Maghrib time: what it is and how it is calculated
The short answer
Maghrib begins at sunset, when the upper edge of the sun goes below the horizon. Almost every method uses the same sunset, so Maghrib differs less between apps than Fajr or Isha. What does vary is a precaution of a few minutes that some authorities add after sunset. Sahaar applies it where the method or the country’s timetables include it.
What is Maghrib time?
Sahaar defines Maghrib as the moment the upper edge of the sun sets below the horizon. Its window runs until Isha. In Ramadan, Maghrib is also the time of iftar.
How is sunset calculated?
The calculation follows the sun’s upper edge, not its centre, and allows for the way the atmosphere bends light, which keeps the sun in view a little after it has geometrically set. It assumes a flat horizon at sea level: from a hill or a high floor the sun stays visible a little longer. One method works differently: Tehran sets Maghrib when the sun is 4.5° below the horizon, not at sunset.
Minutes added after sunset
Some method profiles, and some countries’ timetables, add a margin after sunset:
| Method or country | Added |
|---|---|
| Dubai method | +3 min |
| Moonsighting Committee method | +3 min |
| Indonesia (Kemenag) method | +2 min |
| Morocco | +5 min |
| Oman | +6 min |
| Algeria | +4 min |
| South Africa | +3 min |
| Qatar | +2 min |
The Türkiye method also adds a few minutes of temkin to match Diyanet’s calendar. The country minutes apply only with the method Sahaar suggests for that country; if you choose a different method, they are dropped.
Why does Maghrib differ between apps?
- The precaution. Two or three minutes in one app, none in another.
- Location. Sunset moves with longitude, four minutes per degree.
- The horizon. Calculated sunset assumes a flat horizon; mountains to the west hide the sun earlier.
- The clock. A device clock set by hand moves every prayer.
More in Why prayer times differ between apps.
Maghrib times in your city
City pages show this month’s Maghrib for each city: London, New York City, Johannesburg, Dublin, Sydney, Kuala Lumpur. Every country Sahaar covers is listed on Prayer times by country.
More on prayer times
- Fajr time explained
- Dhuhr time explained
- Asr time explained
- Isha time explained
- How many rak‘ahs is each prayer?
- 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