We calculate time in relation to the rotation of the Earth with reference to the Sun, which is the largest and brightest object that all of us can see in the sky. The Qur’aan says that all celestial bodies float in their orbits in space (Q.36: 40) under certain calculations. So the Sun too is moving according to the Qur’aan. We know our time only in relation to the Sun.
Perhaps the most important thing in our life is time. The time lost cannot be regained. So our time must be spent with utmost care. For this we should plan our affairs in advance and carry out the programs chalked out using a reliable calendar in which the dates should never change. Islam gives certain rules to guide us in this venture. Islam teaches us how to manage time by appointing 5 prayers that must be performed in a day, punctually at the fixed timings. The prayer timings were measured in the days of the Prophet (saw) using the shadow of an object cast by the Sun. The watches of the present day were not available to them.
The Zuhar prayer is performed when the shadow disappears or when it is shortest and the Sun is on the meridian, after the first declination of the Sun, – that is when the Sun has passed 90 degrees, the Asar prayer, after the shadow equals the object, – that is when the Sun has passed 135 degrees, the Magrib prayer, after sunset, – that is when the Sun has passed 180 degrees, the Isha prayer when the glare of the setting Sun has disappeared, – that is when the Sun has passed 202.5 degrees and the Fajre prayer, when the first rays of the rising Sun appear, – that is when the Sun has passed 337.5 degrees if the Sun is taken to be at 0 degree at the beginning on one’s horizon at sea level. (This is the basis of time. This will be correct on the day of equinox, on the equator. The other details are not given here.) The Qur’aan explains this in the verse 17:78 (see the diagram No: 1)
It will be interesting to note that the period of night 9hours equals the distance from the Kiblah to the Meeqatul Kiblah. The last time to confirm the onset of Ramadan at Makkah, the Center of Islam is their Sahar time (last part of the night). At this time the last sunset of the day takes place at Central America and it is noon at the Mathla’h, (the date line) where the first Jumu’a prayer is performed. The distance from the Kiblah to Central America is 9hours. Thus the Kiblah (Ka’aba) is placed in the middle of the world.
Our time is dependent upon the Sun’s angle in relation to our horizon. We have converted all these angles to our watches. We can tell the Sun’s angle in hours, minutes and seconds without looking at the Sun or its shadow. There is no difficulty in telling our time even when the Sun is not visible for days together because its movement is subject to certain calculations. The Qur’aan says: “The Sun and the Moon are with calculation” (55:5)
We cannot record the count of our time in minutes or hours because the figures will grow too long. Pages will be required to write them down. So we have devised a method and use the date, which is comprised of days, months and years to make the recording easy. A date stands in place of a particular day of the week, month and year. A day has 24 hours and a week 7 days, which have numbers or names having the same meaning in different languages. They are 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, Jumu’a and 7th day in the Islamic calendar and in English Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday and all people in the world recognize this. The most important day for the Muslims is the Jumu’a or Friday on which all Muslims in a town must perform the Jumu’a prayer at noon in congregation. There is no Zuhar prayer on Friday.