Zawal Time Karachi Today – Makrooh Namaz Times

Zawal time in Karachi today starts at 11:36 AM and ends at 12:15 PM, when Zuhr time begins (Wednesday, 4 November 2026). The other makrooh times today are at sunrise, from 6:41 AM to 6:56 AM, and before sunset, from 5:35 PM to 5:50 PM. According to the Hanafi school, no namaz should be started in these three windows, including fard, qaza, nafl and Janaza.

Zawal Time in Karachi – November 2026 Timetable

Here are the Zawal start and end times for every day of this month in Karachi, together with the sunrise and sunset makrooh windows. Today's row is highlighted. Zawal moves by only a few seconds each day, but over a few weeks the change adds up, so it is worth checking the exact date rather than relying on a time you remember.

What Is Zawal Time?

Zawal is an Arabic word meaning "decline". In Islamic terms it refers to the moment the sun passes its highest point in the sky and begins to move down towards the west. Just before that moment, when the sun stands at its peak, is called istiwa (standing straight). The Prophet ﷺ forbade starting a prayer while the sun is at its height, and Zuhr time only begins once the sun has started to decline. This is why the end of Zawal time and the start of Zuhr time are exactly the same moment.

Zawal happens every day, but not at the same clock time. In Karachi it is earliest in late October and early November, at around 12:15 PM, and latest in mid-February, at around 12:46 PM. This shift has nothing to do with daylight saving, which Pakistan does not use. It happens because the Earth's orbit is slightly oval and its axis is tilted, so the sun reaches its highest point a little earlier or later than 12:00 depending on the time of year. Karachi's position at about 67° east, west of the 75° line that Pakistan Standard Time is based on, also pushes every Zawal time later than noon.

Why Zawal Time on This Page Is About 40 Minutes Long

If you compare websites and apps, you will see two very different Zawal times for Karachi. Some show a single moment, or a short window of 5 to 10 minutes around noon. Others, like this page and most Pakistani timetables, show a window that starts around 39 minutes before Zuhr. Both are based on real scholarly opinions:

• Istiwa (the strict moment): the sun is at its highest point for only a few minutes before it starts to decline. This is the core forbidden time agreed upon by the scholars.
• Dahwa-e-Kubra to Zuhr (the cautious window): many Hanafi scholars of the subcontinent take the Islamic day as running from Subh Sadiq to sunset. Its midpoint, called Dahwa-e-Kubra or Nisf al-Nahar Shar'i, falls well before solar noon. Because people cannot see the exact moment of istiwa, they treat the whole period from Dahwa-e-Kubra until Zuhr as Zawal time and avoid praying in it as a precaution.

This page uses the cautious window: Zawal starts at Dahwa-e-Kubra, the midpoint between Fajr (Subh Sadiq, the sun 18° below the horizon) and sunset, and ends when Zuhr begins. This is the same method used by HamariWeb and most published Karachi timetables, so the times here match what you will see in local mosques. If you follow the stricter view, the moments to absolutely avoid are the last few minutes before the Zawal end time shown.

The Three Makrooh Times for Namaz

Sayyiduna Uqbah ibn Amir (RA) reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ forbade praying, and burying the dead, at three times: as the sun is rising until it is fully up, when the sun is at its height at midday until it passes the meridian, and as the sun is setting until it has set (Sahih Muslim). These three windows are the strictest makrooh times in the day:

1. Sunrise: from the moment the sun's edge appears until it has risen about a spear's length above the horizon. This is usually taken as 15 to 20 minutes after sunrise. In Karachi today: 6:41 AM to 6:56 AM.
2. Zawal (midday): while the sun is at its highest point, until it begins to decline. In Karachi today: 11:36 AM to 12:15 PM.
3. Sunset: from the time the sun turns pale yellow and can be looked at easily until it has fully set. This is usually taken as the last 15 to 20 minutes before sunset. In Karachi today: 5:35 PM to 5:50 PM.

The scholars explain that these are the times when sun-worshippers bowed to the sun. Muslims are kept away from praying at these exact moments so that their worship can never resemble worship of the sun.

Two More Times When Nafl Namaz Is Makrooh

As well as the three times above, the Prophet ﷺ said there is no prayer after Fajr until the sun rises, and no prayer after Asr until the sun sets (Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim). These two periods are different from the first three in an important way: they depend on when you pray, not just on the clock.

• After the Fajr fard until sunrise: once you have prayed the two fard of Fajr, you should not pray any nafl until the sunrise makrooh time has passed. Before the Fajr fard, after Subh Sadiq, only the two sunnah of Fajr should be prayed.
• After the Asr fard until sunset: once you have prayed Asr, you should not pray any nafl until Maghrib.

In the Hanafi school, qaza prayers and Janaza are still allowed in these two periods, as long as you are not inside the three strict times. Only voluntary (nafl) prayers are disliked. So someone who prays Fajr at 5:30 AM can still pray a missed Isha as qaza at 6:00 AM, as long as it is before sunrise.

What Is Not Allowed During Zawal, Sunrise and Sunset (Hanafi Rulings)

Most people in Karachi follow the Hanafi school, which is strict about the three makrooh times. Starting any of the following prayers inside them is makrooh tahrimi, close to forbidden:

• Fard and qaza prayers, including making up a missed Fajr or Zuhr.
• Nafl and sunnah prayers, such as Ishraq, Chasht, Tahiyyat al-Masjid or Tahiyyat al-Wudu.
• Wajib prayers, such as a vowed (nazr) prayer.
• Namaz-e-Janaza, unless the body was brought for prayer during that time. In that case it may be prayed immediately, but a Janaza that was ready earlier should not be delayed into a makrooh time.
• Sajda-e-Tilawat, unless the verse of prostration was itself recited during that time.

There are two well-known exceptions in Hanafi fiqh. First, that day's Asr may still be prayed in the sunset makrooh time if it has not been prayed yet, although delaying it until then is a sin. Second, the opposite applies at sunrise: if the sun rises while you are praying Fajr, the prayer is not valid, and you must wait until the makrooh time is over and pray it again as qaza.

Shafi and Other Schools of Thought

The other Sunni schools agree that these times are disliked, but differ in the details. In the Shafi school, prayers that have a specific reason, such as a qaza prayer, Janaza, Tahiyyat al-Masjid or the two rakat after wudu, are allowed even in the makrooh times. The Shafi school also allows nafl prayer at Zawal on Friday, and in the Haram of Makkah at any time. Followers of the Ahle Hadith view generally follow a similar approach and also permit prayers with a reason. If you follow one of these schools, ask a scholar of your own school about your situation. The times on this page are the same for everyone; only the rulings differ.

What You Can Do During Zawal Time

Zawal is a time to pause prayer, not worship. You can spend it in many other kinds of ibadah:

• Reciting the Quran, or listening to it.
• Dhikr and tasbeeh, such as SubhanAllah, Alhamdulillah and Allahu Akbar.
• Durood (salawat) on the Prophet ﷺ.
• Making dua in your own words.
• Making wudu and getting ready, so you can pray Zuhr, or Jummah on Friday, as soon as Zawal ends.
• Reading tafseer, hadith or other beneficial Islamic books.

Zawal Time and Jummah in Karachi

On Fridays, Zawal matters even more, because Jummah is prayed in Zuhr time and cannot begin before Zawal has ended. The first azan for Jummah in Karachi mosques is usually called after Zawal, followed by the Urdu bayan, the sunnah prayers, the Arabic khutbah and then the jamaat. That is why most Karachi mosques hold the Jummah jamaat between 1:30 PM and 2:00 PM, well after Zawal ends at around 12:15 PM. If you reach the mosque early, avoid starting Tahiyyat al-Masjid or other nafl until Zawal time is over. You can see today's Zuhr, Asr and the other prayer times on our Karachi prayer time page.

How Zawal Time Changes Through the Year in Karachi

The table below shows the Zawal window and the sunrise and sunset makrooh times on the 1st of every month in 2026. The earliest Zawal end of the year in Karachi is 12:15 PM (around 29 October) and the latest is 12:46 PM (around 3 February). Zawal start ranges from 11:36 AM in October to 12:07 PM in February, because longer summer days push Dahwa-e-Kubra earlier.

Around June, when the days are longest, the Zawal window grows to about 45 minutes. It is shortest around the equinoxes in March and October, at about 38 minutes. Sunrise and sunset move much more: by about an hour and a half between December and June. That is why a printed timetable for one season will be wrong for another.

Ishraq and Chasht – Praying After the Makrooh Time

Two popular nafl prayers fall between the sunrise makrooh time and Zawal. Ishraq can be prayed once the sunrise makrooh window is over, which in Karachi today is from 6:56 AM. Many people wait 20 minutes after sunrise to be safe. Chasht (Salat al-Duha) can be prayed later in the morning, and its time ends when Zawal begins at 11:36 AM. The best part of Chasht is when the morning has warmed up, roughly a quarter of the way between sunrise and Zawal.

How These Times Are Calculated

All the times on this page are worked out for Karachi's coordinates in Pakistan Standard Time (UTC+5) and update automatically every day:

• Sunrise and sunset are the moments the upper edge of the sun touches the horizon, allowing for atmospheric refraction.
• Sunrise makrooh lasts 15 minutes from sunrise, and sunset makrooh covers the 15 minutes before sunset.
• Zawal start is Dahwa-e-Kubra, the midpoint between Subh Sadiq (sun 18° below the horizon, the Karachi standard for Fajr) and sunset.
• Zawal end is true solar noon, when the sun crosses the meridian and Zuhr time begins.

Within Karachi, from Malir and Korangi to Orangi and North Karachi, the times differ by less than a minute, so these times apply across the city.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Zawal time in Karachi today?

Today, Wednesday, 4 November 2026, Zawal in Karachi starts at 11:36 AM and ends at 12:15 PM, when Zuhr time begins.

What are the makrooh times for namaz in Karachi today?

Today's three makrooh times in Karachi are sunrise (6:41 AM – 6:56 AM), Zawal (11:36 AM – 12:15 PM) and sunset (5:35 PM – 5:50 PM).

Can I pray qaza namaz during Zawal time?

No. According to the Hanafi school, no namaz at all may be started during the three makrooh times — sunrise, Zawal and sunset — including qaza, nafl, wajib and Janaza prayers. Wait until Zawal ends and Zuhr begins, then offer your qaza.

How long is Zawal time in Karachi?

On this page Zawal runs from Dahwa-e-Kubra until the start of Zuhr, which in Karachi is about 38 to 46 minutes depending on the season. The strictly forbidden moment of istiwa, when the sun is exactly at its highest, lasts only a few minutes just before Zuhr begins.

Is it allowed to recite the Quran during Zawal time?

Yes. The prohibition applies to namaz, not to the Quran, dhikr, durood or dua. You can recite the Quran, make dua and do tasbeeh during Zawal and every other makrooh time.

Does Zawal time apply on Friday?

In the Hanafi school, yes: Zawal is makrooh on Friday like every other day, and Jummah can only be prayed once Zawal has ended and Zuhr time has begun. The Shafi school makes an exception for nafl prayer at Zawal on Friday.

What happens if the sun rises while I am praying Fajr?

According to Hanafi fiqh, if the sun rises during the Fajr prayer, that prayer is not valid. Wait until the sunrise makrooh time has passed, about 15 to 20 minutes, and then offer Fajr as qaza.

Can I pray Asr when the sun is about to set?

Delaying Asr until the sun turns yellow is makrooh, but if you have not yet prayed that day's Asr, the Hanafi school says you should still pray it before sunset rather than miss it. No other namaz may be started in that time.