Timing of ‘Isha’ prayer in regions where the red afterglow (or twilight) does not disappear until very late

Firstly: 

One of the conditions of prayer being valid, on which there
is consensus among the scholars, is that the time for the prayer should have
begun. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Surely the Prayer is prescribed to the Believers at specified timings”
[an-Nisa’ 4:103]. 

Shaykh ‘Abd ar-Rahmaan as-Sa‘di (may Allah have mercy on him)
said:

 That is, it is obligatory and it has a specific time and is
not valid if offered at any other time. These are the times that are
established and well known to Muslims, young and old, knowledgeable and
ignorant. 

Tafseer as-Sa‘di, p. 198 

Secondly: 

The beginning of the time for Maghrib is when the disc of the
sun disappears beneath the horizon, and the end of it – at which the time
for ‘Isha’ begins – is when the red afterglow (or twilight) disappears. 

It was narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘Aas (may
Allah be pleased with him) that he said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings
and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The time for Maghrib is when the sun
sets, so long as the twilight has not disappeared. The time for ‘Isha’ is so
long as half of the night has not passed.”

Narrated by Muslim, 612. 

These times that are defined in sharee‘ah only apply in lands
where night and day occur within twenty-four hours, and it does not matter
how long the day is and how short the night is in this case, unless the time
of ‘Isha’ is not long enough to offer the prayer. In that case it is as if
there is no time for it,so it is to be worked out according to the nearest
land in which night and day give enough time for each prayer to be offered
at its allocated time. 

Your question concerns an issue to which the scholars paid
attention; they discussed it and issued fatwas concerning it, and one of
them wrote an essay on it, entitled Waqtu Salaat al-‘Isha’ wa Waqt
ul-Imsaak fi’l-Manaatiq allati la yugheebu fiha ash-Shafaqu illa
muta’akhkhiran wa yatlu‘u al-Fajr Mubakkiran (The Time of ‘Isha’ and the
time of Stopping Eating (for fasting) in Regions where the Twilight does not
disappear until very late and the Dawn breaks very early). He is the
director of the Islamic Research Centre in Istanbul, Dr. Tayyaar Aalati
Qawlaaj. The scholars differed concerning this issue and there are three
opinions: 

1.That one may avail oneself of
the concession that allows putting Maghrib and ‘Isha’ together because of
the difficulty involved that is no less than the difficulty caused by rain
and other reasons that make it permissible to put two prayers together.

2.That the time for ‘Isha’ should
be worked out. Some scholars called for adopting Makkah al-Mukarramah as the
standard in this case. One of those who supported this view is the author of
the essay referred to above.

3.That the time for ‘Isha’ that
is prescribed in sharee‘ah, namely the disappearance of the twilight, should
be adhered to so long as the time is sufficient to offer the prayer.

This last opinion is the one that we think is most likely to
be correct and is the opinion that is indicated by the hadeeth texts. It is
mentioned in fatwas issued by the Council of Senior Scholars, the Standing
Committee for Issuing Fatwas, Shaykh al-‘Uthaymeen, Shaykh Ibn Baaz, and
other scholars. 

Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have
mercy on him) said: 

These specified times only apply in places where night and
day occur within twenty-four hours, whether night and day are equal in
length or one of them is longer than the other by a short or long period. 

As for places in which night and day do not occur within
twenty-four hours, that applies either throughout the year or only for a few
days: 

If it is only for a few days, such as if it is a place in
which night and day occur within twenty-four hours throughout the seasons of
the year, but during some periods there may be twenty-four hours or more of
either night or day, in that case if there is a phenomenon on the horizon by
means of which you can work out the time, such as if the light starts to
increase or when it disappears completely, then deciding the time may be
connected to this phenomenon. Or if there is no such phenomenon, you can
work out the times of prayer as they were on the last day before night or
day began to last for twenty-four hours. 

But if it is a place where night and day within twenty-four
hours does not occur all year or in any season, then the times for prayer
should be worked out, because of the hadeeth narrated by Muslim from
an-Nawwaas ibn Sam‘aan (may Allah be pleased with him), according to which
the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) mentioned the Dajjaal
who will appear at the end of time. They asked him how long he would stay on
earth and he said: “Forty days: one day like a year, one day like a month,
one day like a week, and the rest of his days will be like your days.” They
said: O Messenger of Allah, on that day which will be like a year, will the
prayers of one day be sufficient for us? He said: “No, work it out…”

So if it is established that in a place in which night and
day do not occur (within twenty-four hours) the times for prayer are to be
worked out, then how do we work it out? 

… Some scholars think that it should be worked out according
to the average time. So the night is to be estimated as being twelve hours,
and the same for the day, because when it is not possible to work out the
time of prayer based on the place itself, it should be worked out on the
basis of a place where night and day are equal. This is like the case of the
woman who is suffering istihaadah (prolonged non-menstrual vaginal bleeding)
and does not have a period as such and cannot distinguish between menstrual
and non-menstrual bleeding. 

Others say that it should be worked out in accordance with
the nearest land in which night and day occur throughout the year; because
when it is not possible to work it out with regard to the land itself, then
it should be worked out in accordance with the land that most closely
resembles it, which is the nearest land to it in which night and day occur
within twenty-four hours. 

This view is more correct, because it is based on a stronger
argument and is more realistic. 

Majmoo‘ Fataawa ash-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen,
12/197, 198 

This is the view of the Council of Senior Scholars in the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and is supported by the Standing Committee for
Issuing Fatwas. We have quoted their fatwa in the answer to question no.
5842, in which they said: 

… And there are other hadeeths which defined the times for
the five daily prayers through the words and actions of the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). It makes no difference whether
the day is long or short or the night is long or short, so long as the times
of the prayers may be distinguished by the signs which were identified by
the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). End
quote. 

With regard to the country in which you are studying, we find
that night and day do occur within twenty-four hours there, and the time for
‘Isha’ is not so short that you cannot offer the prayer. Based on that, what
you have to do is offer the prayers at the times prescribed for them in
sharee‘ah. 

Thirdly: 

If the time of ‘Isha is so late that offering the prayer on
time will be too difficult, in that case there is nothing wrong with putting
Maghrib and ‘Isha’ prayers together at the time of the earlier prayer. 

In the answer to question no.
5709 we quoted Shaykh
al-‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) as saying: 

If the twilight disappears long enough before dawn that they
can pray ‘Isha’, then they have to wait until it disappears. Otherwise if it
is too hard for them to wait, in that case it is permissible for them to put
‘Isha’ together with Maghrib at the time of the earlier prayer, so as to
avoid hardship and difficulty. End quote. 

In a statement of the Islamic Fiqh Council, belonging to the
Muslim World League, the members of the council discussed the topic of the
times of prayer and fasting in countries at high latitudes. They listened to
shar‘i and astronomical studies presented by some members and other
explanations of technical aspects that were on the agenda during the
eleventh session of the Council, and the following was determined:

… Thirdly: high latitude regions may be divided into three
categories: 

(i)Those that are located between
45° and 48° north and south, where the signs for the times of prayer are
distinct and clear in each twenty-four hour period, whether the time is long
or short.

(ii)Those that are located between
48° and 66° north and south, in which some of the astronomical signs that
define the time of the prayer are absent during some days of the year, such
as when the the twilight, the disappearance of which signals that the time
for ‘Isha’ has begun, does not disappear, and the end of the time for
Maghrib overlaps with the time for Fajr.

(iii)Those that are located above
66° north or south, as far as the pole, in which the signs for the times of
prayer are absent during a long period of the year, whether by day or by
night.

Fourthly: the ruling concerning the first area is that the
people there have to offer the prayers at the times prescribed in sharee‘ah,
and they have to fast according to the times prescribed in sharee‘ah, from
when the true dawn appears until the sun sets, in accordance with the
Islamic texts having to do with the times of prayer and fasting. Whoever is
unable to fast the day or complete a day’s fast because the time is too long
may break the fast, and has to make it up on suitable days … End quote. 

This case is the one that is asked about here, as is
obvious. 

In another statement by the Islamic Fiqh Council, the
statement quoted above was confirmed and a concession was granted to the one
who finds it too difficult to offer ‘Isha’ prayer (at the prescribed time),
allowing him to put it together with Maghrib. But they stated that this
should not be made a habit for everyone; rather it is only for those who
have legitimate reasons. It says in that statement: 

But if the signs of the time for the prayer appear, but the
disappearance of the twilight with which the time for ‘Isha’ begins, is very
late, the Council believes that it is obligatory to offer ‘Isha’ prayer at
the proper time as defined by sharee‘ah. But those for whom it is too
difficult to wait and offer the prayer on time – such as students, people
with jobs and workers during the work week – can put the prayers together,
in accordance with the texts which speak of protecting this ummah from
hardship. For example, in Saheeh Muslim and elsewhere it is narrated
that Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of
Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) put together Zuhr and ‘Asr,
and Maghrib and ‘Isha’, in Madinah, when there was no fear or rain. Ibn
‘Abbaas was asked about that and he said: He wanted not to put his ummah
through hardship. 

But putting prayers together should not be something that is
done by all the people in that country throughout that period, because that
is changing the concession and making it become the norm. 

As for the guideline on what constitutes hardship, reference
should be made to custom and this is something that differs from one person
to another, from one place and situation to another.

End quote from the nineteenth session, held in the
headquarters of the Muslim World League in Makkah al-Mukarramah, 22-27
Shawwaal 1428 AH/ 3-8 November 2007 CE, second statement. 

Fourthly: 

With regard to defining the time between Maghrib and ‘Isha’
as being one hour and thirty-two minutes, we could not find anything
concerning that from Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen or anyone else. We have
previously quoted the words of the Shaykh (may Allah have mercy on him) and
he did not mention this opinion or regard it as more correct. 

Perhaps this is a mistake on the part of the one who quoted
the shaykh, and the shaykh was referring to the usual time between Maghrib
and ‘Isha’ in countries where night and day are more equal, or in Saudi in
particular, which is more likely to be the case. 

(a)He (may Allah have mercy on
him) said:

The time for ‘Isha’ is not defined by the adhaan only, in
fact, because the time of ‘Isha’ may sometimes, during some parts of the
year and in some seasons… the time between sunset and the beginning of the
time for ‘Isha’ may be one and a quarter hours, or sometimes one hour and 20
minutes, and sometimes one hour and 25 minutes, and sometimes one hour and
30 minutes. It varies and it cannot possibly be the same in every season. 

Jalasaat Ramadaaniyyah

(b)He also said (may Allah have
mercy on him):

The time for Maghrib lasts from sunset until the
disappearance of the red afterglow, which may sometimes be one and a half
hours between Maghrib and ‘Isha’, or sometimes it may be one hour and twenty
minutes, or one hour and seventeen minutes; it varies.

Majmoo‘ Fataawa ash-Shaykh
al-‘Uthaymeen, 7/338                    

To sum up: 

1.In countries where night and
day occur in twenty-four hours, it is obligatory to pray at the times
prescribed in sharee‘ah, no matter how long or short the night.

2.In countries where night and
day do not occur in twenty-four hours, it is obligatory to follow the times
of prayer in the closest land in which there is night and day.

3.In countries where the twilight
overlaps with the dawn, or it disappears but there is not sufficient time to
pray ‘Isha’, it is obligatory to follow the closest place where there is
enough time to offer the prayer.

4.It is permissible for people
who have legitimate excuses to put together Maghrib and ‘Isha’ if they are
unable to wait until the time of ‘Isha’.

And Allah knows best.