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. Wa ba‘d:
In the previous post, 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 noteworthy difference of opinion on this matter (just like there is for the ‘Aṣr 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).
According to Imam Abū Ḥanīfah (Allah have mercy on him), ‘Ishā’ starts with the disappearance of the white twilight, which is the definition we've been working with so far. However, according to the Mālikī, Shāfi‘ī, and Ḥanbalī madh'habs, ‘Ishā’ actually begins with the disappearance of the red twilight from the horizon; this is also the view of Imam Abū Hanīfah's two disciples, Imam Abū Yūsuf and Imam Muḥammad al-Shaybānī (Allah have mercy on them both). Consequently, the latter view is in fact the majority view. However, most – if not all – prayer calendars and apps give the ‘Ishā’ time based on the former view, i.e. the view of Imam Abū Ḥanīfah that ‘Ishā’ starts with the disappearance of the white twilight.
This is a very important fact to note for those who do not follow the Ḥanafī school. Important because for the majority, Maghrib actually ends before the ‘Ishā’ time given by your prayer app or calendar. Thus, if you were to delay your Maghrib prayer up until just 20 minutes prior to the ‘Ishā’ time given by your prayer app, you'd actually be praying Maghrib outside its time – and remember that it is sinful to delay a prayer without a valid shar‘ī excuse.
So you might ask: how do I configure my app to display the ‘Ishā’ time as per the majority opinion?
Here, things get a bit tricky. First of all, you need an app where you can actually customise the Fajr and ‘Ishā’ angle. For Android, there's the Prayer times: Qibla & Azan app; for iOS, there's the alQibla app.
Thereafter, set the ‘Ishā’ twilight angle as being 13.5°. This applies for most of the year, except from around early May until around late August, when a 14.5° angle should be used instead. (From late April until early May, the red twilight angle gradually changes from being 13.5° to being 14.5°. Then, from early to late August, it gradually changes again from being 14.5° to being 13.5° again.)
Here's a demonstration with screenshots for the Android Prayer times: Qibla & Azan app:
And here's a demonstration with screenshots for the iOS alQibla app:
Remember that from early May to late August, an angle of 14.5° is used instead. And don't forget to also configure your Fajr twilight angle! (To 18°, that is. Not 13.5° or 14.5°. There's no difference of opinion among the jurists about when Fajr time starts.)
Also note that these figures of 13.5° and 14.5° are specific to Sydney, Australia. Other regions may/will have their own respective figures. (The more common angle at which the red twilight sets for many regions is in fact 12°.)
Two more notes:
1. Ḥanafīs should nevertheless avoid delaying Maghrib past the "red twilight" (al-Shafaq al-Aḥmar) ‘Ishā’ time such that they pray it just before the "white twilight" ‘Ishā’ time enters. This is due to:
(a) precaution
(b) the fact that many Ḥanafī scholars have held that it is in fact the disappearance of the red twilight that defines the start of ‘Ishā’, this being the stronger position in the madh'hab according to them.
2. Non-Ḥanafīs should nevertheless delay ‘Ishā’ until the "white twilight" (al-Shafaq al-Abyaḍ) time enters, due to:
(a) precaution
(b) this being mandūb (recommended) by the sharī‘ah (at least in the Shāfi‘ī madh'hab).
BUT I'M NOT BOTHERED HAVING TO CHANGE MY PRAYER APP SETTINGS EVERY NOW AND THEN
With regards to all that has been mentioned about ‘Ishā’ according to the majority of the schools actually starting before the time your average prayer app or calendar says it does, yes, all that configuration about twilight angles and degrees can be a bit confusing, not to mention having to explain to others why your phone's ‘Ishā’ adhān goes off half-an-hour before everyone else's.
If you don't want to go through all the hassle, what you can do is just simply set your app's calculation method to the University of Islamic Sciences, Karachi method, and then ensure that you pray Maghrib as soon as possible (something you should be doing anyway as the aḥādīth especially emphasise performing Maghrib as soon as its time enters) and that you don't delay it to within 30-40 minutes of the ‘Ishā’ time as given by your phone app using the University of Islamic Sciences, Karachi method. That way, you guard your Maghrib, guard your ‘Ishā’, and avoid the hassle of having to tweak around with settings every now and then.
Hopefully, this has clarified some confusion with regards to all those settings on your prayer app, as well as with regards to the actual end of Maghrib and start of ‘Ishā’. If not, please do not hesitate to comment.
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.
In the previous post, 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 noteworthy difference of opinion on this matter (just like there is for the ‘Aṣr 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).
According to Imam Abū Ḥanīfah (Allah have mercy on him), ‘Ishā’ starts with the disappearance of the white twilight, which is the definition we've been working with so far. However, according to the Mālikī, Shāfi‘ī, and Ḥanbalī madh'habs, ‘Ishā’ actually begins with the disappearance of the red twilight from the horizon; this is also the view of Imam Abū Hanīfah's two disciples, Imam Abū Yūsuf and Imam Muḥammad al-Shaybānī (Allah have mercy on them both). Consequently, the latter view is in fact the majority view. However, most – if not all – prayer calendars and apps give the ‘Ishā’ time based on the former view, i.e. the view of Imam Abū Ḥanīfah that ‘Ishā’ starts with the disappearance of the white twilight.
This is a very important fact to note for those who do not follow the Ḥanafī school. Important because for the majority, Maghrib actually ends before the ‘Ishā’ time given by your prayer app or calendar. Thus, if you were to delay your Maghrib prayer up until just 20 minutes prior to the ‘Ishā’ time given by your prayer app, you'd actually be praying Maghrib outside its time – and remember that it is sinful to delay a prayer without a valid shar‘ī excuse.
So you might ask: how do I configure my app to display the ‘Ishā’ time as per the majority opinion?
Here, things get a bit tricky. First of all, you need an app where you can actually customise the Fajr and ‘Ishā’ angle. For Android, there's the Prayer times: Qibla & Azan app; for iOS, there's the alQibla app.
Thereafter, set the ‘Ishā’ twilight angle as being 13.5°. This applies for most of the year, except from around early May until around late August, when a 14.5° angle should be used instead. (From late April until early May, the red twilight angle gradually changes from being 13.5° to being 14.5°. Then, from early to late August, it gradually changes again from being 14.5° to being 13.5° again.)
Here's a demonstration with screenshots for the Android Prayer times: Qibla & Azan app:
And here's a demonstration with screenshots for the iOS alQibla app:
Remember that from early May to late August, an angle of 14.5° is used instead. And don't forget to also configure your Fajr twilight angle! (To 18°, that is. Not 13.5° or 14.5°. There's no difference of opinion among the jurists about when Fajr time starts.)
Also note that these figures of 13.5° and 14.5° are specific to Sydney, Australia. Other regions may/will have their own respective figures. (The more common angle at which the red twilight sets for many regions is in fact 12°.)
Two more notes:
1. Ḥanafīs should nevertheless avoid delaying Maghrib past the "red twilight" (al-Shafaq al-Aḥmar) ‘Ishā’ time such that they pray it just before the "white twilight" ‘Ishā’ time enters. This is due to:
(a) precaution
(b) the fact that many Ḥanafī scholars have held that it is in fact the disappearance of the red twilight that defines the start of ‘Ishā’, this being the stronger position in the madh'hab according to them.
2. Non-Ḥanafīs should nevertheless delay ‘Ishā’ until the "white twilight" (al-Shafaq al-Abyaḍ) time enters, due to:
(a) precaution
(b) this being mandūb (recommended) by the sharī‘ah (at least in the Shāfi‘ī madh'hab).
BUT I'M NOT BOTHERED HAVING TO CHANGE MY PRAYER APP SETTINGS EVERY NOW AND THEN
With regards to all that has been mentioned about ‘Ishā’ according to the majority of the schools actually starting before the time your average prayer app or calendar says it does, yes, all that configuration about twilight angles and degrees can be a bit confusing, not to mention having to explain to others why your phone's ‘Ishā’ adhān goes off half-an-hour before everyone else's.
If you don't want to go through all the hassle, what you can do is just simply set your app's calculation method to the University of Islamic Sciences, Karachi method, and then ensure that you pray Maghrib as soon as possible (something you should be doing anyway as the aḥādīth especially emphasise performing Maghrib as soon as its time enters) and that you don't delay it to within 30-40 minutes of the ‘Ishā’ time as given by your phone app using the University of Islamic Sciences, Karachi method. That way, you guard your Maghrib, guard your ‘Ishā’, and avoid the hassle of having to tweak around with settings every now and then.
Hopefully, this has clarified some confusion with regards to all those settings on your prayer app, as well as with regards to the actual end of Maghrib and start of ‘Ishā’. If not, please do not hesitate to comment.
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.
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