The Science Behind Salat Timings; Qur’ānic Guidance In The Digital Age - Maulana Syed Muhammad Rizvi

Friday Juma KhutbaFebruary 13th, 2026- We are five days away from the blessed month of Ramaḍān and a slight adjustment to the ṣalāt timings will take effect from the start of the month.- The old timetable, revised in the 1990s in consultation with scholars in Toronto, used astronomical twilight for fajr, but its characteristics were closer to false dawn (al-fajr al-kāzib).- With the availability of Shī‘a-based programs from the LEWA Institute in Qum and the Institute of Geophysics at the University of Tehran, a more refined criterion is now possible.- Based on long-term observation, the LEWA Institute’s standard is preferred because it aligns with what an average person can discern naturally, in line with sharī‘ah principles.- The Open Fajr Project in Birmingham used 360-degree cameras and over 25,000 images to develop an observation-based fajr timetable accepted by both Shī‘a and Sunni mosques.- For now, out of iḥtiyāṭ, LEWA’s fajr time has been adopted for ṣalāt, with imsāk set five minutes earlier to ensure proper fasting.- This adjustment was shared and discussed with scholars of the GTA and reflected in the JCC Ramaḍān guide.- Moving from astronomical fajr to the eschatological fajr, the current global political disorder reflects a world where power operates without moral constraint.- In such times, believers long for the reappearance of Imām al-Mahdi (a) to establish justice and end tyranny, supported by the return of Prophet ‘Īsā (Jesus), who will pray behind him.- The du‘ā from Imām al-Mahdi (a) is divided into a general section and supplications for fifteen segments of society.- After discussing the preamble and themes related to the tongue, heart, belly, and hands, the focus shifted to lowering the gaze.- The misuse of the eyes is a breach of trust, especially in an age of technology where immorality is easily accessible.- The Qur’ānic command in Sūrat al-Nūr (24:30–31) first instructs believing men, then believing women, to lower their gaze and guard their modesty.- Despite scientific advancement, moral decline in gender relations is evident in Western societies, seen in movements like #MeToo and scandals such as the Jeffrey Epstein case.- A ḥadīth qudsī reminds that Allāh has given humans natural restraints—eyelids and lips—to help control the eyes, tongue, and desires from falling into ḥarām.Donate towards our programs today: https://jaffari.org/donate/Jaffari Community Centre (JCC Live)