Transparency · methodology
How we calculate UK prayer times
UK Prayer Times is an independent, free community service. This page explains exactly which calculation methods we use, where the data comes from, and how we handle edge cases like high-latitude summers and moon-sighting dates.
Our default for London, Watford, Slough and Woking is the published London Unified Prayer Timetable (LUPT). Other listed cities use the Muslim World League (MWL) method (Fajr 18°, Isha 17°) computed locally from each city's coordinates. Initial times are in the page HTML; interactive tables recalculate on your device. Your mosque may follow a different timetable.
Last reviewed: 2026-09-08 · Source: London Unified Prayer Timetable (LUPT) · Suggest a correction
How to read and compare a timetable
- Match the city and Gregorian date. All displayed clock times use Europe/London, including GMT/BST.
- Check the calculation method and Standard or Hanafi Asr. Changing a setting can change the result.
- Read “Begins” as the opening of the prayer window. Check the mosque’s own timetable for jama’ah, iqamah and Jummah.
- Look for a high-latitude notice or a fallback estimate. An estimate is not an official mosque timetable.
When London Unified data is unavailable for a selected date, interactive tables label their MWL estimate. Dates on printed or downloaded timetables should always be checked before use.
Sources you can check
- East London Mosque prayer timetable — published prayer starts and separate congregation times.
- London Salah Times — the source of the London Unified data used here.
- Adhan calculation library — documented solar calculations, calculation parameters and high-latitude rules.
UK Prayer Times is independent of these sources. An entry in the directory does not imply endorsement or affiliation.
London Unified — our selected city defaults
For London, Watford, Slough and Woking, this site uses the London Unified Prayer Timetable, adopted in 2011 by Hizbul Ulama UK and the Central Moon Sighting Committee of Great Britain so that mosques across the capital pray at the same times.
- Sunrise, Dhuhr, Asr and Maghrib are derived from precise sun positions for central London, with published adjustments (sunrise −3 min, Dhuhr +5 min, Maghrib +3 min).
- Fajr and Isha come from the Hizbul Ulama observation tables — not a fixed angle.
- Asr is published in two forms: Standard (Mithl 1) and Hanafi (Mithl 2).
For a detailed comparison with the MWL method — including why IslamicFinder and Muslim Pro can differ — see Why London prayer times differ and Why IslamicFinder’s London times differ.
Rest of the UK — Muslim World League (MWL)
For other listed cities, our default is the Muslim World League (MWL) method: Fajr at 18° and Isha at 17° below the horizon. This is our chosen default, not a claim about the method used by every mosque. Times are computed using the open-source adhan library from each city's precise latitude and longitude.
You can switch to alternative methods (ISNA 15°, Egyptian, Karachi 18°) and Hanafi Asr on each city page using the settings on the prayer times table.
Rounding & precaution (ihtiyat)
Sunrise/Maghrib rounded with precautionary minutes (ihtiyat); times are start times, not iqamah. London Unified publishes specific offsets (for example sunrise −3 min and Maghrib +3 min). Always treat published times as the start of the prayer window — confirm iqamah with your local mosque.
Rounding disclosure reviewed 2026-07-17.
High-latitude adjustment
At northern UK latitudes — Aberdeen, Inverness, Glasgow, Edinburgh and similar — the sun may not reach 18° below the horizon during midsummer. When this occurs, Fajr and Isha are estimated using the "one-seventh of the night" method. A notice is displayed on the affected city page. Always confirm with your local mosque.
Hijri dates & Islamic events
Hijri dates on city pages and the Islamic calendar follow the London Unified table where available (moon-sighting based). The Hijri date converter uses the arithmetic Tabular Islamic calendar; UK mosques may differ by one day depending on local moon-sighting announcements. Islamic event banners (Ramadan, Eid, Ashura, etc.) are derived from the LUPT table.
Editorial standards & verification
- Prayer times are recomputed daily during our automated build and deploy cycle (Friday, 25th September 2026).
- Automated verification checks run before every deployment (
pnpm run verify). - Mosque profiles are researched from public sources and community submissions.
- Prayer times and mosque listings are editorially independent. Charity affiliations and paid partnerships are disclosed.
- Free to use, with no registration required and clearly labelled partnerships.
Frequently asked questions
Which calculation method does UK Prayer Times use?
This site defaults to the London Unified Prayer Timetable (LUPT) for London, Watford, Slough and Woking. Other listed cities use the Muslim World League (MWL) method — Fajr at 18° and Isha at 17° — computed locally from each city's coordinates.
What is the London Unified Prayer Timetable?
The London Unified Prayer Timetable is the agreed timetable for London mosques, adopted in 2011 by Hizbul Ulama UK and the Central Moon Sighting Committee of Great Britain. East London Mosque publishes a London Unified timetable; individual mosques can use different settings and congregation schedules. Its Fajr and Isha come from dawn and twilight observation, not a fixed astronomical angle.
Do you use a third-party prayer times API?
No. Initial prayer times are generated during the daily site build. Interactive tables calculate on your device when the page loads or you change settings. London times come from our ingested official LUPT table; all other cities use the open-source adhan astronomical library with precise solar calculations for each city's latitude and longitude.
How are high-latitude cities handled?
At northern UK latitudes (e.g. Aberdeen, Inverness, Glasgow, Edinburgh) the sun may not reach 18° below the horizon in summer. When this occurs, Fajr and Isha are estimated using the "one-seventh of the night" method and a notice is shown on the relevant city page.
What is the difference between prayer start times and iqamah?
The times on this site are astronomical prayer start times — the moment each prayer window opens. Each mosque sets its own iqamah (congregational prayer) time, which can be later. There is no universal time offset. Always confirm with your local mosque.
How often are times updated?
Prayer times are recomputed daily during our automated build and deploy cycle. Each city page shows the date the times were calculated. Automated verification checks run before every deployment.
Why does IslamicFinder or Muslim Pro show different London times?
Those apps are global calculators with a method you pick in settings. London mosques follow the London Unified Prayer Timetable, not a generic 18° table. In August the two can be a minute apart; around 21 June Fajr and Isha can diverge by tens of minutes. See /london-prayer-times-explained.