Prayer Times in Söderhamn, Sweden

The prayer day in Söderhamn

The single thing that shapes prayer times in Söderhamn more than any other is the latitude. In June the sky hardly darkens and Isha is pushed back towards midnight; by December the whole sequence from Fajr to Isha folds into a short winter day.

Why your mosque may differ slightly

The underlying method is Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah. Methods differ mainly over Fajr and Isha, because each authority settles on a slightly different angle of the sun below the horizon — a few minutes either way is normal. Asr here follows the Hanafi reckoning, which places it noticeably later in the afternoon than the other schools would. Where your local mosque differs, follow the mosque — that is the timetable the congregation keeps.

Fasting hours

Suhoor closes at 4:42 am in Söderhamn, with iftar at 3:56 pm. Roughly 11 hours and 14 minutes, going by today's figures. The monthly table further down shows the window widening or narrowing day by day, which helps when planning meals a week ahead.

A quirk of the timezone

True midday in Söderhamn arrives some 25 minutes before what the clock reads. That is why Dhuhr sits at 11:35 am rather than just past midday, and it carries through to Asr, Maghrib and Isha as well. Nothing is wrong with the calculation; timezones are political lines, and the sun does not consult them.

Finding the qibla

From this city the direction is south-south-east, or 148° if you prefer the number. The distance works out to about 4,771 kilometres, or 2,964 miles. If you are marking a permanent direction in a room, check true north rather than trusting a phone compass alone.

From Fajr to Isha

Fajr opens the day at 4:42 am, well before first light. The sun appears at 7:14 am, which ends the Fajr period. After the sun peaks, Dhuhr is prayed at 11:35 am, and Asr at 1:58 pm. The sun goes down at Maghrib, 3:56 pm, and the day ends with Isha at 5:26 pm. That gives Söderhamn roughly 8 hours and 42 minutes of daylight today.

A few things worth knowing