How Minar calculates prayer times
Prayer times depend on where the sun is. Dhuhr, Maghrib and sunrise follow the sun directly; Fajr and Isha depend on how far below the horizon the sun is (an angle), and Asr on the length of a shadow. Scholarly bodies publish these settings as calculation methods. Minar computes every time on the server or on your device with the open-source Adhan library, from the city's coordinates and time zone.
The method used in each country
City pages use the method most mosques in that country follow. In the app you can pick any method and the Hanafi or standard Asr in Settings.
| Where | Method | Asr |
|---|---|---|
| Canada and the United States | ISNA (North America) | Standard |
| Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Afghanistan | University of Islamic Sciences, Karachi | Hanafi |
| Saudi Arabia | Umm Al-Qura (Makkah) | Standard |
| United Arab Emirates | Dubai / UAE | Standard |
| Qatar | Qatar | Standard |
| Kuwait | Kuwait | Standard |
| Egypt | Egyptian General Authority | Standard |
| Turkey | Diyanet İşleri Başkanlığı (Turkey) | Standard |
| Iran | Institute of Geophysics, Tehran | Standard |
| Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia | MUIS (Singapore) | Standard |
| The United Kingdom, Europe and everywhere else | Muslim World League (MWL) | Standard |
Fajr and Isha angles
| Method | Settings |
|---|---|
| ISNA (North America) | Islamic Society of North America (Fajr 15°, Isha 15°) |
| Muslim World League (MWL) | Standard across Europe, Far East & parts of US (Fajr 18°, Isha 17°) |
| Umm Al-Qura (Makkah) | Official Saudi Arabia standard (Fajr 18.5°, Isha +90 min) |
| Egyptian General Authority | Egypt, Africa, Syria, Lebanon & parts of Middle East (Fajr 19.5°, Isha 17.5°) |
| University of Islamic Sciences, Karachi | Pakistan, India, Bangladesh & Afghanistan (Fajr 18°, Isha 18°) |
| Dubai / UAE | United Arab Emirates standard (Fajr 18.2°, Isha 18.2°) |
| Qatar | Qatar standard (Fajr 18°, Isha +90 min) |
| Kuwait | Kuwait standard (Fajr 18°, Isha 17.5°) |
| Moonsighting Committee Worldwide | Recommended for UK and higher latitudes (Fajr 18°, Isha 18°) |
| MUIS (Singapore) | Singapore, Malaysia & Indonesia standard (Fajr 20°, Isha 18°) |
| Diyanet İşleri Başkanlığı (Turkey) | Turkey standard (Fajr 18°, Isha 17°) |
| Institute of Geophysics, Tehran | Tehran, Iran standard (Fajr 17.7°, Isha 14°) |
Asr: standard or Hanafi
With the standard (Shafi'i, Maliki, Hanbali) opinion, Asr begins when an object's shadow equals its length plus its noon shadow. With the Hanafi opinion it begins when the shadow is twice the length, which is later in the afternoon.
Far north and far south
In summer, at high latitudes (for example Edmonton or northern Scotland), the sun may not go far enough below the horizon for Fajr and Isha to be found by the angle. Minar then applies Adhan's recommended high-latitude rule for the city (the middle of the night or one seventh of the night), and city pages say so when it applies. Inside the polar circles, where the sun may not rise or set at all, the times of the closest location where it does are used.
Hijri dates
Hijri dates follow the Umm al-Qura calendar of Saudi Arabia. Many communities start months by local moonsighting, so dates such as the start of Ramadan or Eid may differ by a day. The app has a Hijri offset of up to two days in Settings.
How the times were checked
Before launch, times for Milton, Makkah, Karachi and Sydney were compared with Aladhan.com for the same method and Asr setting. They agree within a minute or two; small differences come from rounding in the calculation libraries.
Follow your local mosque
Calculated times are a guide. If your mosque publishes a timetable, or uses a different method, follow your mosque. Spotted a problem? Tell us via the About page.