Why the difference in the times of Iftar and Sehr throughout the world.
Why there are so many different opinions about starting and ending date of Ramadan. The Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar, and months begin when the first crescent of a new moon is sighted. Since the Islamic lunar calendar year is 11 to 12 days shorter than the solar year and contains no intercalation, Ramadan migrates throughout the seasons.
Many insist on the local physical sighting of the moon to mark the beginning of Ramadan, but others use the calculated time of the new moon or the Saudi Arabian declaration to determine the start of the month. Since the new moon is not in the same state at the same time globally, the beginning and ending dates of Ramadan depend on what lunar sightings are received in each respective location. As a result, Ramadan dates vary in different countries, but usually only by a day. This is due to the cycle of the moon. The moon travels the same path all year round and when the moon is seen in the east, it is then seen traveling towards the west. All the countries around the world see the moon within a 24 hour period once spotted by one country in the east.
Differing Prayer times..
There is consensus among all schools of thought (Jafari, Shafii, Hanbali, Hanafi), with the exception of the Maliki, that the time for the morning prayer begins at day-break (al Fajr al-Sadiq) and lasts until sunrise.
Here is a more detailed definition of the time of the Fajr prayer: "Just before dawn a column of whiteness rises upwards from the east. It is called the first dawn. When this whiteness spreads, it is called the second dawn (the true dawn or al Fajr al-Sadiq), and the prime time for Fajr prayers. The time for the Fajr prayer lasts till sunrise."
Why do different prayer time tables have different times for the Fajr prayer?
The differences in the prayer time tables for the Fajr prayer are NOT due to differences in the fiqh of madhib, rather they are due to the use of different parameters to calculate the time of the true dawn.
There are different opinions on what angle to use to calculate the time of Fajr. The angles that are commonly used in Muslim communities have been approved by Muslim scholars based on their local observation.
The first person who suggested using these angles for computing Fajr and Isha times was Abu-Reyhan Biruni, who suggested using between 15-18 degrees for computing Fajr and 16-18 degrees for computing Isha. Thus far, nobody has been able to come up with a universal angle that works for all locations around the world. For example, the well-known Muslim associations of the US and Europe, ISNA and MWL, are using angles of 15 and 18 degrees respectively for computing Fajr. It is mainly the calculation parameters that are different among Muslims not the fiqh of different madahib. The best way to confirm calculated prayer times is to determine the proper angles by observation.
What to do as a precaution?
As a precaution, you may stop eating some time before the Fajr prayer and pray some time after it.
The following shows several conventions for calculating Fajr currently in use in various countries:
Convention Fajr Angle
Shia Ithna Ashari (Jafari) 16
University of Islamic Sciences, Karachi 18
Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) 15
Muslim World League (MWL) 18
Umm al-Qura, Makkah 19
Egyptian General Authority of Survey 19.5
Hence the reason for the differences in the timings of Iftar and Sehr in the UK.. with such a diverse population Muslims follow many differing conventions.. therefore it is best to stick with the Timetable used by your local Masjeed .. inshAllah .
Many insist on the local physical sighting of the moon to mark the beginning of Ramadan, but others use the calculated time of the new moon or the Saudi Arabian declaration to determine the start of the month. Since the new moon is not in the same state at the same time globally, the beginning and ending dates of Ramadan depend on what lunar sightings are received in each respective location. As a result, Ramadan dates vary in different countries, but usually only by a day. This is due to the cycle of the moon. The moon travels the same path all year round and when the moon is seen in the east, it is then seen traveling towards the west. All the countries around the world see the moon within a 24 hour period once spotted by one country in the east.
Differing Prayer times..
There is consensus among all schools of thought (Jafari, Shafii, Hanbali, Hanafi), with the exception of the Maliki, that the time for the morning prayer begins at day-break (al Fajr al-Sadiq) and lasts until sunrise.
Here is a more detailed definition of the time of the Fajr prayer: "Just before dawn a column of whiteness rises upwards from the east. It is called the first dawn. When this whiteness spreads, it is called the second dawn (the true dawn or al Fajr al-Sadiq), and the prime time for Fajr prayers. The time for the Fajr prayer lasts till sunrise."
Why do different prayer time tables have different times for the Fajr prayer?
The differences in the prayer time tables for the Fajr prayer are NOT due to differences in the fiqh of madhib, rather they are due to the use of different parameters to calculate the time of the true dawn.
There are different opinions on what angle to use to calculate the time of Fajr. The angles that are commonly used in Muslim communities have been approved by Muslim scholars based on their local observation.
The first person who suggested using these angles for computing Fajr and Isha times was Abu-Reyhan Biruni, who suggested using between 15-18 degrees for computing Fajr and 16-18 degrees for computing Isha. Thus far, nobody has been able to come up with a universal angle that works for all locations around the world. For example, the well-known Muslim associations of the US and Europe, ISNA and MWL, are using angles of 15 and 18 degrees respectively for computing Fajr. It is mainly the calculation parameters that are different among Muslims not the fiqh of different madahib. The best way to confirm calculated prayer times is to determine the proper angles by observation.
What to do as a precaution?
As a precaution, you may stop eating some time before the Fajr prayer and pray some time after it.
The following shows several conventions for calculating Fajr currently in use in various countries:
Convention Fajr Angle
Shia Ithna Ashari (Jafari) 16
University of Islamic Sciences, Karachi 18
Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) 15
Muslim World League (MWL) 18
Umm al-Qura, Makkah 19
Egyptian General Authority of Survey 19.5
Hence the reason for the differences in the timings of Iftar and Sehr in the UK.. with such a diverse population Muslims follow many differing conventions.. therefore it is best to stick with the Timetable used by your local Masjeed .. inshAllah .