Minbar prayer calculation algorithms
4th January 2008 - 16687 Reads
I have received many emails about Minbar’s prayer calculation method. First, one thing I would like to make sure everyone understands is that Minbar is not supposed to replace a real human Athan call. It is software, and it may have errors and bugs, so make really sure that you check your times with your local mosque and see if Minbar conforms with them. If they don’t, let me know.
Don’t forget to try to change the calculation method and see if the software produces correct times: you can change the calculation method in the second tab of the preferences dialog:
So far, the countries with the most problems are the far east countries: Indonesia and Malaysia. I have received many emails from these two countries. I would like to let you know that I acknowledge this problem and I will work on solving it. I take correct prayer times very seriously and will do my utmost to resolve it.
Minbar uses libitl for its prayer calculation. I have not written libitl, so I am planning to do a code overhaul and look at the correctness and authenticity of the implementation. This may take time, so I apologise for this in advance. In the mean time, feel free to always send me an email when you notice a calculation error; include in your report:
- Your city details: Altitude, Longitude, Latitude, name, country.
- Your country’s time zone.
- The times that Minbar gives you for your city.
- The date.
- Your country’s calculation method: if you know it.
- Your country’s Madhab.
January 4th, 2008 at 4:11 pm
Removing these lines from file prayer.c (line 695) in libitl0 source code solve the problem for me:
if (part1
January 4th, 2008 at 4:24 pm
The code that Xlylith wanted to put is this (he sent me an email)
/*mm if (part1 < 1 || Lat < 0) part1 = mathhab - tan(DEG_TO_RAD(Lat) - dec); mm*/I’ll follow up.
January 4th, 2008 at 11:14 pm
To where I have to report? Is there any bug reporting facility here? Or just type here?
Ashr time problem :
localtime: 15.15
itl-time: 13.58
Latitude: -7.8
Longitude: 110.37
City: Jogjakarta, Indonesia
January 15th, 2008 at 12:55 pm
Assalamualaikum,
I already installed Minbar 0.2 but still have bug.
1. Find for our City [Jakarta] found indonesia in Australia&Ocean List not in Asia, we must correction Indonesia is Asia
2. For Ashr Time is late,
I use Prayer Time (plugn mozilla) : Asr Time = 15:27 with Muslim Worl League Method
But I use Minbar : Asr Time = 14:18 with Muslim World Method –> this is wrong time
Jakarta :
Latitude = -6.12
Logitude = 106.65
Time = +7
I mean this problem since minbar 0.1 version, How to fixed this bug ?
January 23rd, 2008 at 12:09 pm
Farid:
1. I will look this up with the creators of the list, which are GNOME applets developers.
2. Yes, unfortunately, I have acknowledged this. Look up the subsequent posts in http://djihed.com/minbar
Djihed
February 29th, 2008 at 7:54 am
Asalaamu alaikum,
I have the problem that minbar seems to seize the sound channel. For example if I have realplayer working, then after an Athan, realplayer will no longer output sound.
Anyone else have that problem? Or have a fix?
WAS
March 4th, 2008 at 5:30 am
Assalamu’alaikum WrWb.,
Brother Martin, i have the same problems as well as you have.
After an athan all the sounds will no longer heard.
Brother Djihed, how was it….?
Also i have the same problems with brother Farid (questions no.4), as i lived in Bogor, 60 km from Jakarta.
Wass,
Tegap
March 9th, 2008 at 6:33 pm
SalaamAllakum,
May Allah bless you for your efforts, brother.
I’m still using Minbar 0.1 because 0.2 won’t install on Ubuntu Feisty for some reason. I’m fine with that because I’m using a cronjob to switch between the adthans. Everything was working fine, Alhamdilllah, until recently with the Daylight Savings Time. Minbar is still showing the old adthan times even though we’re now an hour ahead in the USA. I’m guessing this has something to do with libitl. Any thoughts on how I can fix it?
Jazakhallahar and SalaamAllakum,
NMC
April 6th, 2008 at 8:59 am
timings are wrong
i am in edirne
http://www.diyanet.gov.tr/turkish/vakithes_namazsonuc.asp
this page shows goverments pray hours
i am in edirne turkey
http://www.islamicfinder.org/cityPrayerD.php?city=edirne&country=turkey&home=2008-4-6
i checked coordinates forum that page
and
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=116867048083452509298.000001129af3561a40a4b&ll=41.63546,26.614552&spn=0.05273,0.103683&z=13
this isthe google map adress
how can i find coordinates for keeping programes hours same as goverment hours?
April 13th, 2008 at 8:13 pm
I sent an e-mail but go no response, so I thought of leaving a comment here, the Minbar program works fine for the winter prayer times, however as of March - October when the clock changes to the summer clock, it still works 1 hour behind. I think that the program either needs to allow users to manipulate the time manually (which they can check for the correct time at masjids etc, this will eliminate a lot of the problems. ) Right now mine is working an hour ahead of the prayer times because it doesn’t recognise daylight savings and there is no facility for me to manually insert the prayer time.
April 13th, 2008 at 10:02 pm
Safiyyah, sorry for not getting back to your email as I am pretty swamped with a long baclklog of emails.
Not recognising daylight savings is indeed a problem, but there is an easy fix by adjusting the clock under preferences. Just change the time zone by adding or subtracting 1 as needed.
Which is indeed what you referred to as “manipulate the time manually”, it is possible in the current application. Have you checked under preferences?
April 14th, 2008 at 9:41 pm
Thank you Djihed, that worked well for me!!! Am a happy bunny again.
May 14th, 2008 at 6:24 pm
Hi Djihed,
Wondering if there is a way to play specific Athans only? I want Minbar to alert me for Fajr, Dhuhr and Maghrib. How can I do this?
Thanks!
June 14th, 2008 at 10:15 am
Salam Hussain,
Hmm, that is not possible at the moment unfortunately. I think I should offer this in the next version. Thanks for your comment.
Djihed
June 26th, 2008 at 5:32 am
Hi, assalamu alaikum…
i understand minbar is not using the altitude information for calculation of prayer time.. one source of error may be this..