Assalamu aleikum! I would like to ask about the timing of Maghrib prayer. It is said the time for Maghrib is over after ther redness disappears from the sky. But this could be used in the places where there are no buildings and obstacles to see the sun. But how much time should be approximately taken by a person who lives in a city and doesn't see the sunset to define the end time of Maghrib? Some people say it's 20 minutes, others say it's 45 minutes, others say that it is up until Isha prayer starts and others say that this time changes depending on the season of the year. According to this: 1) if it is any of these, please provide daleel and which is the most preferrable and authentic (saheeh) opinion 2) if the most authentic view is that the duration of Maghrib changes depending on the season of the year then how can a muslim living in a city define the time when this prayer ends. I hope that you can clarify this matter to me. May Allah be pleased with you. As salamu aleykum

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

The time of Maghrib begins with the sunset and ends with the disappearance of the red twilight when the time of ‘Ishaa’ prayer starts as clarified in Fataawa 81532 and 82253.

There is no doubt that the time-length of Maghrib prayer differs according to the difference of the seasons of the year especially if a person lives in a country near the North Pole, where the disappearance of the red twilight delays in some seasons of the year.

As regards a person who lives in the city and is unable to define the times of the prayer by eye-sighting, then he should take into consideration the prayer time calendar which a Muslim country issues or which trustworthy Islamic centres issue in non-Muslim countries. It should be noted that the Islamic centres gave importance to the issue of prayer times, all praise be to Allaah. Similarly, one may rely on the prayer time calendars which are issued by the World Islamic League, Al-Azhar and Karachi Universities, and other trustworthy institutions.   

Allaah Knows best.