Shia (Jafari madhab) differs regarding start of asr time. Per all major Jafari jurists, [ citation needed] start of asr time is about 5 minutes after the time of sun passing through zenith, that time belongs exclusively to dhuhr prayer. Time for dhuhr and asr prayers overlap, but the zuhr prayer must be offered before asr, except the time about 10 minutes before sunset, which is delegated exclusively to asr. In the case that the mentioned time is reached, asr prayer should be offered first (ada - on time) and dhuhr (kada - make up, late) prayer should be offered after asr.

t {\displaystyle \Delta t} and δ {\displaystyle \delta } denotes the equation of time term and the declination of the Sun for a given date, respectively.

This gives, in hours, the difference between Dhuhr time and when the sun is at altitude α {\displaystyle \alpha } . Now we calculate three of the other prayer times: The five daily prayers are considered obligatory ( fard) by many and they are performed at times determined essentially by the position of the Sun in the sky. Hence, salat times vary at different locations on the Earth. Wudu is needed for all of the prayers.

T D h u h r = 12 + Δ t + ( Z − λ / 15 ) {\displaystyle T_{\mathsf {Dhuhr}}=12+\Delta t+(Z-\lambda /15)} displaystyle \lambda } and ϕ {\displaystyle \phi } are the longitude and the latitude of the considered point, respectively. Sundial indicating prayer times, situated in the courtyard of the Great Mosque of Kairouan, Tunisia. Author: Keith Roper T ( α ) = 1 15 arccos ⁡ ( − sin ⁡ ( α ) − sin ⁡ ( ϕ ) sin ⁡ ( δ ) cos ⁡ ( ϕ ) cos ⁡ ( δ ) ) {\displaystyle T(\alpha )={\frac {1}{15}}\arccos \left({\frac {-\sin(\alpha )-\sin(\phi )\sin(\delta )}{\cos(\phi )\cos(\delta )}}\right)}

The prescribed times of the prayers depicted in place of the position of the sun in the sky, relative to the worshipper. Sunrise (Shuruq) time and Sunset (Maghrib) times are given by T ( − 0.833 ∘ ) {\displaystyle T(-0.833 The Asr prayer starts when the shadow of an object is the same length as the object itself (or, according to Hanafi school, twice its length) [ citation needed] plus the shadow length at zuhr, and lasts till sunset. Asr can be split into two sections; the preferred time is before the sun starts to turn orange, while the time of necessity is from when the sun turns orange until sunset. Shia differs regarding the end of zuhr time. Per all major Jafari jurists, the end of dhuhr time is about 10 minutes before sunset, the time that belongs exclusively to asr prayer. Dhuhr and asr time overlap, apart from the first 5 minutes of dhuhr, which is exclusively delegated for it. Asr prayer cannot be offered before zuhr in the zuhr time. a b According to Shia Muslims, Asr prayer and Isha prayer have no set times but are said any time starting from midday. Zuhr and Asr prayers must be offered before sunset, and the time for Asr starts after Zuhr has been prayed. Maghrib and Isha prayers must be offered before midnight, and the time for Isha prayer can start after Maghrib has been prayed, as long as no more light remains in the western sky signifying the arrival of the true night.

From when the shadow cast by an object is once or twice its length, may be performed up to the time of Maghrib. [a] [b] According to Imam Abu Hanifa, "Asr starts when the shadow of an object becomes twice its height (plus the length of its shadow at the start time of Zuhr)." For the rest of Imams, "Asr starts when the shadow of an object becomes equal to its length (plus the length of its shadow at the start time of Zuhr)." Asr ends as the sun begins to set.

The five intervals were defined by Muslim authorities in the decades after the death of Muhammad in 632, based on the hadith (the reported sayings and actions) of the Islamic prophet. Some Muslims pray three times a day. [9] [3] Overview of prayer times considered obligatory by most [10] Compulsory (fard) prayer