Al-Afaq: Jurnal Ilmu Falak dan Astronomi
Vol. 8 No. 1 (2026): Juni 2026

Astronomical Review of the Beginning of Prayer Times Before Isra’ Mi’raj

Fiya Faridatul Afidah (Universitas Islam Negeri Walisongo)



Article Info

Publish Date
01 May 2026

Abstract

Before Isra’ Mi’raj, the Prophet Muhammad and his companions had already performed night prayer as well as prayers in the morning and evening, which had roots in the traditions of earlier prophets. However, studies on the determination of the beginning of prayer times prior to Isra’ Mi’raj remain rarely examined, particularly from the perspective of Islamic astronomy (falak). This research aims to trace the historical and astronomical foundations of the beginning of prayer times before Isra’ Mi’raj. The method used is library research employing historical-textual and astronomical approaches. The results of the study show that before the obligation of the five daily prayers, prayer had already been prescribed with cosmic signs such as the alternation of day and night, where the night prayer was associated with one-third to two-thirds of the night, the morning prayer coincided with the emergence of the true dawn (fajr ṣādiq) on the eastern horizon, and the evening prayer occurred before sunset. This study confirms that from the beginning, the prescription of prayer has been closely related to astronomical phenomena that can be directly observed.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

afaq

Publisher

Subject

Astronomy Earth & Planetary Sciences Law, Crime, Criminology & Criminal Justice Social Sciences

Description

Jurnal Al-Afaq merupakan jurnal yang dibentuk oleh Prodi Ilmu Falak Fakultas Syariah Universitas Islam Negeri (UIN) Mataram. Jurnal ini membahas keilmuan Ilmu Falak terkait kajian arah kiblat, Hisab dan Rukyah awal Bulan Hijriah, Kalender Dunia dan Fenomena Gerhana. Selain itu, jurnal Al-Afaq juga ...