Prayer times

Hello again.

Does anybody know the answer to my original question?

Can somebody tell me how the 5 different prayers are determined?

Thank you

This is taken from a book that is taught at the Masjid to young children but it'll give you some idea -->

Fajr prayer is read 1 hour/1 ¼ hour before sunrise,
Zuhar prayer is read after the noon,
Asar prayer is read 1 ½ / 2 hours before sunset,
Maghrib prayer is read immediately after sunset,
Isha prayer is read 1 ½ / 2 hours after sunset.

I'll try and find a website that explains in more detail Insha'Allah

P.S As uncle Woodrow mentions below, these are a guideline and the Masjid will usually set a fixed time for a week/month which fits with the given guidelines according to the Shariah

They are based on the posistion of the sun and there are no exact times they have to be said rather it is a time frame within which they must be said. So individuals within a city may differ on the time they say them. the Mosques will normally set a specific time that will hold for several months and the prayers will still be within the proper time frame.

format_quote Originally Posted by glo

At Ramadan I printed off the time table for Islamic prayer times to gain an understanding when Muslims would be required to pray during the day.

I noticed that the prayers were by no means spread evenly throughout the day.
Can somebody tell me how the 5 different prayers are determined?
I believe that two are related to the sun rising and setting. What about the others?

Thanks in advance

Peace be upon those who follow the guidance,

Merry Qwanz-ukah Glo!

ALL the prayers are determined by the position of the sun. Fajr is around the time that night starts to break, Duhr is just after the sun leaves it peak in the sky, Asr midway between Duhr and Maghrib or when your shadow is half your size, Maghrib is just after sunset and Isha is when it is completely dark.

here's a site:

http://www.qibla.org/cgi-bin/qibla.cgi?region=me

hope it helps!

Hi,

I don't think these answers are going to be 100% accurate, but enough to gain a mild understanding:

Fajr (1st prayer): The last part of the night, the approach of dawn when whiteness can be noticed on the length of the horizon towards the East, i.e. in the direction where the Sun is rising, Morning.

Zuhr/Thuhur (2nd prayer): Mid-day, the declining or descending of the zenith, the time of zuhr salat commenses. An indication that the zenith is declining is that the shadow of long objects begins to decrease from the west towards the north. When it comes exactly to the north and begins to turn towards the east, then one should know that noon has declined.

Asr (3rd prayer): Afternoon. Based on the previous example, once the shadow reaches two arm-lengths and four fingers, asr time will commence. Asr time will remain until sunset.

Maghrib (4th prayer): Evening. Once the sun starts to set, maghrib time commences. Maghrib time remains as long as the redness on the western horizon remains.

Isha (5th and final prayer): Once the redness on the western horizon disappears, isha time commences and remains until dawn. However, after mid-night isha salat becomes makruh and the reward is reduced. Therefore, isha salat should not be delayed till such a time. It is preferable that isha salat be offered before one third of the night passes.

Hope that helps.

Thank you all, for your replies!
I'm much clearer now.

No problem.

Glad to hear it.

Since Abdul has kindly found this thread for me, here is another question.

In the Northern Hemisphere Ramadan is slowly approaching the summer period.
In London the longest day (21 June) is almost 16 hours and 40 minutes long - leaving a mere 7 hours and 20 minutes between sunset and sunrise.

How do Muslims manage to pray, eat (and sleep) during those 7 hours and 20 minutes?
That must be really tough!
What about people who live even further north, where the days are even longer?

(Of course the same applies to people in the Southern Hemisphere at Ramadan during midwinter.)

Who told you I like Yorkshire Puddings???!

I am considering fasting during Ramadan, but haven't decided yet ...

format_quote Originally Posted by Ahmedjunior

yeah you should try maybe fast for half the time for example instead of breaking the fast at sunset you could break it at asr prayers or even zuhr

I think I would have to be able to join my family for the evening meal (usually around 6 PM) - so it wouldn't be a full fast until sunset ...

format_quote Originally Posted by MustafaMc

Peace, Glo. Have you fasted as a Christian? If so, can you describe how you did it. When I was a Christian I would occasionally fast and read the Bible more during that time. The most that I fasted as a Christian was for 3 days with only water to drink.

As a Muslim, I start my fast before the time for fajr prayer which is about 1.5 hours before sunrise and end it immediately after sunset. During that time I abstain from food, drink and conjugal relations. The hardest part is going without water as I often work outside. We fast the whole month of Ramadan and it is sunnah to also fast on Mondays and Thursdays or at least 3 days within a month.

I agree that going without water would probably be the hardest part. I have never tried that before ...

I would probably have to drink gallons before starting the fast.

format_quote Originally Posted by Ahmedjunior

If Esa came back to earth during ramadan he would be happy with you for fasting and also happy to see one of the practises he did that became extinct after he went being preserved as a obligotry practise by the muslims along with the taking of the shoes, washing the hands and feet and falling on the face and praying

I am planning to fast to please God and to seek his guidance and will for my life, as well as to pray for Muslims and Christians alike, and for peace and harmony between all religions - but I am not planning to participate in Islamic prayer ...

I am hoping that when Esa returns, he will be pleased with me for having been inspired by his life and his teachings, having thought of him and sought God's guidance in prayer daily ... rather than having prayed in specific ways.

Salaam