Salaat Timetable – This is a permanent Salaat Timetable
(checked to year 2049, ± 1 min) for Auckland, Waitakere,
Manukau and North Shore, and reasonably accurate for up to
Silverdale in the north and Pukekohe in the south. It is based on
coordinates 174º 45′ East longitude and 36º 55′ South latitude.
Data from a central year is used to minimize yearly variation.
Altitude correction to mean sea level times has been made
based on the highest residential area in Auckland. This only
affects rise and set times and also acts as a safety allowance.
To account for light refraction, which makes the sun appear
higher by one diameter, sunrise and sunset times have been
calculated using Auckland’s average atmospheric pressure
of 1010 mbar and 15º C temperature. Times are adjusted for
daylight saving from 27 Sept to 3rd April. This will vary yearly.
Fajr – Fajr starts from true dawn which is the Fajr timeshown and lasts until the time indicated when at that moment
the leading edge of the sun’s disk appears above the horizon.
Suhur (Sehri) ends and Saum (Fasting) begins at the start of
Fajr time. As a precaution stop eating and drinking 10 minutes
before this time. Ishraaq Salaat may be performed about 20
minutes after Fajr time ends. As a precaution, during the
summer months delay the starting time for Fajr by around 10
minutes due to possible seasonal fluctuations.
Time for Fajr begins when the centre of the sun is geometrically
18º below the horizon. Illumination due to scattered & indirect
light begins to appear along the eastern horizon. This is known
as the start of the astronomical twilight and is widely used for
the determination of Fajr (and Isha) time.
Dhuhr– Dhuhr starts from the Dhuhr time shown and lasts until the time of Asr. It is better to perform Dhuhr during the time agreed on by
the four Schools of Thought, which is around the first 2 & 1/2 hrs
during winter, progressively to the first 4 hours during summer.
Midday is exactly half the time between sunrise and sunset. The
time for Dhuhr begins after midday when the sun has completely
passed the local meridian. It has been adjusted by 5 minutes to
exclude the prohibited Salaat time when the sun is at its zenith.
Also prohibited times are when the sun is crossing the horizon
at rise and set times.
Asr –
Asr starts from the Asr time shown and lasts until about 10
minutes before Maghrib. It is desirable to perform Asr before the
the sun loses its brightness and its rays become yellowish.
Both, the Shafi’i and Hanafi times for Asr are shown. The Hanafi
time is when the shadow of a vertical rod is equal to double its length plus the shadow length cast by it at midday. The Shafi’i
Maliki and Hanbali Schools of Thought time is earlier from 3/4
hours during winter to 1 and 1/4 hours during summer, when an
object’s shadow is equal to its length plus the midday shadow .
Maghrib
– Maghrib starts from the Maghrib time shown and lasts until the
time of Isha. It is best to perform Maghrib as soon as the time
for it has started. This is also the time for Iftaar. Maghrib starts
after sunset, when the trailing edge of the sun has disappeared
over the horizon. As a precaution 2 minutes (+ height allowance)
has been added to the sunset time to obtain Maghrib time. This
is to ensure the sun has actually set for all areas of Auckland
and to allow for changes in the angle of refraction of sunlight
due to constant changes in atmospheric pressure, temperature
and humidity which affect the density of the atmosphere.
Isha -starts at the Isha time shown and lasts until the beginning
time of next Fajr. It is better to perform Isha during the first 3
hours in summer to the first 5 hours in winter. The time for
Tahajjud Salaat starts after the performance of Isha til true dawn.
The last hour during summer to the last 2 hours during winter
before the start of Fajr is the best time for Tahajjud. Isha begins
when the red afterglow (shafaq ahmar) and whiteness (shafaq
abyadh – 15 to 20 minutes later – Hanafi) on the western horizon
have disappeared & the sky acquires a dark uniform colour.This
occurs when the sun is 18º below the horizon and twilight
illumination is down to a minimum level. 1,000 years ago Ibn
al-Haitham calculated it at 19º (now refined to 18º).
May Allah Ta’ala accept this humble effort, Aameen. Approved by: Maulana Bashir Ahmed Diwan
Auckland, New Zealand – Sha’abaan 1430 July 2009