What time is Asr prayer?

Asr is the afternoon prayer. It enters when shadows have begun to stretch and it stays open until the sun sets. Where exactly it begins is the one point of the five daily prayers where the schools of law visibly differ — which is why two prayer apps on the same phone can disagree by an hour.

The two shadow rules

• Shafi'i, Maliki, Hanbali: Asr begins when an object's shadow equals its own length (plus the shadow it already cast at solar noon).
• Hanafi: Asr begins when the shadow reaches twice the object's length — typically 40 to 90 minutes later, depending on season and latitude.

Both readings come from the same hadith of Jibril describing the prayer times, and both are held by classical authorities. Choose the one your local mosque prays by.

Why Asr is emphasised

The Qur'an singles it out: "Guard strictly the prayers, especially the middle prayer." (2:238) The Prophet ﷺ warned that "whoever misses the Asr prayer, it is as though he lost his family and property." (Sahih al-Bukhari 552) It falls at the busiest hour of the working day, which is precisely why it needs guarding.

Don't delay it to the last minutes

Praying Asr while the sun is still white and high is the preferred practice; delaying until the sun yellows and dips was described as the prayer of the one who is heedless. The window remains valid until sunset, but the reward of praying early is greater.

Free, accurate Asr times

Happy Islam lets you set the Hanafi or standard shadow rule and calculates Asr for your exact location, with an optional reminder. Completely free — no subscription, no adverts.

Related: Fajr time · Maghrib time · Evening adhkar after Asr