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What is SalahTimes?
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SalahTimes is a web based application which allows prayers times to be calculated using mathematical formulas.
SalahTimes can be accessed by a browser or via a WAP compatible phone or PDA.
Simply point your mobile phone or PDA at http://www.mobile.salahtimes.com
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What phones types are supported for use with SalahTimes?
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All major phones types are supported including Nokia, Motorola, Ericsson, Samsung, Sharp, Siemens, Sony, Panasonic,
Toshiba, NEC, Kyocera and Mitsubishi to name just a few. Continuing work is being carried out to ensure newer devices are fully compatible.
If for any reason, you are having problems with your device then please do contact us giving as much details
as you possibly can regarding the device you are using such as the manufacturer and model.
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Which countries are prayer times available for?
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Prayer times are available for Great Britain
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How can I get prayer times on my mobile phone?
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In order for you to use SalahTimes via WAP, we recommend you create a bookmark to our mobile site
at http://www.mobile.salahtimes.com.
For instructions in creating a bookmark please consult your user guide or
manual for your device.
Alternatively, feel free to contact us,
giving as much details as you possibly can regarding the device you are using such as the manufacturer and model and we
will assist you as much as is possible
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What is the definitions of the 5 prayer times?
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Muslims pray 5 times a day. The times of each prayer vary from place to place and from day to day. It is vital that Muslims perform these prayers at the correct time
The 5 prayers are described below:
Fajr:
Starts at dawn or morning twilight
Ends just before sunrise
Zohar:
Starts at approximately 5 minutes after Zawaal
Ends at start of Asar time
Asar:
The start of Asar is dependant upon the length of the shadow that is cast by an object.
Different schools use different criteria. For further information see below
Ends just before sunset
Maghrib:
Starts at sunset
Ends at the start of Isha (i.e. when there is reddishness in the sky)
Isha:
Starts after dusk
Ends when the evening twilight disappears (i.e. when it first starts to get light)
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How are the times of the prayers determined?
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The times of the prayer are determined by the position of the sun, i.e. by defining the above in
astronomically measurable terms.
However for countries above 48 degrees (including Britain), Fajr and Isha timings require some estimation as the
twilight may persist between sunset and sunrise for certain months of the year.
In these months the sun does not go below the horizon by a sufficient amount and so there is no true night.
Under these circumstances Salahtimes uses the 1/7 rule to calculate the Fajr and Isha times respectively
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What is the 1/7 rule?
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The 1/7 rule is one of several rules for determining Fajr and Isha times. This rule divides the total time between sunset and sunrise into
seven parts. Isha starts when the first seventh part ends (or when the 2nd seventh part begins) and Fajr starts when the last (seventh)
part starts.
If Salahtimes determines that during the summer months, if total darkness does not occur, then the 1/7 rule is applied only if this
results in later Fajr times, and/or earlier Isha times. This results is a smooth transition from the twilight angle used to the 1/7 rule.
For prayer methods that specify a fixed time after Maghrib for Isha (or a fixed time before sunrise for Fajr) then the under these
circumstances the 1/7 is not applied all.
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What are Shafi and Hanafi?
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These are the 2 schools of thoughts for determining the start of Asar prayer times
These 2 schools of thoughts use different criteria to determine the start of Asar prayer. They do not affect the timings of the other prayers.
Shafi: The start of Asar is when the shadow of any vertical object exceeds the length of an object
Hanafi: The start of Asar is when the shadow of any vertical object exceeds twice the length of an object
Usually Hanafi Asar time is approximately 1 hour later than Shafi Asar prayer time.
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What is twilight?
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Twilight is the name given to the light that is observed after sunset and before sunrise. At this point the sun is below the horizon.
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What is the twilight angle?
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To determine Isha and Fajr calculations, one needs to calculate the time when the sun is at a certain distance below the horizon. The twilight angle is used for this purpose and it is defined as the angle in degrees of the sun below the horizon, when total darkness begins or ends.
Some organisations use a fixed time after Maghrib to determine the start of Isha time
The following standards exist for determining Fajr and Isha times:
| Organisation |
Fajr – twilight angle |
Isha – twilight angle |
Region |
| Muslim world league |
18 |
17 |
Europe, Far East, parts of the USA |
| Egyptian General Authority of Survey |
19.5 |
17.5 |
Africa, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Malaysia, parts of the USA |
| Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) |
15 |
15 |
Parts of the USA, Canada, parts of the UK |
| University of Islamic sciences, Karachi |
18 |
18 |
Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Afghanistan, parts of Europe |
| Umm Al Qura |
19 |
90 minutes after Maghrib (120 minutes during Ramadan) |
The Arabian Peninsula |
The above information was taken from http://www.ummah.net/astronomy/saltime/
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What is dusk?
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Dusk is when it is dark, or when the reddishness in the sky ends. The dictionary defines dusk as the darker stages of twilight
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What is dawn?
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Dawn is when whitishness starts to appear. The dictionary defines dawn as the time each morning at which daylight first begins
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What is the horizon?
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This is the term given to the line or circle that forms the boundary between the earth and the sky
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How accurate are these prayer times?
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Salahtimes prayer times have been compared with various other programs and sources and the difference has been found to be within a
few minutes or so.
As with all prayer calculations, you should bear this in mind and allow yourself a few minutes of inaccuracy
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I have a question which is not on this list...
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Send us the question. We will review your question and do our best to provide you with an appropriate
answer. We may even include your question within this section!
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