Know Your Prayer Times
A simple guide to how prayer times are calculated, and why they can differ between sources.
How prayer times are worked out
The five daily prayers are tied to the position of the sun. Fajr begins at dawn, Dhuhr after the sun passes its highest point, Asr in the afternoon, Maghrib at sunset and Isha once the evening twilight has gone.
Because the sun rises and sets at different times through the year, prayer times change every day and are different in every city.
Why times can differ between sources
Scholars and organisations use different calculation methods, mainly for the sun angles used for Fajr and Isha. Asr also has two common calculations: the standard method, and the Hanafi method, which gives a later Asr.
In the UK, summer nights are very short, so Fajr and Isha can be hard to define. Mosques often follow their own published timetable, so check with your local mosque if you want to match it.
Features of this tool
- Region and city selector, with the United Kingdom chosen by default.
- Fajr, Sunrise, Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib and Isha for today.
- Live countdown to the next prayer, in the time zone of the city you choose.
- Choice of standard or Hanafi Asr.
- Both the Gregorian and Hijri date.
Using it while travelling
When you travel for Hajj or Umrah, switch the region to Saudi Arabia and pick Makkah or Madinah to see the local times. The countdown always follows the city you have selected, not your phone's time zone.