Fatwa UOIF

Fatwa UOIF: The Degree for Determining the Time of Isha and Subh

The issue of prayer times, especially the evening and morning prayers, has been raised in Europe for over thirty years, since the Muslim community settled here. Numerous conferences bringing together jurists and astronomers have been held to find a solution to this prayer time problem, including the congress at the IESH in Château Chinon, organized by the UOIF in 1994.

In addition to various Muslim associations and organizations such as the Paris Mosque, the Federation of Muslims in France, and the representative of the Muslim World League in Paris, esteemed scholars such as Yusuf al-Qaradawi, Abdallah bin Bayyah, Issam el-Bashir, and Ajeel al-Nashmi, a former dean of the Faculty of Islamic Sciences in Kuwait and member of the Supreme Jurisprudence Committee, were also invited to this event.

Also present were Nasser al-Maimani, professor at Umm al-Qura University in Mecca, Dr. Malik al-Shaar, Mufti of Tripoli in Lebanon, and Sheikh Faysal Mawlawi, a judge in Beirut and Vice President of the European Council for Fatwa and Research. May God have mercy on him; he was the initiator of the reflections on this famous 12th degree.

Outstanding astronomers and physicists were also invited to this conference, including Dr. Muhammad Hawari and Dr. Abdelkarim Ruzloune.

After a full day of reflection and deliberation between jurists and astronomers, the majority adopted the opinion referring to the 12th degree to calculate the prayer times. This was done for the following reasons:

The determination of prayer times in the absence of natural signs is a matter of ijtihad, as no sacred texts explicitly mention it, which prevents a definitive decision on this issue.

Taking the 12th degree into account leads to stability in calculations throughout the year, including the summer period, during which the legal sign, the visibility of the sun's disk, is not absent. In contrast, those who use the 18th degree must resort to lower degrees (15th, 16th, 17th degree) depending on the time of year to adjust the calculations.

Establishing the 12th degree as a reference makes it easier for believers to perform their worship, as they gain an hour or even more of additional rest time. This is important because the calculation based on the 18th degree leads to a half-hour delay for Isha (the prayer then takes place after midnight), and the time for the morning prayer is also brought forward by 30 minutes, which poses a great burden on the community. However, the religion has the principle of reducing hardship and lightening burdens. Allah, may His name be praised, says: "He has not laid upon you in religion any hardship." (Surah Al-Hijr, Verse 78.)

During its 12th congress, held in Dublin from the 6th to the 16th of Dhu al-Qi'dah 1424 (December 31 - January 4, 2004), the European Council for Fatwa and Research passed Resolution 2/12, which confirmed the 6th Resolution of the Jurisprudence Committee of the Muslim World League. The latter had adopted the 18th degree and stated: "Since this issue is open to ijtihad and no text provides a definitive answer to it, the Council does not object to the adoption of different assessments originating from other Islamic organizations specializing in fatwas. This also applies to the establishment of the 12th degree at sunset or the determination of one hour and 30 minutes between Maghrib and Isha or between Fajr and sunrise."

It is important to clarify this issue for our Muslim brothers and sisters, especially with the beginning of the blessed month of Ramadan, so that they can fast and pray while being certain that they are fulfilling their duties at the right time. They should also know that these questions of ijtihad are indeed sources of flexibility in practice and of mercy towards the believers.

The experts in Islamic sciences have the right and the duty to conduct research on speculative questions based on arguments and rules of traditional ijtihad recognized by scholars. Therefore, anyone who follows the advice of the competent bodies for fatwa will be better able to perform valid and correct worship, God willing.

Since its foundation, the UOIF has adopted the view of the 12th degree out of conviction, based on studies from various conferences it initiated, as well as on scientific arguments, balance, fairness, and the facilitation that results from its application.

The UOIF considers these timetables to be the best and most appropriate for Muslims in France, without diminishing the other conclusions, and even explains the method for those who wish to use the 18th degree as the basis for calculation.

Dar al-Fatwa UOIF