In this Unit:
- There are 5 Prayers that are obligatory for Muslims to pray.
- The times of these prayers are determined based on the position of the sun in the sky and shadows on the ground.
Keywords
- Fajr
- Sunrise
- Zuhur
- Zawal
- Asar
- Maghrib
- Sunset
- Isha
How to determine the times of the 5 prayers:
1. Fajr (Dawn prayer)
1. Fajr (Dawn prayer)
Start time: At true dawn which is when you see a white light stretched across the horizon.
End time: When the sphere of the sun starts to appear over the horizon
2. Zuhur (Noon prayer)
2. Zuhur (Noon prayer)
Start time: Zawal – which is when the sun passes its highest point in the sky. You know this has happened when the shadow of an object, say a meter stick, goes from decreasing to increasing.
End time: When the shadow of an object is equal to the length of the object
Or more accurately:
Length of meter stick: 100 cm
Length of shadow at zawal: 5 cm
Length of shadow at end of zuhur = x
x = 100 cm+ 5 cm = 105 cm
When x is 105 cm, zuhur is finished, asr has started.
3. Asar (Evening prayer)
3. Asar (Evening prayer)
Start time: End of zuhur
End time: When the entire sphere of the sun sets.
4. Maghrib (Sunset prayer)
4. Maghrib (Sunset prayer)
Start time: When the sun sets
End time: When the redness of sunset leaves the sky.
5. Isha (Night prayer)
5. Isha (Night prayer)
Start time: When the redness of the sunset leaves the sky.
End time: Dawn
Now watch this video to see how to determine the beginning and end of zuhur and asr.
Worksheet