Prayer Times

Ishraq (also called Duha) is a recommended voluntary prayer performed approximately 15-20 minutes after sunrise, when the sun has risen to the height of a spear (about one meter above the horizon). It consists of 2 to 4 rak'ah. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: "Whoever prays Fajr in congregation, then sits remembering Allah until the sun rises, then prays two rak'ah, will have a reward equal to that of Hajj and Umrah — complete, complete, complete." (Tirmidhi)

Chasht (Duha) prayer is a voluntary prayer that can be performed from the time of Ishraq until approximately 20 minutes before the Zuhr Adhan. It consists of 2, 4, 8, or up to 12 rak'ah. The Prophet ﷺ said: "In the morning, charity is due from every joint of your body. Every tasbih is charity, every tahmid is charity... and two rak'ah of Duha prayer suffice for all of this." (Muslim)

Zawal (also called Jawwal or Istiwaa) refers to the time when the sun is at its zenith (highest point in the sky). This is approximately a 10-15 minute window when the sun transitions from rising to declining. Prayer is prohibited during this time according to the hadith: "There are three times at which the Messenger of Allah ﷺ forbade us from praying... when the sun is at its highest point at midday, until it passes the meridian." (Muslim)

Prayer is prohibited (makrooh tahrimi) at three times:

1. During Sunrise — From the moment the sun begins to rise until it has risen fully (about 15-20 minutes after sunrise).
2. At Solar Noon (Zawal) — When the sun is at its absolute zenith, approximately 10-15 minutes before the Zuhr time begins.
3. During Sunset — From when the sun begins to set until it has fully disappeared below the horizon.

Exception: The Asr prayer of that day may be performed even during sunset according to many scholars, though it is strongly disliked to delay it to that point.

Islamic prayer times are determined by the position of the sun:

Fajr: Begins at dawn (when the first light appears on the horizon) and ends at sunrise.
Dhuhr: Begins when the sun passes its zenith (highest point) and starts to decline.
Asr: Begins when the shadow of an object equals its length (Hanafi method: twice its length) plus the shadow at noon.
Maghrib: Begins immediately after sunset.
Isha: Begins when the red twilight disappears from the sky.

Our prayer times are sourced from MasjidAl, which uses precise astronomical calculations for our exact location. Iqamah times are set by the masjid administration to allow the congregation to gather.