Hanafi and Standard Asr: Why the Times Differ

Updated 27 October 2026 · 4 min read

Asr is the only daily prayer with two widely used start times. Both are based on the length of shadows in the afternoon, but they use a different length, and the gap between them can be well over an hour.

The shadow rule

At solar noon an upright stick casts its shortest shadow. As the afternoon goes on, the shadow grows.

• Standard (Shafi'i, Maliki, Hanbali): Asr begins when the shadow equals the stick's length, plus the length of the noon shadow.
• Hanafi: Asr begins when the shadow equals twice the stick's length, plus the noon shadow.

Because a shadow has to grow further, Hanafi Asr is always later. Dhuhr, Maghrib and the other prayers do not change.

How big is the gap?

Calculated Asr start times (Muslim World League method, local time):

The gap is largest in summer, when the sun is high and shadows grow slowly, and smallest in winter. In northern cities in midwinter the whole afternoon is short, so both Asr times fall close to Dhuhr and Maghrib.

Which one applies to you?

Communities that follow the Hanafi school, which includes most Muslims of South Asian, Turkish and Central Asian heritage, usually pray Asr at the later time. Most Arab, African and Southeast Asian communities use the standard time. Many mosques in the UK and North America print both. If in doubt, follow your mosque.

You can switch between the two in NextSalahClock's Settings at any time. The choice applies to every page, including the monthly timetable and downloads.

See also: prayer time calculation methods.

Times in this guide are calculated start times. Your mosque may publish different times or iqamah times; see our calculation disclaimer.