The problem you have set forth faces Muslims living in the high latitudes of North America, northern Europe, Russia, and the areas near the two poles. Scholars have discussed this problem and presented solutions for it. Following are their views in detail, as mentioned in the book Min fiqh al-Aqaliyyat al-Muslimah by Khalid Muhammad `Abdul-Qader, who writes: “Undoubtedly, it is known to every Muslim that Prayer (Salah) is the second of the five pillars of Islam and that Allah enjoined performing five Prayers every night and day (i.e. every twenty-four hour period) on every sane adult Muslim who is informed about their times. Scholars unanimously agree that whoever denies the obligatory nature of Prayer is, surely, a disbeliever.
Due to the great importance of Prayer in Islam, Islamic Shari`ah warned those who neglect performing Prayer of Allah’s severe punishment. Allah says: “Now there hath succeeded them a later generation who have ruined worship and have followed lusts. But they will meet deception.” (Maryam: 49)
In addition, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: ” Between man and polytheism and unbelief is the abandonment of prayer.” (Reported by Muslim)
There are some issues that Muslims living in non-Muslim countries should be acquainted with:
1. The times (mawaqit) of Prayer
Under this issue fall the following points: The definition of miqat (time of Prayer) and the times set for Prayers in countries at moderate as well as extreme latitudes.
Linguistically, the Arabic word “miqat” is derived from “waqqata”, which means to specify a fixed time. Thus, miqat is the time fixed for Prayer. The plural of miqat is “mawaqit”, which refers to the specified times. Technically, the word miqat means the time fixed by Allah for people to perform Prayers.
2. The fixed times of Prayer in countries at moderate latitudes
By this, I mean countries lying in regions in which day and night are distinguished from each other during every twenty-four hours.
Specifying the times of Prayers in these countries is stated in the following Prophetic Hadith narrated by Imam Muslim in his Sahih: A person asked the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) about the time of Prayer. Upon this he (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Pray with us these two (days).” The Prophet commanded Bilal to pronounce iqamah for the Fajr Prayer at the break of the dawn while people could not clearly see one another. When the sun passed the meridian, he commanded Bilal to call (the adhan) to Prayer, then he commanded him and pronounced iqamah for Zuhr Prayer. (Then at the time of the afternoon Prayer) he again commanded him and iqamah for the `Asr (afternoon) Prayer was pronounced, when the sun was high, white and clear. He then (later) commanded him and iqamah for the Maghrib (sunset) Prayer was pronounced when the sun had set. He then (later) commanded him and iqamah for the `Isha’ (night) Prayer was pronounced when the twilight had disappeared. He then (later) commanded him and iqamah for the Fajr (morning) Prayer was pronounced when the dawn appeared. When it was the next day, he commanded him to delay the Zuhr Prayer till the extreme heat had passed and he did so, and he allowed it to be delayed till the extreme heat had passed. He observed the `Asr Prayer when the sun was high, delaying it beyond the time he had previously observed it. He observed the Maghrib Prayer before the twilight had vanished. He observed the `Isha’ Prayer when a third of the night had passed. He (peace and blessings be upon him) then said, “Where is the man who inquired about the time of Prayer?” He (the inquirer) said: “Messenger of Allah, here I am.” He (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “The time for your Prayer is within the limits of what you have seen.”
3. Determining the times of Prayers in countries at high latitudes
The Prophetic Hadiths pertaining to specifying the times of Prayer are confined to lands at low and moderate latitudes, such as the Arabian Peninsula where the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) lived. But how can the times of Prayers be specified in countries at high latitudes where the length of day and night are not nearly equal as at moderate latitudes?
At high latitudes, such as near the poles and the extreme north of North America, Europe and Asia, the sun never sets below the horizon in summer and never rises above it in winter, so that the cycle of light and dark takes a year. In some countries the time of the `Isha’ Prayer coincides (or nearly so) with the time of the Fajr Prayer during certain months of the year. This occurs in lands above 84 degrees north or south of the equator.
Scholars unanimously agreed that praying `Isha’ (Night Prayer) is obligatory on the people living in countries in which the time of `Isha’, which starts with the disappearance of the twilight, cannot be specified. They use as evidence the generality of the texts enjoining the performing of five Prayers a day (i.e. a twenty-four hour period) as a prescribed duty, without referring to the differences in times between areas. Moreover, scholars depend on the Prophetic Hadith that relates that at the time of Al-Dajjal (the Antichrist), measures of time will be extraordinarily changed and times will never be easily distinguished. Thus, the Prophet ordained that the times of Prayers be estimated, demonstrating that performing Prayers is generally obligatory, whether their time can be determined or not.
4. Specifying the times of Prayers in the latitude countries
In these countries, the times of Prayer should be estimated, as stated in the Prophetic Hadith about Al-Dajjal. Hence, the five Prayers should be performed every twenty- hours depending on the fixed times of Prayer in the nearest countries where the times of the five daily Prayers can be easily distinguished from one another. Furthermore, the intervals between the Prayers should be taken into consideration in estimating the times of Prayer. Likewise, other religious rulings regarding iddah (the waiting period for the divorced woman), fasting, and paying Zakah should follow the same rules of estimation according to the nearest moderate-latitude areas.
Sheikh Muhammad Rida said the following: ‘Is it possible that Allah might enjoin on people living in areas near the two poles to perform only five Prayers throughout the day (i.e. daylight) there, which may be as long as one year or some months? Never! One of the most obvious proofs that the Qur’an is revealed by Allah the All-Knowing is that it gives general rules which are not restricted to only one time or place. Thus, the Qur’anic verses regarding Prayers are general. In addition, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) specified their fixed times in countries of moderate latitude, which constitutes the greatest part of the earth. But, as Islam has been propagated in countries in high latitudes, then people living there should estimate the times of Prayer depending on their personal reasoning, as pointed out by the Prophetic Hadith about Al-Dajjal. But what countries should they follow for their fixed times of Prayer? One opinion is that the fixed times of Prayers in areas of moderate latitudes in which religious rules were prescribed, such as Makkah and Medina, should be the criteria on which times of Prayers should be estimated. Another opinion is that times of Prayer in high latitudes should be estimated according to the timing of the nearest moderate latitude areas. Anyway, acting on either of these two opinions is permissible, for both of them are drawn by personal reasoning that is not based on religious texts.’
In addition, in its twelfth session, the Board of Grand Scholars in Saudi Arabia issued a fatwa that Muslims living in extreme latitudes should estimate the times of Prayers in accordance with the nearest moderate latitude area in which the times are easily distinguishable.
I see that both opinions are equally correct and beneficial, on condition that all Muslims living in any of those areas agree on choosing one particular town to follow in estimating times of Prayers, so that the times of Prayer are not different in one town, in the sense that one group of people follow the timing of Makkah while others follow the timing of the nearest moderate latitude area, for thus dissension and disputes might arise among Muslims, which are prohibited.”