A RESEARCH PAPER ON SUBH-SADIQ AND SHAFAQ IN

THE UNITED KINGDOM AND COUNTRIES LOCATED IN

HIGH LATITUDES:
Salah is a pillar of Islam, and has to be performed at its appointed times. Just like Salah is
NOT valid without Wudhu, it is NOT valid before the appointed time either. Similarly
Saum (Fasting) begins at Subh-Sadiq, and it is NOT valid if food or drink is consumed
afterwards. The signs of Salah times (Subh-Saidq, Zawal, Mis’l, Mislaen and Shafaq) are
present and visible from the equator to 48-degree latitude. Beyond 48-degree either some or
all of these signs begin to disappear. Therefore this paper deals with the establishment of
Salah, Saum etc. in these high latitude countries.

Acknowledgements: Islamic Research Institute Dewsbury, U.K (Maulana Yaqoob Ismael Qasmi)
NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration)
USNO (United States Naval Observatory)
MS Encarta Encyclopedia

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Table of Contents
TIMES OF SALAH:..................................................................................................................................... 3
FAJAR: ......................................................................................................................................................... 3
ZOHAR: ....................................................................................................................................................... 3
ASAR: .......................................................................................................................................................... 3
MAGHRIB: ................................................................................................................................................... 3
ESHA: .......................................................................................................................................................... 3
SOME GEOGRAPHICAL TERMS DEFINED: ....................................................................................... 4
EARTH: ........................................................................................................................................................ 4
EQUATOR: ................................................................................................................................................... 4
NORTH POLE: .............................................................................................................................................. 4
SOUTH POLE:............................................................................................................................................... 4
LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE: ....................................................................................................................... 4
MERIDIAN: .................................................................................................................................................. 5
TIME ZONES: ............................................................................................................................................... 5
HORIZON: .................................................................................................................................................... 5
RISE, SET: ................................................................................................................................................... 6
a) Sunrise and sunset: ......................................................................................................................... 6
b) Moonrise and moonset: .................................................................................................................. 6
TRANSIT: ..................................................................................................................................................... 6
TWILIGHT: ................................................................................................................................................... 6
a) Civil twilight (6-degrees):............................................................................................................... 7
b) Nautical twilight (12-degrees):....................................................................................................... 7
c) Astronomical twilight (18-degrees): ............................................................................................... 7
REASONS FOR SEASONAL AND DAY/NIGHT CHANGES AND ITS IMPLICATIONS ON HIGH
LATITUDE COUNTRIES: ......................................................................................................................... 8

SUNLIGHT HAS TO TRAVEL LONGER TO REACH COUNTRIES LOCATED ON HIGHER

LATITUDES, THEREFORE THE HEAT DERIVED FROM SUNLIGHT IS LESS COMPARED
TO THE COUNTRIES ON THE EQUATOR, I.E. PLEASE SEE DIAGRAM BELOW. .................... 8

SPECIFIC PROBLEMS TO THE UNITED KINGDOM: ......................................................................10

ALL PERMISSABLE WAYS ACCORDING TO THE FUQAHA DURING PERPETUAL

TWILIGHT: ................................................................................................................................................11
AQRABUL-AYYAM: ....................................................................................................................................11
NISFUL-LAIL: .............................................................................................................................................11
AQRABUL-BILAD: ......................................................................................................................................11
SABA’UL-LAIL: ..........................................................................................................................................11
COMBING MAGHRIB AND ESHA:.................................................................................................................11
UNANIMOUS OPINION OF THE ULAMA OF INDIA AND UNITED KINGDOM: ........................12
SIGNATORIES TO THE ABOVE CONCLUSIONS: ..............................................................................................12
WARNING: .................................................................................................................................................14

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TIMES OF SALAH:

Fajar:
There is no disagreement amongst the scholars on the start and finish times of
Fajar. Fajar starts with Subh-Sadiq and ends with the sunrise.

Zohar:
There is no disagreement on the start times of Zohar, but there is a difference of
opinion on the ending time for Zohar. The beginning time of zohar is when the sun
starts to decline from midday (Zawal), however the ending time of Zohar is Mis’l
(Shadow = Length + shadow at noon) or Misla’en (Shadow = Twice Length +
shadow at noon). *

Asar:
There is a difference of opinion in regards to the beginning times for Asar, but there
is no disagreement in the end times. Asar begins at Mis’l (Shadow = Length +
shadow at noon) or Misla’en (Shadow = Twice Length + shadow at noon), and ends
at sunset . *

Maghrib:
There is no disagreement in regards to the start and finish times of Maghrib. Maghrib
begins at sunset and ends at the Shafaq. However there is disagreement in the
definition of Shafaq (Whiteness or Redness in the distant horizon).

Esha:
The beginning time of Esha is the setting of Shafaq (Whiteness or Redness in the
distant horizon), and the ending time is Subh-Sadiq.

* If a stick, a pole, or anything similar to it, which acts as an indicator is made to stand on a level ground,
its shadow will fall westwards when the sun rises in the morning, and as the sun continues to rise the
shadow cast by the indicator will reduce in size. And in our cities it becomes smallest at midday. And as
shadow cast by the indicator turns eastwards, and as the sun moves towards west the shadow gets longer.
Based on this, when the shadow is the shortest, and it begins getting longer again, it is known that Zuhr has
taken place. However, in other cities like in Makkah, the shadow disappears totally, so, when it reappears it
indicates Zuhr.

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SOME GEOGRAPHICAL TERMS DEFINED:

Earth:
Earth is the third planet from the Sun (149,597,890 km), and the fifth largest (Mean
Equatorial Radius 6,378.14 km) in the solar system. The four seasons are a result of
Earth’s axis of rotation being tilted more than 23 degrees.

Equator:
Equator in geography is an imaginary circle on the surface of the earth, equidistant
from the poles and dividing the earth into the northern hemisphere and the southern
hemisphere. The equator is the line from which latitudes are measured, the latitude of
any single point on the equator being 0°.

North Pole:
It the earth’s northernmost point. It is located at the northern end of the earth's axis,
an imaginary line through the center of the earth around which the earth revolves. It is
also the northern center from which all the meridians of longitudes begin. From the
North Pole, all directions on the earth's surface are south.

South Pole:
It is a point at the southern end of the earth's axis, in central Antarctica, about 2600
km (about 1600 miles) from the south magnetic pole.

Latitude and Longitude:

It is a system of geometrical coordinates used in designating the location of places on
the surface of the earth. Latitude, which gives the location of a place north or south of
the equator, is expressed by angular measurements ranging from 0° at the equator to
90° at the poles. Longitude, the location of a place east or west of a north-south line
called the prime meridian, is measured in angles ranging from 0° at the prime
meridian to 180° at the International Date Line.
Midway between the poles, the equator, a great circle, divides the earth into northern
and southern hemispheres. Parallel to the equator and north and south of it are a
succession of imaginary circles that become smaller and smaller the closer they are to
the poles. This series of east-west-running circles, known as the parallels of latitude,
is crossed at right angles by a series of half-circles extending north and south from
one pole to the other, called the meridians of longitude.
Although the equator was an obvious choice as the prime parallel, being the largest,
no one meridian was uniquely qualified as prime. Until a single prime meridian could
be agreed upon, each nation was free to choose its own, with the result that many
19th-century maps of the world lacked a standardized grid. The problem was resolved

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 in 1884, when an international prime meridian, passing through London's Greenwich
Observatory, was officially designated. A metallic marker there indicates its exact
location.
Degrees of latitude are equally spaced, but the slight flattening at the poles causes the
length of a degree of latitude to vary from 110.57 km (68.70 mi) at the equator to
111.70 km (69.41 mi) at the poles. At the equator, meridians of longitude 1 degree
apart are separated by a distance of 111.32 km (69.17 mi); at the poles, meridians
converge. Each degree of latitude and longitude is divided into 60 minutes, and each
minute divided into 60 seconds, thereby allowing the assignment of a precise
numerical location to any place on earth.

Meridian:
Name given to an imaginary line on the earth’s surface, stretching from pole to pole.
A meridian is one-half of a great circle that passes through the poles and forms a right
angle with the equator. It is midday at any place on the surface of the earth when the
sun’s direct rays pass over the meridian of that particular place. Stars and planets
appear to be directly overhead when they are observed passing over the meridian. A
meridian is also known as a line of longitude

Time zones:
International Date Line, irregular line drawn on the map of the Pacific Ocean, near,
and in many places coincident with, the 180th meridian. It marks the place where
navigators change their date by one day on a transpacific voyage. East of the line it is
one day earlier than to the west. Any traveler circling the globe in a westward
direction lengthens the day by 1 hour for every 15° of longitude traveled because the
traveler is following the apparent motion of the sun; by the time he or she has traveled
completely around the world, the traveler is one full day ahead of the people who
have remained at the starting place of the trip. Similarly, going eastward, a traveler
arrives a day behind. Close to the 180th meridian, nearly in the middle of the Pacific
Ocean, a place chosen because of the virtual absence of land and of civilization in the
region, navigators going westward add a day to their calendars (for example, the day
after August 6 would be August 8), and navigators going eastward drop a day from
their calendars (for example, the day after August 6 would be August 6) to correct for
this gain or loss of time. The date line is curved eastward around Siberia, westward
around the Aleutian Islands, and eastward around the Fiji Islands and New Zealand;
the line is so curved to avoid crossing land.

Horizon:
Wherever one is located on or near the Earth's surface, the Earth is perceived as
essentially flat and, therefore, as a plane. The sky resembles one-half of a sphere or
dome centered at the observer. If there are no visual obstructions, the apparent
intersection of the sky with the Earth's (plane) surface is the horizon, which appears
as a circle centered at the observer. For rise/set computations, the observer's eye is

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 considered to be on the surface of the Earth, so that the horizon is geometrically
exactly 90 degrees from the local vertical direction.

Rise, Set:
During the course of a day the Earth rotates once on its axis causing the phenomena
of rising and setting. All celestial bodies, stars and planets included, seem to appear in
the sky at the horizon to the East of any particular place, then to cross the sky and
again disappear at the horizon to the West. The most noticeable of these events, and
the most significant in regard to ordinary affairs, are the rising and setting of the Sun
and Moon. Because the Sun and Moon appear as circular disks and not as points of
light, a definition of rise or set must be very specific, for not all of either body is seen
to rise or set at once.
a) Sunrise and sunset: Conventionally refer to the times when the upper
edge of the disk of the Sun is on the horizon, considered unobstructed relative
to the location of interest. Atmospheric conditions are assumed to be average,
and the location is in a level region on the Earth's surface.

b) Moonrise and moonset: Times are computed for exactly the same
circumstances as for sunrise and sunset. However, moonrise and moonset may
occur at any time during a 24 hour period and, consequently, it is often
possible for the Moon to be seen during daylight, and to have moonless
nights. It is also possible that a moonrise or moonset does not occur relative to
a specific place on a given date.

Transit:
The transit time of a celestial body refers to the instant that its center crosses an
imaginary line in the sky - the observer's meridian - running from north to south. For
observers in low to middle latitudes, transit is approximately midway between rise
and set, and represents the time at which the body is highest in the sky on any given
day. At high latitudes, neither of these statements may be true - for example, there
may be several transits between rise and set. The transit of the Sun is local solar
(sundial) noon. The difference between the transit times of the Sun and Moon is
closely related to the Moon's phase. The New Moon transits at about the same time as
the Sun; the First Quarter Moon transits about 6 hours after the Sun; the Full Moon
transits about 12 hours after/before the Sun; and the Last Quarter Moon transits about
6 hours before the Sun.

Twilight:
Before sunrise and again after sunset there are intervals of time, twilight, during
which there is natural light provided by the upper atmosphere, which does receive
direct sunlight and reflects part of it towards the Earth's surface. Some outdoor
activities may be conducted without artificial illumination during these intervals, and
it is useful to have some means to set limits beyond which a certain activity should be

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assisted by artificial lighting. The major determinants of the amount of natural light
during twilight are the state of the atmosphere generally and local weather conditions
in particular. Atmospheric conditions are best determined at the actual time and place
of events. Nevertheless, it is possible to establish useful, though necessarily
approximate, limits applicable to large classes of activities by considering only the
position of the Sun below the local horizon. Reasonable and convenient definitions
have evolved.
a) Civil twilight (6-degrees): It is defined to begin in the morning, and to
end in the evening when the center of the Sun is geometrically 6 degrees
below the horizon. This is the limit at which twilight illumination is sufficient,
under good weather conditions, for terrestrial objects to be clearly
distinguished; at the beginning of morning civil twilight, or end of evening
civil twilight, the horizon is clearly defined and the brightest stars are visible
under good atmospheric conditions in the absence of moonlight or other
illumination. In the morning before the beginning of civil twilight and in the
evening after the end of civil twilight, artificial illumination is normally
required to carry on ordinary outdoor activities. Complete darkness, however,
ends sometime prior to the beginning of morning civil twilight and begins
sometime after the end of evening civil twilight.

b) Nautical twilight (12-degrees): It is defined to begin in the morning,

and to end in the evening, when the center of the sun is geometrically 12
degrees below the horizon. At the beginning or end of nautical twilight, under
good atmospheric conditions and in the absence of other illumination, general
outlines of ground objects may be distinguishable, but detailed outdoor
operations are not possible, and the horizon is indistinct.

c) Astronomical twilight (18-degrees): It is defined to begin in the

morning, and to end in the evening when the center of the Sun is
geometrically 18 degrees below the horizon. Before the beginning of
astronomical twilight in the morning and after the end of astronomical twilight
in the evening the Sun does not contribute to sky illumination; for a
considerable interval after the beginning of morning twilight and before the
end of evening twilight, sky illumination is so faint that it is practically
imperceptible.

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REASONS FOR SEASONAL AND DAY/NIGHT CHANGES AND ITS
IMPLICATIONS ON HIGH LATITUDE COUNTRIES:

If the Earth had no axial tilt, there would be no seasons and the climate would be an
eternal spring or fall. The Earth's axial tilt of 23.5° is what creates the seasons. Changes
in the length of the day and orientation of the Earth in respect to the Sun are caused when
the Earth moves around the Sun. Figure 1 shows the Earth in four sample places on its
orbit around the Sun. At the poles, as the Earth spins on its axis, during summer or
winter, the poles are in constant sunlight or darkness. During spring or fall, the axial tilt
doesn't alter the quantity of sunlight and darkness received; every place on the globe
receives 12 hours of sunlight and 12 hours of darkness, approximately.

At different latitudes differing amount of sunlight are received. Between 66.5°S and
66.5°N latitudes, all areas get a day/night cycle. Near the equator, days and night are
more even during the year. Closer to the poles the days are even shorter than during the
winter, and the days are longer than during the summer. North of 66.5° N and south of
66.5°S, the sun may for a period of months never rise or never set. These areas do indeed
have day/night cycles close to the spring/fall equinoxes but the closer to the pole you get,
the longer the period the sun never rises or set. At the poles the day lasts six months and
the night last six months.
Sunlight has to travel longer to reach countries located on higher latitudes, therefore the
heat derived from sunlight is less compared to the countries on the equator, i.e. please see
diagram below.

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In conclusion we can state that the higher the latitude the more the difference between the
duration of day and Night versus on the equator the duration of day and night are very
much constant throughout the year. The figure below shows sunrise and sunset in Circle
(Alaska) during the month of December.

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SPECIFIC PROBLEMS TO THE UNITED KINGDOM:

United Kingdom is located between 50 and 60 degree latitude, therefore the duration of
day and night differ considerably during the summer and the winter months. An
additional problem in the United Kingdom is the year round presence of clouds, fog and
the lack of clear skies which makes it extremely difficult to view phenomenon such as
sunrise, sunset and shafaq.
Most of the Muslims in the United Kingdom have emigrated from the countries close to
the equator (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and the Middle east), where due to clear view of
the horizon, temperate weather and close proximity in the duration of day and night
throughout the year makes it possible to view the natural phenomenon i.e. the indications
of establishing a particular Salah. The Sun first gets to 18-degrees (Astronomical
twilight), then 12 degrees (Nautical twilight), 6-degrees (Civil twilight), and then rises.
Conversely in the evenings the sun sets, then gets to 6-degrees (Civil twilight), then 12
degrees (Nautical twilight), then to 18-degrees (Astronomical twilight), and then goes
around until it gets to those degrees again and then rises for the next morning.
However, these details apply to the United Kingdom for the months where the Shafaq-e-
Abyadh (the whiteness in the horizon that appears after the redness has disappeared)
disappears. But it is a common observation in the United Kingdom that Shafaq-e-Abyadh
doesn’t disappear from around the middle of May till the end of July, that’s primarily
because the sun doesn’t go below 12 degrees (Nautical twilight), but rises again.
Despite the lack of disappearance of Shafaq (Redness or Whiteness in the distant
horizon) in the United Kingdom during specific summer months, it is still “Waajib” to
pray the Esha Salah due to the Hadeeth about Dajjal (Shami: Vol1/Pg834 and Fatawa
Darul-uloom: Vol2:pg30).

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ALL PERMISSABLE WAYS ACCORDING TO THE FUQAHA DURING
PERPETUAL TWILIGHT:

Aqrabul-Ayyam:
In these countries calculate the time for Subh-Sadiq in the last days when it is
possible determine Subh-Sadiq, and use this time for the days in which it is not
entirely possible to determine Subh-Sadiq. For example at 54-degree latitude the time
for Subh-Sadiq is at 01:21 (12th of May), therefore this time should be used between
13th of May and 01st of August, perpetually.

Nisful-Lail:
Record the time for sunset and sunrise and divide this time into two, the first half
would be considered night and the other half as the morning. For example at 54-
degree latitude sunset is at 21:43 (21st of June) and sunrise is at 04:31 (21st of June),
therefore Subh-Sadiq will be considered at 01:07.

Aqrabul-Bilad:
The times from the nearest areas where it is possible to calculate the Subh-Sadiq
times should be used, or determine that in these areas which part of the night
constitutes Subh-Sadiq, i.e. fifth, seventh etc. and the same calculation should be used
for determining the Subh-Sadiq (Ahsanul Fatawa: Vol2:pg114)

Saba’ul-Lail:
The time between the sunset and the sunrise should be divided into seven parts. The
commencement of the seventh part should be considered Subh-Sadiq.

Combing Maghrib and Esha:

During the months where the twilight doesn’t disappear from the skies or disappears
extremely late “Al-Majlis al Arobi Lil-Ifta wal Bahoos (European Council of Fatwa
and discussion)” considers it authentic to combine the Maghrib and Esha prayers.
This resolution was unanimously accepted in the third annual meeting at Col’oun
(Germany) from the 19th to the 21st of May 1999.
Even though in the Madhab of Imam Abu Haneefa (RA) it is not permissible to
combine prayers apart from combining them during Muzdalifa, however according to
Hanafi scholars such as Allama Zafar Ahmad Usmani (RA) consider it permissible to
perform the taqleed of another Imam at the time of necessity.
(Ailaus-Sunnan pg 86/vol 2)

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UNANIMOUS OPINION OF THE ULAMA OF INDIA AND UNITED KINGDOM:

Alhum do lillah today on the 9th of June 1982 (16th of Sha’ban 1406) Wednesday a
conference regarding the correct times for Subh-Sadiq and Esha was held at the Saville
Grove Masjid (Dewsbury) presided over by Hazrat Maulana Ismael Cacholwi. The
unanimous conclusions reached at the meeting (after much deliberation and pondering)
by the leading scholars of both India and the United Kingdom are summarized as follows:

1) During the days (in the United Kingdom) when Shafaq-e-Abyadh (whiteness after
the redness in the sky has disappeared) doesn’t disappear one hour after Maghrib
will be considered to be the start time for Esha. Because one hour is
approximately the 7th part of the night (in summer).
2) Similarly in those days one hour and fifteen minutes prior to sunrise will be
considered as Subh-Sadiq (for Fajar and Sehri purposes etc.)
3) In all other days when the sun does go below 18 degrees, this angle will be
considered as Subh-Sadiq for prayers and fasting etc.

Signatories to the above conclusions:

1) Hazrat Maulana Ismael Cacholwi (Mufti Jamia Islamia Dhabail India)

2) Hazrat Maulana Yusuf Sacha (Mufti Batley)
3) Hazrat Maulana Shabeer Ahmad (Mufti Darul-uloom Bury)
4) Hazrat Maulana Islam-ul-Haq (Shaikhul-Hadeeth Darul-uloom Bury)
5) Hazrat Maulana Abrar Ahmad (Ustadh-e-Hadeeth Falh’-e-Darain Tarkesar India)
6) Hazrat Maulana Mohammad Hashim (Ustadh-e-Hadeeth Darul-uloom Bury)
7) Hazrat Maulana Lutfur Rahman (Khateeb Jamia Masjid Bradford)
8) Hazrat Maulana Faiz Ali Shah (Khateeb Zakaria Masjid Bolton)
9) Hazrat Maulana Abdur Rasheed Rabbani (Khateeb Masjid Town Centre
Dewsbury)
10) Hazrat Maulana Abu Bak’r Saeed (Ustadh Darul-uloom Bury)
11) Hazrat Maulana Qari Ismael (Ustadh-e-Tajweed Darul-uloom Bury)
12) Hazrat Maulana Umarji Muhammad (Ustadh Darul-uloom Bury)
13) Hazrat Maulana Yusuf Mamoon (Khateeb Masjid Ashrafiyya Bolton)
14) Hazrat Maulana Yaqoob Ismael Patel Kawi (Blackburn)
15) Hazrat Maulana Yaqoob Achodi (Khateeb Jamia Masjid Preston)
16) Hazrat Maulana Ismael Sulaiman (Khateeb Masjid Quwatul-Islam Preston)
17) Hazrat Maulana Abdul Awwal (Khateeb Masjid Farooq Walsall)
18) Hazrat Maulana Abdur Rauf Soofi (Khateeb Jamia Masjid Batley)
19) Hazrat Maulana Yusuf Mama (Muhtamim Makatib Batley)
20) Hazrat Maulana Moosa Karmadi (Dewsbury)
21) Hazrat Maulana Sulaiman Bodiat (Khateeb Medina Masjid Batley)
22) Hazrat Maulana Ghulam Rasool Mulla (Blackburn)
23) Hazrat Maulana Muhammad Abdul Kareem Gora (Leicester)
24) Hazrat Maulana Abdul Ghani Cachowi (Leicester)
25) Hazrat Maulana Ghulam Muhammad Ghee Wala (Leicester)

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26) Hazrat Maulana Ghulam Muhammad Dewan Qaasim (Leicester)
27) Hazrat Maulana Abdur Razzaq (Burnley)
28) Hazrat Maulana Ismael Kantharwi (RA) (London)
29) Hazrat Maulana Abdullah Wehalo (Ustadh Darul-uloom Bury)
30) Hazrat Maulana Usman (Nuneaton)
31) Hazrat Maulana Yaqoob Ibraheem Shaikh (Preston)
32) Hazrat Maulana Abul Qaasim (Khateeb Masjid-e-Umar Dewsbury)
33) Hazrat Maulana Da’ud Lambada (Khateeb Masjid-e-Zakaria Dewsbury)
34) Hazrat Maulana Ismael Cheena (Batley)
35) Hazrat Maulana Ibraheem Noosarika (Batley)
36) Hazrat Maulana Abdul Hayy Sarkar (Batley)
37) Hazrat Maulana Ismael Mumniyat (Batley)
38) Hazrat Maulana Yusuf Patel Kuflethwi (Dewsbury)
39) Hazrat Maulana Yusuf Kothi (London)
40) Hazrat Maulana Yaqoob Ismael Qasmi (Author of the book “Subh Saadiq wa
Shafaq ki Tahqeeq”)

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WARNING:

This document is by now means the end of the debate on this subject; rather it has
been designed to provide basic understanding of the issue at hand and its
implications. Please use it as a guide but all are requested to consult the Ulama on this
subject.

This document draws heavily from Hazrat Maulana Yaqoob Isamel Qasmi book
“Subh Saadiq wa Shafaq ki Tahqeeq”. Maulana has done tremendous amounts of
research on this subject and his book is indispensable for those who seek the truth and
attempt to practice it.

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