Frequently asked questions
Everything about how dates, times, and directions are calculated on this site — and what we do and don't do with your data.
Why do dates here sometimes differ from my mosque's announcement?
This site calculates the Hijri date astronomically, using a fixed tabular pattern that closely follows real moon-sighting cycles. Your mosque or national authority confirms the actual start of each month by sighting, which can land a day earlier or later. Use the offset control on the converter page to match your local announcement — it applies across the whole site.
Which calculation method does the calendar itself use?
Hijri dates use the civil (tabular) Islamic calendar — the same base calculation used by most calendar software, phones, and apps. It isn't tied to any single country's sighting committee, which is why the manual offset exists.
Why does Ramadan fall on a different Gregorian date each year?
The Hijri calendar is purely lunar, with no leap months added to align it to the solar year. A Hijri year is about eleven days shorter than a Gregorian one, so every fixed Hijri date — including the start of Ramadan — drifts about eleven days earlier each Gregorian year, cycling through all four seasons roughly every 33 years.
Why do some events, like Mawlid, show two dates?
A small number of observances are marked on different days by different traditions — Mawlid al-Nabi is the clearest example, observed on 12 Rabi al-Awwal in the Sunni tradition and 17 Rabi al-Awwal in the Shia tradition. Rather than choosing one, the events page lists both.
Which prayer time calculation method should I use?
Use whichever your local mosque follows — conventions differ mainly in the sun-angle used for Fajr and Isha. See the comparison table on the homepage for common regional defaults, or ask your mosque directly if you're unsure.
Why is the calculated time different from my mosque's posted time?
The calculated time is the adhan (call to prayer) time. Many mosques set their iqamah (when the congregational prayer actually starts) a set number of minutes after that, for people to arrive — so a small gap is expected and not an error.
Does the prayer times page work outside major cities?
Yes. Search accepts any city name worldwide, and the "use my location" option calculates times for your exact coordinates using GPS or network-based location — useful for towns too small to be listed individually.
My city search isn't finding my city — what should I try?
Try the nearest larger city, or spell the city name in English. If that still doesn't work, "use my location" will always work as a fallback since it uses coordinates rather than a name lookup.
How is the qibla direction calculated?
It's the great-circle bearing from your coordinates to the Kaaba in Mecca (21.4225°N, 39.8262°E) — the shortest path across the globe's curved surface, which is why the direction can look surprising on a flat map for locations far from Mecca.
Why does the compass need "motion access" permission?
To rotate the needle live as you turn your phone, the page needs your device's orientation sensor. iOS requires an explicit permission prompt for this; Android generally doesn't. Without it, you still get the correct bearing in degrees — just not a live-rotating needle.
What does Ramadan mode actually calculate?
Before Ramadan, a countdown to the estimated start date. During Ramadan, which fasting day you're on and, once you share your location, that day's suhoor cutoff (Fajr) and iftar time (Maghrib) for where you are.
Is my location data stored anywhere?
No. Location requests go straight from your browser to the prayer-time calculation service; this site has no backend database and never logs or stores your location. See the privacy page for the full picture.
Do I need to create an account?
No — nothing on this site requires sign-up. Your day-offset and light/dark theme preferences are saved locally in your browser only.
Can I use this site offline?
The core pages work offline once you've visited them, since the site can be installed as an app and caches its own pages. Prayer time lookups still need an internet connection, since those are calculated by a live service.
I found an incorrect time or a bug — how do I report it?
Please get in touch with the page URL and what you expected to see — it makes fixes much faster.