, according to the Ḥanafī school, ‘Aṣr time starts when the length of an object's shadow, in addition the length of its shadow at the time of zawwāl, is double the object's height. For example, say we stood up a 30 cm ruler on the ground outdoors and its shadow at the time of zawwāl was 5 cm. According to the majority opinion, ‘Aṣr would start when the shadow of the ruler reaches 35 cm in length (30 cm + 5 cm), while according to the Ḥanafi opinion, ‘Aṣr would start when the shadow of the ruler reaches 65 cm in length ((30 cm × 2) + 5 cm).
As such, there are two methods for calculating ‘Aṣr, depending on which opinion you follow.
Minutes Adjustment
So you might be asking: why do I need to adjust the minutes for Ẓuhr and Maghrib?
Let's address Ẓuhr first. Ẓuhr is defined as starting when the Sun begins to decline from its zenith (i.e. its highest point in the sky for the day). Now, the thing with your prayer app is that when it comes to Ẓuhr, it actually calculates the time when the Sun is actually at its zenith, not when it begins to decline from it. This can be problematic: it is actually ḥarām/makrūh taḥrīman, and therefore sinful, to offer ṣalāh when the sun is at its zenith. Furthermore, since Ẓuhr time starts when the Sun declines from its zenith, if one were to therefore begin praying right when the Sun is at its zenith, one's prayer would be invalid as one began performing it before its time. The same applies with the pre-Ẓuhr sunnah prayers.
Obviously, what all that means is that we need to wait a few minutes after the Sun reaches its zenith before we can pray Ẓuhr. Now, long story short, the Sun can be said to first decline from its zenith 65 seconds after reaching its zenith. Round that forward to the next minute and you get two minutes. (Yes, we round to the next minute here, not the nearest minute - try figuring out why.) However, an extra one minute should be added as a safety factor, for various reasons. Thus, the Ẓuhr time on your prayer app should be adjusted so as to reflect this. Adding three minutes to the time calculated by your app is the minimum, though it is safer to add at least five minutes, as recommended by various scholars and Islamic authorities.
As for Maghrib:
"Maghrib should be calculated at least as 3 minutes after theoretical sunset (reported in newspapers) for the following considerations:
1. The effects of actual humidity, temperature, and pressure in the atmosphere may cause a different refraction of sun light than assumed in calculations of theoretical sunset.
2. In some areas there could be a downward sloping ground towards western horizon that causes a delayed sunset for an observer compared to a perfectly level ground as assumed in calculations of theoretical sunset.
3. For major metropolitan cities, the sunset in a 30 mile (approx. 48 km) radius from the point assumed in calculation will vary. Since the people may live all around the city, this may delay sunset for some areas." (Adapted from moonsighting.com)
A VERY IMPORTANT NOTE ON ‘ISHĀ’
Earlier, we stated that the time for ‘Ishā’ starts when the white twilight that trails the setting Sun disappears below the horizon. However, there is actually a significant difference of opinion amongst the fuqahā’ on this matter (just like there is for ‘Asr prayer). The difference of opinion relates to whether ‘Ishā’ starts with the disappearance of the white twilight (al-Shafaq al-Abyaḍ) or the red twilight (al-Shafaq al-Aḥmar).
The implications of this difference opinion are quite significant: for those who hold that ‘Ishā’ time enters with the disappearance of the red twilight, whatever was mentioned about the University of Islamic Sciences, Karachi calculation method being the correct method to use now falls flat on its face, as this method (the other methods likewise) works on the basis that ‘Ishā’ time enters with the disappearance of the white twilight. Not only that, but the majority of the schools of fiqh actually hold the red-twilight opinion to be the correct and relied-upon opinion.
This dilemma will be dealt with in more detail in the upcoming post, in shā’ Allāh.
In shā’ Allāh, this has clarified some confusion with regards to all those settings on your prayer app. If not, please do not hesitate to reply and ask.
We ask Allah to make us of those who guard their prayers, both in quantity and quality.
And Allah knows best, and with Allah lies ultimate success.
Chances are that you've got an app on your phone to give you the times of the five daily prayers. But have you got it configured correctly? What if the whole time your prayer app was configured incorrectly and so it turns out that you've been praying at the wrong time for all these years?
Pretty important then that you've got your settings configured correctly, isn't it?
So you open your phone's flashy prayer app. You then go to the settings to set your location. But then you're greeted with a whole bunch of other options:
- Calculation method: ISNA, Muslim World League, Umm al-Qura, etc.
- ‘Aṣr method: Standard vs Ḥanafī
- Minutes adjustment
- etc.
So how do we go about with all these settings? Read on to find out.
I JUST WANT TO SET UP MY APP. I DON'T CARE ABOUT ALL THE TECHNICALITIES.
If all you're worried about is setting up your app to give you accurate prayer times, then adjust your app's settings as follows.
Calculation Method (Fajr and ‘Ishā’ Method)
Use the University of Islamic Sciences, Karachi method.
(Generally, this method is the one to use for most places around the globe – Sydney, Australia included. However, in various other regions around the globe, a different method[s] would need to be used.)
‘Aṣr Method
This depends on the madh'hab you follow (read this if you have no clue what a madh'hab is). If you follow the Ḥanafī madh'hab, use the Ḥanafī option (applies mostly, though not exclusively, to those from the Indian subcontinent and the Afghan region). For those who follow one of the other three madh'habs, use the Standard option (your app may call it something like the "Shāfi‘ī" or the "Shāfi‘ī, Mālikī, Ḥanbalī" option).
Minutes Adjustment
For Ẓuhr, adjust it by at least +3 minutes (many suggest +5 minutes; this is safer).
For Maghrib, also adjust it by at least +3 minutes..
OK, COOL. BUT WHY THESE SETTINGS?
Hmm. So you are curious, eh? Read on.
Calculation Method (Fajr and ‘Ishā’ Method)
So you might be asking: why the University of Islamic Sciences, Karachi method?
First of all, let's look at how the sharī‘ah has defined the entry times of Fajr and ‘Ishā’. The time for Fajr is said to start at al-Ṣubḥ al-Ṣādiq (true dawn), i.e. when the sky around the horizon begins to grow light. In other words, Fajr starts with the appearance of the white dawn twilight. The time for ‘Ishā’, meanwhile, is said to start when the white dusk twilight (more discussion on the white twilight later on) that trails the setting Sun disappears below the horizon. (Just to put things into perspective, three different twilights trail the Sun as it sets, as stated by our Islamic scholars: a red twilight, a yellow twilight, and a white twilight. ‘Ishā’ starts when the white twilight sets.)
Now, astronomers can calculate when both al-Ṣubḥ al-Ṣādiq and the setting of the white twilight occur. They do this by calculating the angle between the centre of the Sun's disc and the horizon. Now, for most regions of the world, the angle at which both al-Ṣubḥ al-Ṣādiq and the setting of the white twilight occur is 18°, i.e. both al-Ṣubḥ al-Ṣādiq and the setting of the white twilight occur when the centre of the Sun makes an angle of 18° with the horizon. These two diagrams both illustrate it well.
Going back to all those different calculation methods, the reason there are several calculation methods on your app is because several institutions have determined different angles at which both al-Ṣubḥ al-Ṣādiq and the setting of the white twilight occur, based on which figures they deem most correct. For example, the "Egyptian General Authority of Survey" method has Fajr and ‘Ishā’ start when the Sun's centre is 19.5° and 17.5° respectively below the horizon, while the "Muslim World League" method has ‘Ishā’ start at an angle of 17°. Although these figures may be used for certain parts of the world, they can't be used for all – Sydney definitely included. Meanwhile, the only calculation method out of the whole lot that has both al-Ṣubḥ al-Ṣādiq and the setting of the white twilight occur at 18° is the "University of Islamic Sciences, Karachi" method. Accordingly, this is the one you should configure your prayer app to.
‘Aṣr Method
So you might be asking: why are there two different ‘Aṣr calculation methods?
It all goes back to the difference of opinion amongst the fuqahā’ (jurists) on when the time for ‘Aṣr enters. According to the Mālikī, Shāfi‘ī, and Ḥanbalī schools, ‘Aṣr time starts when the length of an object's shadow, in addition to the length of its shadow at the time of zawwāl, equals the object's height. However, according to the Ḥanafī school, ‘Aṣr time starts when the length of an object's shadow, in addition the length of its shadow at the time of zawwāl, is double the object's height. For example, say we stood up a 30 cm ruler on the ground outdoors and its shadow at the time of zawwāl was 5 cm. According to the majority opinion, ‘Aṣr would start when the shadow of the ruler reaches 35 cm in length (30 cm + 5 cm), while according to the Ḥanafi opinion, ‘Aṣr would start when the shadow of the ruler reaches 65 cm in length ((30 cm × 2) + 5 cm).
As such, there are two methods for calculating ‘Aṣr, depending on which opinion you follow.
Minutes Adjustment
So you might be asking: why do I need to adjust the minutes for Ẓuhr and Maghrib?
Let's address Ẓuhr first. Ẓuhr is defined as starting when the Sun begins to decline from its zenith (i.e. its highest point in the sky for the day). Now, the thing with your prayer app is that when it comes to Ẓuhr, it actually calculates the time when the Sun is actually at its zenith, not when it begins to decline from it. This can be problematic: it is actually ḥarām/makrūh taḥrīman, and therefore sinful, to offer ṣalāh when the sun is at its zenith. Furthermore, since Ẓuhr time starts when the Sun declines from its zenith, if one were to therefore begin praying right when the Sun is at its zenith, one's prayer would be invalid as one began performing it before its time. The same applies with the pre-Ẓuhr sunnah prayers.
Obviously, what all that means is that we need to wait a few minutes after the Sun reaches its zenith before we can pray Ẓuhr. Now, long story short, the Sun can be said to first decline from its zenith 65 seconds after reaching its zenith. Round that forward to the next minute and you get two minutes. (Yes, we round to the next minute here, not the nearest minute - try figuring out why.) However, an extra one minute should be added as a safety factor, for various reasons. Thus, the Ẓuhr time on your prayer app should be adjusted so as to reflect this. Adding three minutes to the time calculated by your app is the minimum, though it is safer to add at least five minutes, as recommended by various scholars and Islamic authorities.
As for Maghrib:
"Maghrib should be calculated at least as 3 minutes after theoretical sunset (reported in newspapers) for the following considerations:
1. The effects of actual humidity, temperature, and pressure in the atmosphere may cause a different refraction of sun light than assumed in calculations of theoretical sunset.
2. In some areas there could be a downward sloping ground towards western horizon that causes a delayed sunset for an observer compared to a perfectly level ground as assumed in calculations of theoretical sunset.
3. For major metropolitan cities, the sunset in a 30 mile (approx. 48 km) radius from the point assumed in calculation will vary. Since the people may live all around the city, this may delay sunset for some areas." (Adapted from moonsighting.com)
A VERY IMPORTANT NOTE ON ‘ISHĀ’
Earlier, we stated that the time for ‘Ishā’ starts when the white twilight that trails the setting Sun disappears below the horizon. However, there is actually a significant difference of opinion amongst the fuqahā’ on this matter (just like there is for ‘Asr prayer). The difference of opinion relates to whether ‘Ishā’ starts with the disappearance of the white twilight (al-Shafaq al-Abyaḍ) or the red twilight (al-Shafaq al-Aḥmar).
The implications of this difference opinion are quite significant: for those who hold that ‘Ishā’ time enters with the disappearance of the red twilight, whatever was mentioned about the University of Islamic Sciences, Karachi calculation method being the correct method to use now falls flat on its face, as this method (the other methods likewise) works on the basis that ‘Ishā’ time enters with the disappearance of the white twilight. Not only that, but the majority of the schools of fiqh actually hold the red-twilight opinion to be the correct and relied-upon opinion.
This dilemma will be dealt with in more detail in the upcoming post, in shā’ Allāh.
In shā’ Allāh, this has clarified some confusion with regards to all those settings on your prayer app. If not, please do not hesitate to reply and ask.
We ask Allah to make us of those who guard their prayers, both in quantity and quality.
And Allah knows best, and with Allah lies ultimate success.
