Timezone Handling
How we ensure accurate local time conversion worldwide
Overview
Accurate prayer times depend not only on precise solar calculations, but also on correct local time conversion. A difference of even one hour caused by incorrect timezone handling would result in inaccurate Fajr, sunrise, or Isha times.
For this reason, our system does not rely on country-wide or manually assigned timezones. Instead, local time is determined automatically using geographic coordinates and internationally recognised timezone databases.
How Timezones Are Determined
When a location is selected, the system performs the following steps:
- Geographic coordinates (latitude and longitude) are identified.
- The coordinates are matched to an official timezone using the IANA timezone database.
- Local time is calculated from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).
- Daylight Saving Time (DST), where applicable, is applied automatically.
This ensures that prayer times reflect the actual civil time observed at the selected location.
Why Timezones Cannot Be Assigned by Country Alone
Many countries use more than one timezone. Others use a single timezone that does not align exactly with solar time due to political or administrative decisions.
Examples include:
- • Large countries spanning multiple time zones.
- • Regions that observe daylight saving changes while neighbouring regions do not.
- • Locations that use a standard time offset different from their solar longitude.
Because of this, assigning timezones based only on country names can lead to incorrect results. Coordinate-based lookup avoids these errors.
Daylight Saving Time (DST)
Where daylight saving time is observed, adjustments are applied automatically based on official timezone rules.
No manual adjustment is required by the user. Prayer times will automatically reflect seasonal clock changes in regions that observe DST.
Handling Edge Cases
Some regions have unusual timezone offsets or historical changes. The system uses continuously maintained timezone data to ensure:
- • Correct handling of half-hour and quarter-hour offsets.
- • Accurate historical and seasonal transitions.
- • Consistent results across global locations.
Accuracy and Verification
Timezone conversion is verified as part of the calculation process to ensure:
- • Fajr occurs before sunrise.
- • Maghrib occurs at sunset.
- • All times follow the correct chronological order for the selected date and location.
If inconsistencies are detected, calculations are automatically rechecked before display.
Summary
Accurate prayer times require both precise astronomical calculations and reliable local time conversion. By using coordinate-based timezone identification and internationally maintained timezone data, the system ensures that displayed times match the official local time observed at each location worldwide.