First of all, MAWAQIT is an application that displays the prayer times chosen by the mosques. In this article, we will only explain some of the reasons why prayer times can be different. If you want further information, the best solution is to contact the manager of your mosque directly.
On MAWAQIT, mosques can choose to :
I- Either enter their own calendar of prayer times direclty
II- Or choose a calculation method depending on different angles
I- ADD A CALENDAR
On MAWAQIT, mosques can choose to add their own calendar of prayer times. They sometimes want the same calendar as their city (in Arabic countries for example) or as The Ministry of Religious Affairs of their country ( like in Turkey).
This is why sometimes a few-minute difference can be found between several mosques even if they are close to each other : some mosques choose this method to set their prayer times while others prefer to calculate the times with one of the several legitimate methods that exist.
II- THE DIFFERENT CALCULATION METHODS
Mosques can choose a calcuation method among the several MAWAQIT offers. The main difference between all these calculation methods is the angle chosen for Isha and Fajr.
a. What is the "angle" ?
The angle refers to the degree between the sun and the horizon. The notion of angle really matters during the twilight time.
There are 3 types of twilights depending on the angle between the sun and the horizon:
Between 18° and 12° : we call this period the astronomical twilight
Between 12° and 6° : we call this period the nautical twilight
Between 6° and 0° : we call this period the civil twilight
All Muslim juridictions do not choose the same angle to calculate Isha and Fajr prayers. Sometimes, they even choose a different angle for Fajr AND Isha! On MAWAQIT, mosques have the choice between these different calculation methods :
Muslims of France (previously UOIF) who chooses an angle of 12° to calculate Fajr and Isha
Algerian, Moroccan or Turkish Ministry of religious affairs and waqf who all choose an angle of 17° to calculate Isha and 18° to calculate Fajr
World Islamic League who chooses an angle of 17° to calculate Isha and 18° to calculate Fajr
Islamic Society of North America who chooses an angle of 15° to calculate Fajr and Isha
Umm al-Qura University in Mecca or Qatar who both choose an angle of 18° to calculate Fajr and set the time of Isha 90 min after Maghrib
Egyptian National Authority of Survey who chooses an angle of 19.5° to calculate Fajr and 17.5° to calculate Isha
University of Science of Karachi who chooses an angle of 18° to calculate Fajr and Isha
Kuwait who chooses an angle of 18° to calculate Fajr and 17.5° for Isha
Institute of Geophysics, University of Tehran who chooses an angle of 17.7° to calculate Fajr and 14° for Isha
Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Russia who chooses an angle of 16° to calculate Fajr and 15° for Isha
Mosques can also choose to calculate their own times by setting the angles for Fajr and Isha themselves.
By using a different degree to calculate prayer times, mosques can have different prayer times especially for Fajr and Isha, even if they are close to each other geographically.
There can be a difference of 20 to 30 minutes or even more sometimes !
b. About Asr
There are two calculation methods for Asr. One used by the Hanafis School and one used by the 3 other Schools (Maalikis, Shaafi'is and Hanbalis)
For the Maalikis, the Shaafi'is and the Hanbalis, Asr prayer begins when an object's shadow is equal to its length other than its shadow when the sun is at its meridian.
For the Hanafis,the ‘Asr prayer begins when an object's shadow equals twice its length other than its shadow when the sun is at its meridian
These are the main reasons prayer times can be different from one mosque to another, even if they are close to each other. There are other advanced settings, but the main differences result from the ones we presented in this article.
Please keep in mind that a few-minute difference bears no consequence on the validity of your prayer or your fast. During the era of the Prophet (PBUH), they mainly relied on observation to get the different prayer times. ( واللهُ أَعْلَمُ)
If you wish to know more about the different dalil for using this degree rather than another, we advise you to contact your mosque. They will inform you better.
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