ElifHow are Isha and Fajr times set in Europe in summer?
Short answer
In places north of about latitude 45°, such as Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and the UK, the evening twilight does not disappear all night in the summer months, so the times of Isha and imsak (the start of Fajr) do not truly occur; these times are estimated (taqdir). Since 2023, Türkiye's Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) has set Isha in its European timetables no later than one third of the shar'i night. A time not occurring does not cancel the prayer; the best course is to follow the Diyanet or DITIB timetable for the city you are in.
What is the problem?
Isha begins when the evening twilight disappears, and imsak (Fajr) begins when dawn breaks. At northern latitudes in the summer months the sun does not sink far enough below the horizon, so the twilight does not disappear all night; Isha and imsak either do not occur at all or fall after midnight. According to Diyanet, every Muslim is obliged to pray five prayers in twenty-four hours; a prayer whose sign does not appear is prayed by estimating its time, and the time not occurring does not cancel the prayer.
Diyanet's current practice (the 2021 congress)
Following the decisions of the International Congress on Prayer Times held on 26–27 September 2021 with the participation of Diyanet and the European Council for Fatwa and Research, Diyanet has prepared its European timetables since 2023 on the following basis:
- Isha: begins when the sun is 17° below the horizon. If this moment falls after one third of the shar'i night, Isha is estimated as one third of the shar'i night.
- Imsak: begins when the sun is 18° below the horizon; the same hardship criterion is applied. On days when dawn does not occur at all, the time of the last day on which it occurred is used.
- If the night or the day falls below 5 hours, it is taken as 5 hours, with Dhuhr kept in the middle.
- It was recommended that prayers may be combined (jam') during periods of hardship, and Muslims were asked to unite on a common timetable.
The limit in Diyanet's 2009 decision "Prayer times beyond latitude 45°" — "Isha at most 1 hour 20 minutes after Maghrib" — is no longer applied in current timetables.
What should you do in practice?
- Follow the timetable on the Diyanet prayer times page (in Turkish) for the city you are in, or the one published by DITIB. For example, in Berlin at the beginning of June, Maghrib is at 21.25, Isha at 22.41 and imsak at 03.18; the gap between Maghrib and Isha is more than 100 minutes in winter but falls to 72–76 minutes in June.
- According to the Hanafis, the time of Isha lasts until imsak; you may pray Isha after its time on the timetable and before imsak.
- When imsak begins, the time of Fajr also begins; according to the Hanafis, it is recommended (mustahabb) to pray it once it has become a little light. For the imsak of the fast, too, the same city timetable is followed.
- In the Hanafi school, combining Maghrib and Isha is not normally permissible; in cases of serious hardship, Diyanet has stated that prayers may be combined by following the other schools.
Why are there different timetables?
Because different organisations in Europe use different calculation methods, Isha and imsak can differ by minutes between mosques and apps — and in summer sometimes by hours. Diyanet's 2009 decision does not regard as wrong the worship of those who follow the various estimation methods of organisations with scholarly competence; the 2021 congress, meanwhile, recommended uniting on a common timetable. It is worth comparing the times in the app you use with the timetable of the mosque you attend. If you live in the UK, see also why UK prayer timetables differ for Fajr and Isha.
Related verses
- An-Nisa 4:103 —
…prayer has been decreed upon the believers a decree of specified times.
- Al-Baqarah 2:187 —
…eat and drink until the white thread of dawn becomes distinct…
Quotations are from the Saheeh International translation; links open the full verse on Quran.com.
Frequently asked
Why is Isha so late in Germany in summer?
Because the evening twilight does not fully disappear all night, Isha either does not truly occur or occurs very late. In the Diyanet timetable, Isha is set no later than one third of the shar'i night.
Until when can I pray Isha?
According to the Hanafis, you can pray it until the time of imsak.
Can I combine Maghrib and Isha?
Not normally in the Hanafi school. In cases of serious hardship they may be combined by following the other schools; the 2021 congress also recommended combining during periods of hardship.
Which timetable should I use for the imsak time when fasting?
The Diyanet or DITIB timetable for the city you are in. For days when dawn does not occur, imsak has been estimated in these timetables.
In Elif
In Elif, prayer times are calculated for your location; you can choose the calculation method and the high-latitude setting, and fine-tune each prayer by minutes to match the timetable of the mosque you attend. The Qibla compass and the Imsakiye/fasting timetable are also in the app.
Sources
- Diyanet High Council of Religious Affairs — Prayer times at high latitudes (in Turkish)
- Diyanet High Council of Religious Affairs decision — Prayer times beyond latitude 45° (2009) (in Turkish)
- Diyanet High Council of Religious Affairs — How are prayers prayed where their times do not occur? (in Turkish)
- Diyanet High Council of Religious Affairs — Until when can Isha be prayed? (in Turkish)
- Diyanet High Council of Religious Affairs — Can prayers be combined? (in Turkish)
- Diyanet — Prayer times for Berlin (in Turkish)
- Diyanet Haber — International Congress on Prayer Times held in Germany (2022) (in Turkish)
- TRT Haber — International Congress on Prayer Times concludes (2021) (in Turkish)
This page is compiled from the rulings of Türkiye's Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) and the sources listed. Rulings follow the Hanafi school; where other schools differ, this is noted. For your personal situation, please ask a scholar at your local mosque. Last updated: 5 October 2026.