Prayer Times in High Latitude Countries: A Practical Guide

The high latitude problem

If you live in a city like Copenhagen, Stockholm, London, Berlin, or northern Canada, you have probably noticed something strange with prayer times during summer. Fajr can be incredibly early, sometimes around 1:00 or 2:00 AM, and Isha can be very late, around 11:00 PM or even later.

In extreme cases, at latitudes above 48 degrees, there are periods in summer where the sun never dips far enough below the horizon for true astronomical twilight to end. This means that according to standard calculations, Isha never begins and Fajr never ends. The two prayers effectively overlap.

This is not a bug in the calculation. It is a real astronomical phenomenon. But it creates a practical problem: how do you pray Fajr and Isha when the standard rules produce impossible or impractical times?

Why this happens

Prayer times for Fajr and Isha are based on the sun's angle below the horizon:

• Fajr begins when the sun is between 15 and 19.5 degrees below the horizon (depending on your calculation method)
• Isha begins when the sun reaches a similar angle after sunset

Near the equator, the sun moves steeply below the horizon, reaching these angles quickly. But at high latitudes, especially during summer, the sun moves at a shallow angle. It might only dip 10 or 12 degrees below the horizon before rising again, never reaching the 15 to 18 degree threshold.

The three common solutions

Islamic scholars have proposed several methods for handling this situation. The three most widely used are:

Middle of the Night

This method divides the night (sunset to sunrise) into two halves. Isha is set at the midpoint, and Fajr is calculated as a portion of the second half.

How it works: If sunset is at 9:30 PM and sunrise is at 3:30 AM, the night is 6 hours long. The midpoint is 12:30 AM, so Isha would be around 12:30 AM and Fajr would be in the early morning hours.

Best for: Locations where twilight persists through the night in summer. This is the most conservative approach and is used by many European Islamic councils.

Seventh of the Night

This method takes one-seventh of the total night duration and uses it to calculate Isha and Fajr. Isha is set at the end of the first seventh of the night (after sunset), and Fajr begins at the start of the last seventh (before sunrise).

How it works: Using the same example (sunset 9:30 PM, sunrise 3:30 AM), one-seventh of 6 hours is about 51 minutes. So Isha would be at 10:21 PM and Fajr at 2:39 AM.

Best for: This method produces more moderate times and is based on a hadith about the Prophet (peace be upon him) delaying Isha until one-third of the night had passed.

Twilight Angle (Angle-Based)

This method uses the last day when the sun did reach the required angle (for example, 15 degrees for ISNA) and fixes Fajr and Isha at those times until the sun can reach the required angle again.

How it works: If the last normal Fajr was at 2:45 AM on June 1st, Fajr stays at 2:45 AM throughout the period when normal calculation is not possible.

Best for: Locations that are only borderline affected and want to maintain consistency with their standard calculation method.

Which method should you use?

There is no single "correct" answer. Different scholars and organizations recommend different approaches. Here are some guidelines:

• Follow your local mosque or Islamic council. If the Islamic council in your country has issued guidance, follow that. For example, many European councils recommend the Middle of the Night method.
• If your mosque has not specified: Middle of the Night is the most widely accepted and produces the most conservative times.
• Consider your community. If your congregation includes elderly people or workers with early shifts, a method that produces slightly later Fajr times (like Seventh of the Night) may be more practical.

Cities affected by this issue

Here are some major cities and the approximate period when high latitude rules apply:

• Reykjavik, Iceland (64 N): Mid-April to late August
• Stockholm, Sweden (59 N): Late May to mid-July
• Copenhagen, Denmark (55 N): Early June to early July
• Berlin, Germany (52 N): Mid-June to late June
• London, UK (51 N): A few days around the summer solstice
• Edmonton, Canada (53 N): Early June to early July
• Anchorage, Alaska (61 N): Mid-May to late July

If you live in any of these cities or at a similar latitude, you need to configure a high latitude rule for accurate summer prayer times.

Setting up high latitude rules in AzanCast

AzanCast supports all three high latitude methods. To configure yours:

1. Log in to your dashboard
2. Go to Settings
3. Under "High Latitude Rule," select your preferred method
4. Save your settings

AzanCast automatically detects when your location needs the high latitude adjustment and applies it only during the affected period. During the rest of the year, standard calculation is used.

For mosque admins, the same setting is available in the mosque admin dashboard. This ensures your display and any connected systems all use the same rule.

Living at high latitudes as a Muslim

High latitude prayer times can feel challenging, especially during summer when fasting hours are long and prayer times are unusual. Here are some practical tips:

• Use technology to your advantage. Let AzanCast handle the calculation so you do not have to look up times every day.
• Set up adhan on your Alexa. If Fajr is at 2:30 AM, having the adhan play automatically helps you wake up without setting manual alarms.
• Talk to your local imam. Many mosques in northern countries have specific guidance for their community that accounts for local conditions.
• Be patient with yourself. Scholars acknowledge the difficulty and there is flexibility in how these times are interpreted.

Get accurate prayer times for your location

Whether you are in Scandinavia, Northern Canada, or anywhere else at high latitude, AzanCast calculates your prayer times correctly. Sign up for free and hear the adhan at the right time, every day of the year.