Muslims in Durban follow prayer times that are determined through precise astronomical calculations taking into account the city's specific geographical coordinates. These calculations consider factors such as the Earth's rotation, the tilt of the Earth's axis, and the position of the sun.
To illustrate, here are today's prayer times in Durban:
- Fajr prayer starts at . This is the time when the first faint light of dawn appears on the horizon.
- Dhuhr prayer starts at . This time starts after the sun passes its zenith (highest point in the sky).
- Asr prayer starts at . The calculation for Asr is more complex and involves comparing the length of an object's shadow to its actual height.
- Maghrib prayer starts at , precisely at sunset.
- Isha prayer commences at , when the twilight fades completely, and darkness envelops the city.
It's important to note that prayer times can vary throughout the year due to the changing seasons and the Earth's elliptical orbit around the sun.