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Prayer time calculation methods compared
Prayer times differ between apps mostly because of one choice: how far below the horizon the sun must be for Fajr and Isha. This page lists the twelve methods in Sakina with their exact parameters.
All twelve at a glance
| Method | Fajr angle | Isha |
|---|---|---|
| Muslim World League (MWL) | 18° | 17° |
| ISNA (North America) | 15° | 15° |
| Egyptian General Authority of Survey | 19.5° | 17.5° |
| University of Islamic Sciences, Karachi | 18° | 18° |
| Umm al-Qura University, Makkah | 18.5° | 90 min after Maghrib |
| Dubai (UAE) | 18.2° | 18.2° |
| Moonsighting Committee Worldwide | 18° | 18° |
| Kuwait | 18° | 17.5° |
| Qatar | 18° | 90 min after Maghrib |
| Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (MUIS) | 20° | 18° |
| Institute of Geophysics, University of Tehran | 17.7° | 14° |
| Diyanet (Türkiye) | 18° | 17° |
Angles are the sun's depression below the horizon. Dhuhr, Asr and Maghrib come from the sun's position directly; the methods mainly disagree about twilight. Several also add a few minutes of precaution to some prayers. Open each method's page for those.
How much does the method matter?
Here is the same day, the spring equinox 2027, in three places, with each method's Fajr and Isha computed by the same engine Sakina uses (local time, high-latitude rule applied where the latitude is above 48°).
| Method | Mecca Fajr | Mecca Isha | London Fajr | London Isha | Kyiv Fajr | Kyiv Isha |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muslim World League (MWL) | 05:11 | 19:41 | 04:23 | 19:54 | 04:20 | 19:52 |
| ISNA (North America) | 05:24 | 19:33 | 04:31 | 19:46 | 04:31 | 19:41 |
| Egyptian General Authority of Survey | 05:05 | 19:43 | 04:23 | 19:54 | 04:20 | 19:52 |
| University of Islamic Sciences, Karachi | 05:11 | 19:46 | 04:23 | 19:54 | 04:20 | 19:52 |
| Umm al-Qura University, Makkah | 05:09 | 20:02 | 04:23 | 19:43 | 04:20 | 19:40 |
| Dubai (UAE) | 05:10 | 19:46 | 04:23 | 19:54 | 04:20 | 19:52 |
| Moonsighting Committee Worldwide | 05:11 | 19:46 | 04:31 | 19:31 | 04:29 | 19:28 |
| Kuwait | 05:11 | 19:43 | 04:23 | 19:54 | 04:20 | 19:52 |
| Qatar | 05:11 | 20:02 | 04:23 | 19:43 | 04:20 | 19:40 |
| Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (MUIS) | 05:03 | 19:46 | 04:23 | 19:55 | 04:21 | 19:52 |
| Institute of Geophysics, University of Tehran | 05:13 | 19:28 | 04:23 | 19:39 | 04:20 | 19:34 |
| Diyanet (Türkiye) | 05:11 | 19:41 | 04:23 | 19:54 | 04:20 | 19:52 |
Near the equator the spread is small, a few minutes for Fajr and up to half an hour for Isha. At northern latitudes the high-latitude rule can make several methods give the same Fajr (see the high-latitude guide).
Which method should I choose?
- Use the method your local mosque or religious authority publishes. Consistency with your community matters more than picking the "most accurate" one, because the angles are a juristic and observational choice, not a measurement error.
- If you have no local guidance, the Muslim World League default is a common starting point in Europe; ISNA in North America; Umm al-Qura in the Arabian Peninsula.
- Check one prayer against your local timetable and use the minute adjustments in Settings to match it.
Asr: Shafi or Hanafi
Asr begins when an object's shadow equals its height (Shafi, Maliki, Hanbali) or twice its height (Hanafi), counted in addition to the noon shadow. The Hanafi Asr is later, often by about an hour, depending on latitude and season.
Frequently asked questions
Why do two apps show different Fajr times?
They probably use different methods or high-latitude rules, or one adds precaution minutes. Compare the method names first.
Is one method more accurate?
No method is a measurement of truth. They are different, documented choices about twilight.