Hanafi vs Shafi'i Asr Time: Why Asr Starts Later for Some
Of the five prayers, Asr is the one where a school of thought changes the start time itself. Almost every prayer app has a setting for it, usually labelled "Standard" and "Hanafi". This guide explains what the setting does.
Two ways to measure the shadow
Hadith literature describes Asr in terms of the length of an object's shadow. When the sun passes its highest point at noon, an upright stick still casts a small shadow, which is longer in winter than in summer and zero at some tropical latitudes on some days. Asr begins when the shadow grows beyond that noon shadow by a certain amount:
- Standard (Shafi'i, Maliki and Hanbali): Asr begins when the shadow equals the height of the object (a shadow ratio of 1), plus the noon shadow.
- Hanafi: Asr begins when the shadow is twice the height of the object (a ratio of 2), plus the noon shadow. This is the position of Imam Abu Hanifa, which is relied on in most Hanafi practice today.
Each school bases its view on its reading of the reports about the times of prayer. The disagreement is respected and long-standing, and followers of each school can pray at the time of their own.
How much later is Hanafi Asr?
The gap depends on latitude and season. Near the equator it is relatively small, around 30 to 40 minutes. In mid-latitude winter, when the sun stays low and shadows are long, the gap can grow larger, often an hour or more. In summer at high latitudes it is smaller in relative terms but can still be considerable. Because of this seasonal swing you should not use a fixed number of minutes; use a timetable that calculates both.
Where the Hanafi setting is common
Most Muslims in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Central Asia, and many in Turkey and the Balkans, follow the Hanafi school, and timetables in South Asian communities are often printed with Hanafi Asr. Many mosques in the UK also publish both an earlier and a later Asr time so that members of either school can pray together. Shafi'i communities are common in Southeast Asia, East Africa and parts of the Arab world, and Maliki and Hanbali communities in North and West Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.
Does it affect other prayers?
No. Only the start of Asr changes. The end of Asr, around sunset, and the other four prayers are unaffected. The Hanafi setting does also move the time of the end of Dhuhr, since Dhuhr runs until Asr begins. Sunset and Maghrib do not change.
Which setting should I use?
- Use the setting that matches the school you follow, or that your local mosque follows.
- If you are unsure, ask your imam, or use the earlier (Standard) time only if you accept that the Hanafi time is later; people who follow Hanafi rulings should wait for the later time.
- When praying with a congregation, follow the congregation's time.
On prayertim.com the default is Hanafi for countries where that school is dominant, and Standard elsewhere. You can switch in the Options box on any city page. For more background see how prayer times are calculated.