Islamic Midnight Calculator
Islamic midnight is the halfway point of the night — halfway from Maghrib to Fajr. It is usually not 12:00 AM. Find tonight's exact midpoint for your city.
Find tonight's Islamic midnight
Times are calculated for planning. If your local mosque or a trusted local timetable gives a different time, follow your local mosque.
What is Islamic midnight?
Midnight in Islam — nisf al-layl, half of the night — is the midpoint of the Islamic night: the moment exactly halfway between Maghrib and the following Fajr. Because Maghrib and Fajr move with the seasons and with your location, Islamic midnight moves too. It is a calculated time, not the fixed 12:00 AM on the clock.
On the worked-example night used across this site — Maghrib at 6:12 PM, Fajr at 5:24 AM — the clock says midnight at 12:00 AM, but Islamic midnight falls at 11:48 PM. On a short summer night the gap can run the other way, with Islamic midnight after 12 AM. Assuming the two are the same is one of the most common timing mistakes in the night prayer.
The midpoint is one output of the same night our tahajjud calculator divides into thirds — this page puts the midpoint itself in front of you.
How it is calculated
One formula: Islamic midnight = Maghrib + (night length ÷ 2). Take the night from Maghrib to the next Fajr — 11 hours 12 minutes in the example — halve it (5 hours 36 minutes), and add it to Maghrib: 6:12 PM + 5 hr 36 min = 11:48 PM. We compute this midpoint ourselves from Maghrib and Fajr on every method, because some calculation libraries define "midnight" from sunset to sunrise instead — a different night, and not the one Islam counts. Our methodology page explains the definitions and sources in full.
Why it matters
Many scholars take Islamic midnight as the end of the preferred, chosen time for praying Isha — the time of necessity then extends to Fajr, and scholars differ on the details, so follow the teaching you trust for the ruling itself. Practically, the midpoint is also the doorway of the night: the first half is over, the second half — ending with the last third — is where the night prayer lives. Knowing the midpoint helps you pace the night: Isha in its preferred time, sleep, then the alarm for the last third.
Islamic midnight vs the last third
| Islamic midnight | Last third of the night | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | One instant: halfway from Maghrib to Fajr | A stretch of time: the final third before Fajr |
| What it marks | End of the preferred Isha time (in the view of many scholars) | The most recommended time for Tahajjud and dua |
| Which you need | For planning Isha and the shape of your night | For setting your alarm — use the last third of the night calculator |
The two ideas meet in the terminology question our guide on Tahajjud vs Qiyam al-Layl untangles: what counts as the night, and what each part of it is for.
Frequently asked questions
What is midnight in Islam?
Islamic midnight is the halfway point of the night — halfway between Maghrib (sunset) and Fajr (dawn). It is a calculated time that moves with the seasons, not the fixed 12:00 AM of the clock. On a night from 6:12 PM to 5:24 AM, Islamic midnight is 11:48 PM.
Is Islamic midnight always before 12 AM?
No. It depends on the night's length and midpoint. In summer, when Maghrib is late and Fajr early, Islamic midnight can fall after 12 AM; in winter it usually falls before. It is before 12 AM only when the night happens to be centred there — which is exactly why a calculator exists.
Does Isha end at Islamic midnight?
Many scholars take Islamic midnight as the end of the preferred (chosen) time for Isha, with the time of necessity extending to Fajr; others differ. We present the midpoint so you can plan; for the ruling you follow, ask a scholar you trust. Tahajjud itself runs from after Isha until Fajr regardless.
How is Islamic midnight calculated?
Add half the night's length to Maghrib. Night length is Maghrib to the next Fajr; half of it, added to Maghrib, is Islamic midnight. This calculator does it from your city's times or from Maghrib and Fajr times you enter yourself, using the same definition on every method.