Bismillah

How Are Prayer Times Calculated?

Prayer times follow the position of the sun in the sky. That is why they change every day and in every city, and why they can be calculated from your location and the date.

The prayers and the sun

1. Fajr: dawn, when the sun is a certain angle below the horizon.
2. Sunrise: the moment the sun rises.
3. Dhuhr: just after the sun passes its highest point.
4. Asr: when an object's shadow reaches a certain length.
5. Maghrib: at sunset.
6. Isha: when the twilight has gone and the sky is dark.

Why timetables differ

1. Methods use different sun angles below the horizon for Fajr and Isha (usually between 15 and 18 degrees).
2. Some authorities add or subtract a few minutes as a safety margin.
3. Bismillah picks the common method for your country automatically; you can change it in Settings → Calculation method.

If your mosque's timetable differs by a few minutes, the reason is usually a different method or safety margin. Your local mosque can tell you which method they follow.

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