Asr time: what it is and how it is calculated
The short answer
Asr is measured by shadow length, not by an angle. With the 1× measure, Asr begins when an object’s shadow has grown by its own length beyond its noon shadow. With the 2× measure, it waits until the shadow has grown by twice the length. The 2× measure always gives a later Asr, by an amount that changes with place and season. When two apps differ a lot at Asr, the measure is almost always the reason.
What is Asr time?
A stick casts its shortest shadow at Dhuhr. Through the afternoon the shadow grows. Sahaar uses two definitions:
- 1× shadow: when a stick’s shadow reaches its noon shadow plus its own length.
- 2× shadow: when a stick’s shadow reaches its noon shadow plus twice its length.
Asr’s window runs until Maghrib.
How is Asr calculated?
From the shadow rule, the calculation works out how high the sun stands when the shadow reaches that length on your date and at your latitude, then finds when the afternoon sun comes down to that height. No authority picks an angle here, so every method gives the same Asr for the same measure, apart from a few minutes that some method profiles add.
How much later the 2× measure falls depends on latitude and season, so no single figure holds everywhere.
Which measure does Sahaar suggest where?
Sahaar suggests a measure from your country. The table follows what the authorities in each region publish:
| Region | Measure |
|---|---|
| Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Afghanistan | 2× shadow |
| Central Asia, Russia, Azerbaijan | 2× shadow |
| United Kingdom | 2× shadow |
| South Africa | 2× shadow |
| Türkiye and Northern Cyprus | 1× shadow |
| Saudi Arabia, the Gulf states, Egypt, the Levant, Iraq, North Africa | 1× shadow |
| Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia | 1× shadow |
| United States, Canada, continental Europe | 1× shadow |
| Other countries | 1× shadow |
You can change it under Settings › Prayer time calculation › Asr, where the two options read “Standard (1× shadow)” and “Hanafi (2× shadow)”. With the Türkiye method there is no such row: Diyanet’s timetable bases Asr on the 1× shadow, and Sahaar follows it.
Why does Asr differ between apps?
- The measure. By far the largest cause. Check which measure each app uses before anything else.
- Profile minutes. A few methods add minutes to Asr.
- Location and clock. The same causes as for every other prayer.
More in Why prayer times differ between apps.
Asr times in your city
Every English city page lists Asr by both measures side by side, with ★ on the one Sahaar suggests for that country: London, Cape Town, Kuala Lumpur, New York City, Toronto, Dublin. Every country Sahaar covers is listed on Prayer times by country.
More on prayer times
- Fajr time explained
- Dhuhr time explained
- Maghrib time explained
- Isha time explained
- Why prayer times differ between apps
In Sahaar, Settings › Info › How prayer times are set shows each time’s definition, the angle used today for your location and where the sun actually is at that moment. Get Sahaar on the App Store