15 degrees or 18 degrees?

[Visitor]

I really hope someone can help me with my confusion.
I realise now that there are a number of ways to work out the prayer times in the UK due to the choice of degrees one can use to calculate the timings, i.e. you can select either 15 degrees or 18 degrees, or other degrees.
My question is, who or what degree value do I follow?
My local mosque have a timetable which I don't have confidence in as they just seem to have set the yearly isha time to start exactly 90 mins after maghrib (which I know cannot be accurate), so if I can't accept that time of theirs I cannot pick and choose their other times if you know what I mean.
I want to follow a timetable with complete confidence and without following my nafs.
What should I do?
Your advice will be most appreciated.
Thank-you & jazakallah.

[abuhajira]

The 90 min rule normally works with places close to equator and those areas not too far away from tropics. Even in S. Africa which is just below Tropic of Capricorn.. the 90 rules sort of works out.. (aprox 1hr 45 minutes is the max it goes)... But the issue comes when we talk about places further away from the tropics..like europe Canada etc..



For those areas please read this answer which is pertinant.

http://www.askimam.org/fatwa/fatwa.p...6672129c6eb313

[Visitor]

Jazakallah for that link it was helpful.
I will follow 18 degrees then, until it gets tough during the summer months.
And do I HAVE to follow the same degrees at both ends of the day? Or could I do 18 deg at isha and 15 deg at fajr, or vice versa, if that is easier for me, if you know what I mean?

But what about ramadhan fasts?
If I follow 18 degrees for salah should I also follow 18 deg for sawm?
And when I fast in the summer when I'm following 15 deg for salah, should I also follow 15 deg for sawm?
Jazakallah. This really confuses me and my salah and sawm are being affected.

[abuhajira]

Jazakallah for that link it was helpful.
I will follow 18 degrees then, until it gets tough during the summer months.
And do I HAVE to follow the same degrees at both ends of the day? Or could I do 18 deg at isha and 15 deg at fajr, or vice versa, if that is easier for me, if you know what I mean?

But what about ramadhan fasts?
If I follow 18 degrees for salah should I also follow 18 deg for sawm?
And when I fast in the summer when I'm following 15 deg for salah, should I also follow 15 deg for sawm?
Jazakallah. This really confuses me and my salah and sawm are being affected.

This is only for Ishaa'. For fajr the time will be 18 deg. A one year actual sighting was conducted in Montreal, Canada which concluded that degree of elevation was indeed 18 deg. In Fajr, it is a specific time for the dawn, hence no ikhtilaf. You will finish your sehri according to that time.

So basically, if in time of difficulty the change will be in Ishaa' degree and NOT in the fajr time calculation.

[omar2006]

This is only for Ishaa'. For fajr the time will be 18 deg. A one year actual sighting was conducted in Montreal, Canada which concluded that degree of elevation was indeed 18 deg. In Fajr, it is a specific time for the dawn, hence no ikhtilaf. You will finish your sehri according to that time.

So basically, if in time of difficulty the change will be in Ishaa' degree and NOT in the fajr time calculation.

Respected Maulana (to be) saheb,


So in the US should we always use 18 degrees for fajr time and for Isha only in the summer go by 15 degrees? Do you know any Maulvi in the US or North America who has researched this issue? Can I get contact info for them.

jazakallah

[abuhajira]

Respected Maulana (to be) saheb,


So in the US should we always use 18 degrees for fajr time and for Isha only in the summer go by 15 degrees? Do you know any Maulvi in the US or North America who has researched this issue? Can I get contact info for them.

jazakallah

Yes, fajr will remain same.

Mufti Ehzaz who has answered the above question now stays in Chicago. You can find out his contact and ask him personally inshAllah.

[Sarah Mc]

As salamu alaikum
I live in Liverpool, England and I am really confused about prayer times. I've seen 2 websites: IslamicFinder and Ramadan Timetable, but they both have completely different prayer times.

On IslamicFinder, Fajr starts at 3:42am and on Ramadan Timetable, Fajr starts at 4:12am.

I used to always follow IslamicFinder, as I didn't really see the difference, but I'm just getting confused now since I've been on different prayer time sites.

I'm really confused: which one should I follow?

Sarah

[Silouan]

Shaykh Nuh Keller has stated that the soundest position concerning this issue is the 18 degree position.

Him and couple of shuyukh tested both position and came to the conclusion that the 18 degree is the soundest position. He said that the reason why people have adopted the 15 degree position is because they did not realize that the city lights affected ones preception of the rising sun and gave a false indication that the 15 degree was correct.

So the 18 degree is the correct position according to Shaykh Nuh Keller.

-Silouan

[SunniWaqas]

As salamu alaikum
I live in Liverpool, England and I am really confused about prayer times. I've seen 2 websites: IslamicFinder and Ramadan Timetable, but they both have completely different prayer times.

On IslamicFinder, Fajr starts at 3:42am and on Ramadan Timetable, Fajr starts at 4:12am.

I used to always follow IslamicFinder, as I didn't really see the difference, but I'm just getting confused now since I've been on different prayer time sites.

I'm really confused: which one should I follow?

Sarah

This issue is differed upon by the scholars. I would suggest you contact a local reliable mosque/Islamic organization/scholar and see what they say about it.

Wassalaam

[Visitor]

This is only for Ishaa'. For fajr the time will be 18 deg. A one year actual sighting was conducted in Montreal, Canada which concluded that degree of elevation was indeed 18 deg. In Fajr, it is a specific time for the dawn, hence no ikhtilaf. You will finish your sehri according to that time.

So basically, if in time of difficulty the change will be in Ishaa' degree and NOT in the fajr time calculation.

Jazakallah! That clears up all my confusion.
Please prayer for me.