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Question:
Lets say fajr is at 5 am, and sunrise is at 6:16 am, at what time can we last pray Fajr?
Answer:
One can pray as long the time does not expire; if one starts to pray at 6:10 and finishes before 6:16am,
his salat will be valid. In other words, as long as one COMPLETES the prayer before its expiry, it
would be permissible to pray. However, if you are still praying when fajr time ends, your prayer is
invalidated. This is specific to fajr, though it is sinful to delay other prayers in this manner.
The time for Isha according to Imam Abu Hanifa starts when the whiteness (al shafaqu�l abyad ) on
the western horizon disappears after the redness (al shafaqu�l ahmar ) and complete darkness occurs.
The length of time span for this phenomenon keeps changing everyday. The shortest is in December
and longest in June/July. There have been widespread difference of opinion about when does this
whiteness (al shafaqu�l abyad )on the western horizon disappear and Isha time start.
So we can follow the ruling in summer by allowing just 1 hour after sunset. For this the civil twilight
6� depression of sun is used. The civil twilight as its name suggests is a guide for fixing up lighting up
times etc for civil purposes which is generally 30 minutes after sunset.
If you study the civil twilight chart the length of time between winter into summer is quite different.
The following are some examples of end of civilian twilight (al shafaqu�l Ahmar).
The following are some examples of end of civilian twilight (al shafaqu�l Ahmar).
The above are just brief examples. It shows that on 1st July the shafaq al Ahmar (redness) or the civil
twilight ends 51 minute after sunset and Isha time begins according to Sahibayn (Imam Abu Yusuf and
Imam Muhammad).
So we can take JUST 1 HOUR after Maghrib during long summer months.�
(It can be posted to anyone interested with �1:00 for postage and photocopies.)
Secondly: Mushahada itself is different because of the difference in climate, place and time. After
understanding these two points, one should know that there is difference of opinion amongst the expert
astronomers as when the time of subh sadiq -true dawn- occurs and how many degrees the sun is
beneath the horizon during (subh sadiq) true dawn-. Their opinions range from 18�17�16�15�
degrees, and there is no opinion lower than this. The calculations and prayer timetables in India,
Pakistan and Bangladesh are based on 18� degrees long before the partition of Indo-Pak and
Bangladesh. The most correct opinion is of 18� degrees, but one should remember that these
principles are not final and categorical (qat�i) but are speculative (dhanni). It would be permissible if
one faces difficulty in performing the Isha at its time, to perform it according to the opinion of
Sahibayn and the three noble imams after the disappearance of shafaqul-ahmar (disappearance of
redness on the western horizon) which is usually after 1 hr-15 minutes.
Ilyas: The calculations of WORLD MUSLIM LEAGUE of prayer times which can be found on
www.Islamicfinder.org are based on 18� degrees. One can print out the timetables as well.
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