How prayer times are calculated

Prayer times follow the sun. Dhuhr is just after the sun crosses its highest point; Asr is when a shadow reaches a set length; Maghrib is sunset; Fajr and Isha are when the sun is a set angle below the horizon at dawn and nightfall. We calculate each for the centre of every city, in its own time zone, with the open-source Adhan library.

Calculation methods

The angle used for Fajr and Isha is where the methods differ. ISNA is the default here; you can switch on any city page and your choice is remembered.

• ISNA (North America): Fajr and Isha at 15° below the horizon. The most common default in Canada.
• Moonsighting Committee: Fajr and Isha at 18°, with seasonal adjustments for higher latitudes. Used by many Canadian mosques.
• Muslim World League: Fajr at 18°, Isha at 17°.
• Karachi (University of Islamic Sciences): Fajr and Isha at 18°. Common in South Asian communities.
• Egyptian General Authority: Fajr at 19.5°, Isha at 17.5°.

Asr: two times

The Shafi'i, Maliki and Hanbali schools start Asr when an object's shadow equals its height (plus its noon shadow); the Hanafi school when it is twice its height. Every page shows both.

Summer nights in the north

North of about 48°, including Edmonton, Saskatoon and Fort McMurray, the sun never gets far enough below the horizon in early summer for Fajr and Isha to be calculated from an angle. For those cities we use the “one-seventh of the night” rule, the approach recommended for high latitudes.

Hijri dates and Ramadan

Hijri dates and Ramadan dates follow the Umm al-Qura calendar. Many Canadian communities begin and end Ramadan on local moon sighting, which can be a day later. Your mosque's announcement is the one to follow.