6 Methods To Calculate Muslim Prayer Times
Praying 5 times a day is obligatory and for each prayer, there is a specific time. To calculate Muslim Prayer Times different institute use different methods and we will discus them in this blog. As all the Muslims should perform prayers at the specific prayer times. All Muslims should pray consistently not just to perform their duty but to stay connected with their Allah Almighty because Namaz is the best way to connect.
What are Islamic Prayer Times?
Muslims have to pray 5 Namazas in a day. The times at which Muslims offer prayer are called Islamic Prayer Times. The 5 Namaz are:
How to Calculate Prayer Times:
The most common officially adopted methods in the World to calculate prayer times are:
- Muslim World League (MWL)
- Islamic Society of North America (ISNA)
- Egyptian General Authority of Survey (Egypt)
- Umm al-Qura University, Makkah (Makkah)
- University of Islamic Sciences, Karachi (Karachi)
- Institute of Geophysics, University of Tehran (Tehran)
Muslim World League (MWL)
The Muslim World League (MWL) calculates the five prayer times using the following methods:
Islamic Society of North America (ISNA)
The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) is a prominent organization that helps Muslim communities across North America in several ways. ISNA typically follows a calculation method based on a fixed twilight angle of 15 degrees. Their method of calculating Prayer times is widely recognized throughout North America.
We use this method for calculating the prayer time in Canada.
Egyptian General Authority of Survey (Egypt)
The Egyptian General Authority of Survey follows a calculation method that is slightly changed from the ISNA method. EGAS calculation is based on the sun angle and it is called the “18-degree method”. While ISNA follows the “15-degree method”.
The EGAS method takes into the factors like latitude, longitude, and local time to determine accurate prayer times. The EGAS method is mainly used throughout EGYPT.
Umm al-Qura University, Makkah (Makkah)
The difference between the prayer times calculation methods of Umm al-Qura University, Makkah, and the Islamic Society of North America is that they both have different approaches to calculating prayer times.
Umm al-Qura University follows a method that includes astronomical calculations and the position of the sun to the horizon. This method takes into the factors such as the angle of twilight and the day duration to determine the prayer times accurately. While ISNA follows the “15-degree method” which is based on a fixed twilight angle of 15 degrees.
University of Islamic Sciences, Karachi (Karachi)
This method is the same as Umm al-Qura University, it calculates the prayer timings based on the position of the Sun relative to the horizon, especially during Fajr and Isha prayer.
Institute of Geophysics, University of Tehran (Tehran)
Just like Umm al-Qura University, Makkah & University of Islamic Sciences, Karachi (Karachi), the Institute of Geophysics, University of Tehran uses a method that calculates prayer time based on astronomical calculations and the position of the Sun relative to its horizon.
Factors Affecting Prayer Times:
Multiple factors affect the prayer times, some of them are mentioned below:
Change of Season: One of the most common factors is season because we know that winter days are shorter and nights are longer. This factor has a big impact on prayer times.
Different Methods: Small differences may occur due to different methods people choose to calculate their prayer times.
Latitude & Longitude of Location: Latitude and Longitude mostly affect the Dawn prayer (Fajr) and Night prayer (Isha) because these two are closely linked to the twilight phases. Latitude refers to how far north or south a place is from the equator, while longitude indicates its position east or west from the Prime Meridian.
The factor of Shadow Length at Asr: The shadow length factor refers to the shadows of objects at the afternoon (Asr) prayer time. At the afternoon length of an object, shadow helps to determine the accurate time of Asr prayer.
