Fasting basics
What are sehri and iftar, and how are the times decided?
Sehri is the meal before the daily fast; iftar is the meal that ends it. Understanding the difference between the meals and their time boundaries makes a local timetable easier to use.
Sehri, suhoor and the start of the fast
Sehri and suhoor are names for the pre-dawn meal. The fasting boundary is the beginning of true dawn, associated with Fajr, not sunrise. A timetable's sunrise entry is therefore not the sehri deadline.
Quran 2:187 describes eating and drinking until dawn becomes clear and completing the fast until nightfall. Taking suhoor is encouraged in the prophetic tradition; Sahih al-Bukhari 1923 records its blessing. Missing the meal does not by itself mean that a fast cannot be observed.
Iftar and sunset
Iftar begins when the daily fast ends at sunset, associated with Maghrib. The time changes through the year and differs from one city to another. An iftar time shared for another country, or even another nearby city, is not a substitute for your own location.
Use a current local timetable and confirm the date. If you are comparing two clocks or an app and an adhan, check whether they use the same location, time zone and local mosque adjustments.
Why two timetables may disagree
Calculation services use coordinates, the date and astronomical conventions. Different Fajr calculation methods can produce different results. Mosques may also publish a precautionary margin, while some calendars show a separate imsak entry before Fajr.
An imsak margin should not be confused with sunrise or automatically treated as a universal religious rule. If published times differ, ask the mosque or a qualified scholar which timetable your community follows rather than simply choosing the latest deadline.
Read the timetable in order
First select your city, then check today's date and the calculation method. Read Fajr as the displayed sehri ending time and Maghrib as the displayed iftar time. The week and month views are useful for planning, but tomorrow's entry may not match today's.
- Check the city name rather than relying on a saved location.
- Confirm that times are shown in your local time zone.
- Recheck the timetable when travelling or when clocks change.
Frequently asked questions
Is sehri the same as suhoor?
Yes. Both terms refer to the pre-dawn meal before fasting. The meal ends before the fasting boundary at Fajr, not sunrise.
Why does my mosque show a different sehri time?
The calculation method, coordinates or a local precautionary margin may differ. Ask your mosque which timetable to follow rather than assuming every difference is an error.
Can I use yesterday's iftar time?
Check the entry for the current date. Sunset changes throughout the year, so an earlier day's time is not a reliable daily reference.
Sources
Find the times for your location
Fajr marks the end of sehri and Maghrib marks iftar in the iftar.si timetable.