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Fatwa CenterPraying according to Makkah
Question
Can I pray according the Makkah's mean time and I live in Amsterdam?
Answer
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds; and may His blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his Family and Companions.
Prayers are due at specific times; they are not valid before their due time, and it is not permissible to delay them from their time without any necessity.
Allah says: "Verily, the prayer is enjoined on the believers at fixed hours." (An-Nisa 4:103)
Therefore, it is not permissible for a person to pray according to the timing of Makkah, while he is in another country where the time is different.
It is required for a Muslim to pray according to the timing in the country where he is, by following the signs of the beginning of the time for the prayer. These signs are set by the Law-Maker, like the beginning of dawn for Fajr prayer, when the sun is at its meridian for Dhuhr prayer, and when the shade of an object is equal to its height for Asr, and when the sun sets for the Magrib prayer, and at the night-fall for Isha.
If there is a timetable for the prayers published by a trustworthy body in the country where you live then you have to rely on it.
All of this is explained in details in books of Fiqh which relate about prayers.
However, if it is impossible to know the timing of the prayer because there is no sun, then in this case you should seek the help of other Muslims in your country to find out the timing for the prayers.
Allah knows best.
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