Title

Ours is a small community located about 30 miles North of Seattle, Washington, U.S.A. Alhamdulillah we have a Masjid and a handful of people come to the Masjid

Question

Ours is a small community located about 30 miles North of Seattle, Washington, U.S.A. Alhamdulillah we have a Masjid and a handful of people come to the Masjid for almost all the prayers. We needed some guidance as to what is the correct method for calculating the salat-ul-Isha beginning time especially in summer. During the month of June if we calculate prayer times going with 18 degrees twilight angle, the prayer times reach around 1220 am (20 mins after midnight) for Isha and if we take 15 degrees as the basis for calculation Isha start time will be around 1124 pm. Under these circumstances are we allowed to go for 15 degrees for calculating Isha? We know that it is better to calculate using the 18 degree method but it would be very difficult for a congregational prayer. Some brothers are of the opinion of calculating the isha prayer times by adding 1.5hrs from Magrib time and not go by any degree calculation. Please guide taking all the 4 schools of thought into consideration. I am a hanafi. I never had any doubt on your fatwas before however there are some brothers who I am sure will ask for daleel for your reply. Please help us out.

Answer

In the name of Allāh, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Assalāmu ῾alaykum wa Rahmatullāhi Wabarakātuh

We take note of the contents of your email. A similar query with regards to Esha times in Canada has been adequately addressed by Mufti Ehzaz Ajmeri Saheb. The same ruling will apply to your city as well. We have hereunder attached his research.

And Allāh Ta῾āla Knows Best
Wassalāmu ῾alaykum 

Ml. Luqman Hansrot,
Student Dārul Iftā

Differences regarding the commencing time of Isha Salah

1. Isha time sets in with the disappearing of al-Shafaq al-Abyadh (whiteness in the sky).  This is the view adopted by Imam Abu Hanifa Rahmatullahi Allai.

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1. Isha times sets in with the disappearing of al-Shafaq al-Ahmar (redness in the sky).  This is the view adopted by Saahibain (the two students of Imam Abu Hanifa Rahmatullahi Allai); Imam Abu Yusuf Rahmatullahi Allai and Imam Muhammad Rahmatullahi Allai, Imam al-Shaf’ee Rahmatullahi Allai, Imam Malik Rahmatullahi Allai and Imam Ahmed bin Hanbal Rahmatullahi Allai.  This is also one narration of Imam Abu Hanifa Rahmatullahi Allai.

(Badai al-Sanai 1:320 Dar al-Kitab)

The difference between the two Shafaqs.

The difference between al-Shafaq al-Abyadh and al-Shafaq al-Ahmar is of 3 degrees.

(Rad al_Muhtar 1:361 H.M. Saeed Company)

Fataawa pertaining to the commencing of Isha time.

Amongst our Ulama there have been two views regarding the commencing time for Isha Salaah.

1. Mufti Muhammed Shaf’ee Rahmatullahi Allai, Maulana Yusuf Benori Rahmatullahi Allai, and majority of the Ulema of the Indian Subcontinent are of the view that al-Shafaq al-Ahmar disappears when the sun is 15 degrees below the horizon and al-Shafaq al-Abyadh disappears when the sun is 18 degrees below the horizon.  They have conducted months of research checking the times to when the two Shafaqs disappear.  After their research they came to following conclusion.

1. Mufti Rasheed Ahmed Ludhyanwi Rahmatullahi Allai concluded that al-Shafaq al-Ahmar disappears on the sun being 12 degrees below the horizon and al-Shafaq al-Abyadh disappears on the sun being 15 degrees below the horizon.  He has also done an extended research which can be found in Ahsan Al-Fatwa Vol. 2 Pg. 157.  (Mufti Shaf’ee Rahmatullahi Allai and Maulana Yusuf benori Rahmatullahi Allai were also of this view but after continuing their research they retracted from this view.)

Since most of the Ulama take Mufti Shaf’ee Saheb Rahmatullahi Allai’s view and accept his fatwa, it will be cautious for the people in your community to also adopt this fatwa.

As stated before that there are differences of opinion between Imam Abu Hanifa Rahmatullahi Allai and his two students Imam Abu Yusuf Rahmatullahi Allai and Imam Muhammad Rahmatullahi Allai regarding the commencing time for Isha Salah and the disappearing of the redness or the whiteness in the sky.

Many jurists have stated that the view of Imam Abu Yusuf Rahmatullahi Allai and Imam Muhammed Rahmatullahi Allai is the view upon which Fatwa is given.  From amongst them are:

• Allamah Siraj al-Deen Ibn Nujaim in al-Nahr al-Fa’iq
• Mulla Ali Qari in Fath Baab al-‘Inayah
• Allamah Qahastani in Jam’e al-Rumooz
• Alamah Shurabulali in Mara’iq al-Falah
• Mulla Khusar in Durrar al-Ahkam

Many Jurists have refuted this and have stated that the fatwa is on Imam Abu Hanifa Rahmatullahi Allai view.  From amongst them are:

• Allamah Ibn Humam in Fath al-Qadir
• Allamah Qasim ibn al-Qutlubuga in al-Tasheeh wa al-Tarjeeh ala Muktasar al-Qudoori
• Allamah Zain al-Deen Ibn Nujaim in al-Barh al-Ra’iq
• Allamah Fakr al-Deen al-Zaila’ee in Tabyeen al-Haqa’iq
• Allamah Tahtawi in his Hashiya on Dar al-Muktar as well as in his Hashiya on Mara’iq al-Falah

To practice on the view of Imam Abu Hanifa Rahmatullahi Allai is safer since everyone unanimously agree upon the permissibility of Isha after the whiteness in the sky has disappeared.  Also according to the principle of Fiqh, in normal circumstances fatwa should be giving on Imam Abu Hanifa’s view (see Hashiya of Tahtawi on Dar al-Muktar).

However, in some parts of North America, the whiteness in the sky remains till late in the night, e.g. around 11 o’ clock in the summer days.  It becomes very difficult for normal working people to stay up so late for Isha and then wake up early for Fajr and work.  For these reason it will be permissible to act upon the view of Imam Abu Yusuf Rahmatullahi Allai and Imam Muhammad Rahmatullahi Allai (the sun being 15 degrees below the horizon).

But this should only be done in the days of summer.  In winter there is no real difficultly.  Isha should be read on its normal 18 degree time as is the view of Imam Abu Hanifa Rahmatullahi Allai.

(Fatawa Uthmani of Mufti Taqi Utamani v. 1 p. 390)

(Nawadir al-Faqh of Mufti Rafi Uthmani v.1 p. 218)

And Allāh Ta῾āla Knows Best
Wassalāmu ῾alaykum

Mufti  Ehzaz Ajmeri, (Chicago, US)
Checked and Approved by:

Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Dārul Iftā