Namaz Timings Explained: When Each of the Five Daily Prayers Begins and Ends

Every Salah has a time window — a moment it begins and a moment it ends. Allah says: “Indeed, prayer has been decreed upon the believers at fixed times” (An-Nisa 4:103). Knowing these windows means you never pray too early, and you never let a prayer become Qaza without realising it.

Looking for today’s times? Open Prayer Times Near Me for your exact location, or pick your city from the city list.

The five prayers at a glance

Fajr — from true dawn to sunrise

Fajr begins at Subh Sadiq, the true dawn, when a horizontal band of light spreads along the eastern horizon. Astronomically this happens when the sun is about 18° below the horizon, which is the angle used by the University of Islamic Sciences, Karachi — the method followed across India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Fajr time ends at sunrise. During Ramadan, the start of Fajr is also the end of Sehri.

Dhuhr — after the sun begins to decline

At solar noon the sun is at its highest and shadows are shortest. This moment, Zawal, is one of the times when prayer is not permitted. As soon as the sun begins to decline, Dhuhr time starts and it lasts until Asr. On Fridays, Jumu’ah takes the place of Dhuhr.

Asr — Hanafi and Shafi’i times

Asr is where you will most often see two different times. According to the Shafi’i, Maliki and Hanbali schools, Asr begins when the shadow of an object equals its own length (plus its shadow at noon). According to the Hanafi school, it begins when the shadow is twice the length. That is why Hanafi Asr is usually 45 minutes to over an hour later. Every city page on Ramzan Special shows both.

Asr may be prayed until sunset, but delaying it until the sun turns yellow and weak is disliked (Makruh) without a valid reason.

Maghrib — at sunset

Maghrib begins the moment the whole disc of the sun has set and lasts until the red/white twilight disappears — typically around 70 to 90 minutes in South Asia. Because its window is short, it is Sunnah to pray Maghrib promptly. In Ramadan, Iftar is at Maghrib time.

Isha — when twilight is gone

Isha begins when the twilight has completely disappeared (sun about 18° below the horizon in the Karachi method) and remains valid until true dawn. It is preferable to pray Isha before Islamic midnight, and Witr is prayed after Isha — ideally at the end of the night for those who wake for Tahajjud.

Times when Salah is not permitted

• At sunrise — until the sun has fully risen (about 15–20 minutes).
• At Zawal — when the sun is at its zenith, shortly before Dhuhr.
• At sunset — while the sun is setting (except that day’s Asr, which is valid though disliked if delayed).

Nafl prayers are also disliked after the Fajr Farz until sunrise, and after the Asr Farz until sunset.

Why times change every day

Prayer times follow the sun, not the clock. As the seasons change, sunrise and sunset move — so Fajr can shift by more than an hour between summer and winter, even in the same city. That is why it is important to check the times daily, and again when you travel.

See today’s times for your city below, or read about how the calculation methods differ.