Qatar Prayer Times! مواقيت الصلاة لدولة قطر

 

Welcome to your essential daily guide for Qatar prayer times. For Muslims living in this vibrant nation, observing the five daily prayers (Salat) is a cornerstone of faith and a source of profound spiritual connection. This tool provides a simple, clean, and highly accurate resource for the daily Qatar namaz time, ensuring you never miss a prayer. Whether you’re searching for the exact Doha Fajr time to begin your day with devotion or the precise Qatar Maghrib time to break your fast, you’ll find it here with our helpful live Qatar prayer time countdown.

Our Salat and Prayer web app is meticulously designed to be fast, reliable, and user-friendly, focusing on delivering the vital information you need without clutter. We proudly cover all major cities, so whether you need the Al Wakrah prayer time, timings for Al Rayyan, or the schedule for Mesaieed, you are covered. This is more than just a timetable; it’s a dedicated companion to help you stay connected to your faith throughout your busy day in Qatar.

Guide to Prayer Time Calculations

Required Input Parameters

Geographic Coordinates

• Latitude (L): Angular distance north (+) or south (-) of the equator, in degrees (-90° to +90°)
• Longitude (λ): Angular distance east (+) or west (-) of the Prime Meridian, in degrees (-180° to +180°)
• Altitude: Elevation above sea level in meters (affects atmospheric refraction)
• Time Zone: Hours offset from UTC (e.g., UTC+5 = 5)

Calculation Method Parameters

Different Islamic authorities use varying angles for Fajr and Isha:

Method	Fajr Angle	Isha Angle
Muslim World League	18°	17°
Islamic Society of North America	15°	15°
Egyptian General Authority	19.5°	17.5°
Umm al-Qura (Makkah)	18.5°	90 min after Maghrib
University of Islamic Sciences, Karachi	18°	18°

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Step 1: Julian Date Calculation

The Julian Date system provides a continuous count of days since a fixed epoch, essential for astronomical calculations.

Julian Day Number (JD)

For a Gregorian calendar date (Year Y, Month M, Day D):

Where:

• UT = Universal Time in decimal hours (e.g., 14:30 = 14.5)
• ⌊ ⌋ denotes the floor function (round down to nearest integer)

Days Since J2000.0 Epoch

The J2000.0 epoch (noon on January 1, 2000) is the standard reference point for modern astronomical calculations.

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Step 2: Solar Position Calculations

Mean Anomaly (g)

The mean anomaly describes the sun’s position along its elliptical orbit:

Reduce to range [0°, 360°): $$g = g \bmod 360$$

Mean Longitude (q)

The mean longitude is the sun’s average geometric position:

Reduce to range [0°, 360°): $$q = q \bmod 360$$

Equation of Center

The equation of center corrects for Earth’s elliptical orbit:

True Longitude (L)

Reduce to range [0°, 360°): $$L = L \bmod 360$$

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Step 3: Solar Declination and Equation of Time

Obliquity of the Ecliptic (ε)

The tilt of Earth’s axis changes slowly over time:

Solar Declination (δ)

The declination is the sun’s angular distance from the celestial equator:

This ranges from approximately -23.44° (winter solstice) to +23.44° (summer solstice).

Right Ascension (RA)

First, calculate intermediate values:

Convert RA to hours: $$\text{RA}_h = \frac{\text{RA}}{15}$$

Equation of Time (EqT)

Normalize to range [-12h, +12h]:

• If EqT > 12, subtract 24
• If EqT < -12, add 24

The Equation of Time accounts for two effects:

1. Earth’s elliptical orbit (varying orbital speed)
2. Earth’s axial tilt (obliquity of the ecliptic)

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Step 4: Dhuhr (Solar Noon)

Dhuhr occurs when the sun crosses the local meridian (reaches its highest point):

Where:

• 12 = solar noon in UTC
• TimeZone = offset from UTC in hours
• λ/15 = longitude correction (15° = 1 hour)
• EqT = equation of time correction

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Step 5: Hour Angle Calculation

The hour angle represents the angular distance of the sun east or west of the local meridian.

General Hour Angle Formula

For a sun altitude angle A:

Validity Check

The value inside the cosine must be in range [-1, 1]:

• If cos(H) < -1: The sun never reaches this altitude (perpetual day at this angle)
• If cos(H) > 1: The sun is always above this altitude (perpetual night at this angle)

Time Conversion

Convert hour angle from degrees to hours:

(Since Earth rotates 15° per hour)

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Step 6: Sunrise and Sunset

Standard Solar Disk Model

The sun’s apparent angular diameter is approximately 0.53°. At sunrise/sunset, the sun’s upper limb touches the horizon.

Atmospheric Refraction

Light bends as it passes through Earth’s atmosphere, making the sun appear ~0.57° higher than its geometric position at the horizon.

Altitude Adjustment for Elevation

For observers at altitude h (in meters), the geometric horizon is depressed by:

Adjusted angle: $$A = -0.833 + \text{dip}_{\text{degrees}}$$

Calculation

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Step 7: Fajr (Dawn)

Fajr begins when the sky starts to lighten, before sunrise.

Definition

Fajr is defined by the sun being a specific angle F below the eastern horizon, depending on the calculation method.

Calculation

Method-Specific Angles

• 18°: Used by Muslim World League, ISNA uses 15°
• The larger the angle, the earlier Fajr begins
• At equator during equinox: 18° ≈ 1 hour 12 minutes before sunrise

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Step 8: Maghrib (Sunset)

Standard Calculation

Maghrib is typically observed immediately at sunset:

Method Variations

Some authorities add a safety margin:

• Standard: 0 minutes after sunset
• Shia tradition: Often adds 4-5 minutes
• This accounts for uncertainty in horizon visibility and atmospheric conditions

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Step 9: Isha (Night)

Isha begins when the red twilight disappears from the western sky.

Angular Definition

Where I is the Isha angle for your chosen method.

Time-Based Methods

Some methods define Isha as a fixed time after Maghrib:

• Umm al-Qura: 90 minutes after Maghrib during Ramadan, 120 minutes otherwise
• Fixed interval methods: Useful at high latitudes where angle-based calculation fails

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Step 10: Asr (Afternoon)

Asr is uniquely defined by shadow length rather than a fixed solar angle.

Shadow-Based Definition

An object casts a shadow that changes length throughout the day. Asr begins when:

Where:

• Shafi’i, Maliki, Hanbali schools: s = 1
• Hanafi school: s = 2

Deriving the Solar Altitude

The noon shadow length is: $$\text{Noon shadow} = \tan(|L – \delta|)$$

Total shadow length at Asr: $$\text{Total shadow} = s + \tan(|L – \delta|)$$

The sun’s altitude at Asr:

Or equivalently:

Hour Angle for Asr

Understanding the Shadow Factor

• When the sun is directly overhead (L = δ), the noon shadow is zero
• At Asr, Shafi’i method: shadow = 1 × object height
• At Asr, Hanafi method: shadow = 2 × object height
• Hanafi Asr is always later than Shafi’i Asr

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Step 11: High Latitude Adjustments

The Problem

At latitudes above approximately 48°, during certain times of year:

• The sun may not descend to the Fajr angle (perpetual twilight)
• The sun may not descend to the Isha angle
• Standard formulas become invalid (cos(H) outside [-1, 1] range)

Detection

Calculate cos(H) for Fajr and Isha. If:

• cos(H) < -1: The sun never reaches this depth (white nights)
• cos(H) > 1: The sun never rises above this depth

Alternative Methods

1. Angle-Based Method

Reduce the angle until a valid time is found:

• Gradually decrease Fajr/Isha angles until |cos(H)| ≤ 1

2. Middle of the Night Method

Divide the night into portions:

3. One-Seventh Rule

4. Nearest Latitude Method

Use times calculated for the nearest latitude where standard calculations work (typically 48°).

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Complete Algorithm Summary

1. Input: Date, Time, Latitude (L), Longitude (λ), Timezone, Altitude
2. Calculate Julian Date (JD) and days since epoch (d)
3. Calculate mean anomaly (g) and mean longitude (q)
4. Calculate true longitude (L) using equation of center
5. Calculate obliquity (ε)
6. Calculate solar declination (δ)
7. Calculate right ascension (RA) and equation of time (EqT)
8. Calculate Dhuhr = 12 + TZ - λ/15 - EqT
9. For each prayer (Fajr, Sunrise, Asr, Sunset, Isha):
   a. Determine appropriate altitude angle (A)
   b. Calculate hour angle: cos(H) = [-sin(A) - sin(L)×sin(δ)] / [cos(L)×cos(δ)]
   c. Check validity: is |cos(H)| ≤ 1?
   d. If valid: H = arccos(cos(H))
   e. Calculate time: Prayer = Dhuhr ± H/15
   f. If invalid: Apply high-latitude method
10. Adjust all times for daylight saving if applicable
11. Convert decimal hours to HH:MM format

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Practical Considerations

Precision Requirements

• Use double-precision floating-point arithmetic
• Angles should be calculated to at least 6 decimal places
• Final times can be rounded to the nearest minute

Daylight Saving Time

Always calculate in standard time, then adjust for DST if applicable in your region.

Time Format Conversion

Convert decimal hours to HH:MM:SS:

Hours = floor(decimal_time)
Minutes = floor((decimal_time - Hours) × 60)
Seconds = ((decimal_time - Hours) × 60 - Minutes) × 60

Testing and Validation

Compare your calculations against:

• IslamicFinder.org
• Prayer Times by Athan Services
• Local mosque timetables

Expected accuracy: ±1-2 minutes for most locations.

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Example Calculation