Prayer Times Worldwide
Accurate salah times for major Muslim-population cities
How Prayer Times Are Calculated
Islamic prayer times are determined by the position of the sun relative to a specific location on Earth. Each of the five daily prayers corresponds to a distinct solar event, ensuring that Muslims around the world pray at astronomically precise moments throughout the day.
- Fajr (Dawn Prayer) — begins when morning twilight first appears on the horizon, typically when the sun is approximately 18 degrees below the horizon. This marks the start of the pre-dawn light before sunrise.
- Dhuhr (Midday Prayer) — starts when the sun crosses the meridian (its highest point) and begins to decline. This is solar noon plus a small offset to avoid praying at the exact zenith.
- Asr (Afternoon Prayer) — begins when the shadow of an object equals its own length (Shafi'i, Maliki, and Hanbali schools) or double its length (Hanafi school), plus the shadow length at noon.
- Maghrib (Sunset Prayer) — starts immediately after the sun dips below the horizon. This is the simplest calculation as it corresponds directly to sunset.
- Isha (Night Prayer) — begins when the evening twilight (red or white afterglow) disappears, typically when the sun is approximately 18 degrees below the horizon after sunset.
Calculation Methods
Several recognized authorities have established standardized calculation methods that differ primarily in the Fajr and Isha angles they use:
- ISNA (Islamic Society of North America) — uses 15-degree angles for both Fajr and Isha. Widely used in the United States and Canada.
- MWL (Muslim World League) — uses 18 degrees for Fajr and 17 degrees for Isha. A globally recognized standard.
- Egyptian General Authority of Survey — uses 19.5 degrees for Fajr and 17.5 degrees for Isha. Common across Africa, the Middle East, and parts of Europe.
- Umm al-Qura — the official method of Saudi Arabia. Uses 18.5 degrees for Fajr and a fixed 90-minute interval after Maghrib for Isha.
Why Exact Location Matters
Prayer times are highly sensitive to geographic position. Even small differences in latitude, longitude, and elevation can shift salah times by several minutes, which matters for fulfilling each prayer within its valid window.
- Latitude affects prayer times dramatically — cities near the poles experience extreme variations in daylight throughout the year. In Nordic countries, Fajr and Isha times can become very close or even overlap during summer, requiring special scholarly rulings. Near the equator, prayer times remain relatively consistent year-round.
- Elevation matters for Maghrib and Fajr — someone at a higher altitude can see the sun longer than someone at sea level, which shifts sunset and sunrise times. A person on a mountain or high-rise building may need to account for this difference.
- Urban environments can obstruct the horizon — tall buildings and geographic features can block the view of the actual horizon, making visual estimation of Maghrib unreliable. Calculated times based on true astronomical horizon are more accurate.
- GPS-based calculation is most accurate — rather than relying on city-level lookup tables that may not reflect your exact position, SalahLock uses your precise GPS coordinates to calculate prayer times tailored to where you actually are.
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