Question:
In London during summer, Fajr begins around 2:30 AM and ends around 4:50 AM. Isha begins around 10:45 PM. Children who go to school and college find it difficult to pray. Parents who go to work also struggle to wake their children for prayer. Adults somehow manage with effort, but what should children and working people do?
Answer:
In most parts of the world, day and night are roughly balanced — perhaps 12 hours each, or 13 and 11 — small variations do not create major difficulty.
But in London during summer:
- Sunrise may occur around 4:43 AM.
- Sunset may occur around 9:20–9:30 PM.
- That results in extremely long daylight hours.
So, Fajr may begin around 2:30 AM and end before sunrise. If someone prays Isha at 10:45 PM, sleeps at 11:30 PM, they might only get two hours of sleep before Fajr comes in.
Waking small children after only two hours of sleep is difficult. Adults struggle as well.
The question is: what should be done?
Two Views in Such Regions:
This is something the people living in that country must ultimately decide, because there are two opinions present there.
In summer in such regions:
- The sun sets, but complete darkness does not occur.
- Night does not fully become dark.
- Daylight stretches 16–18 hours.
- Fasting (in Ramadan) may become 17–18 hours long.
That becomes extremely difficult for many people.
Because of this, scholars refer to a hadith related to Dajjal, where the Prophetﷺ instructed estimation (taqdir) in abnormal time conditions (like very long days). Some scholars apply this principle to regions like London.
One group says: We should take the actual local timing, even if it becomes 17 or 18 hours of fasting.
Another group says: We should calculate based on a moderate region (such as near the equator where day and night are approximately 12 hours each). So, they estimate prayer and fasting times based on a balanced region. Some London mosques have adopted such calculated timings.
For example:
Instead of fasting from 2:30 AM until 9:30 PM (17+ hours), they may estimate based on a region with 12-hour day/night balance.
Practical consideration is, if someone finds 17–18 hour fasting extremely difficult, and sleeping only 2 hours before Fajr is harmful and unsustainable, then they may follow the estimation method, as it has a basis in hadith.
If they choose estimation: They may determine a balanced 12-hour day / 12-hour night model and follow that.
If someone believes: “We will follow actual sunrise and sunset regardless of hardship” then they may do so as well. This is not something people outside that region can decisively impose. The people living there must evaluate their capacity.
If you believe:
“This estimated timing is closer to human ability and has scholarly basis,”
then following it carries no sin.
If you believe:
“We will follow the actual sun timing even if it is difficult,”
then you may do that as well.
The decision lies with you.