Four labels that describe different things
- Sehri, suhoor or sahur: names for the meal before the daily fast. A “sehri time” column usually means the end of that meal period, so read its heading and notes.
- Fajr or Subuh: the dawn prayer start. On SalahTable, this is the time used for the “Sehri ends” column.
- Imsak: a label that needs the publisher's explanation. Some timetables use it for an earlier precautionary reminder.
- Sunrise: a later solar event, not SalahTable's sehri cutoff.
What does MUIS say about imsak?
In its answer about eating during imsak, Singapore's MUIS describes a ten-minute reminder before Subuh and distinguishes that reminder from the start of the fast at Subuh. This is attributed guidance from that authority, not a universal definition of every timetable's imsak column.
For example, if a publisher specifies “imsak ten minutes before Fajr” and lists Fajr at 5:30 AM, its reminder would be 5:20 AM. That arithmetic is an illustration, not a Singapore prayer time. Do not subtract ten minutes from every app's result and assume the result is an official local schedule.
A worked example from SalahTable
For Singapore on 2027-02-08, the expected first day of Ramadan 2027 under the Umm al-Qura calendar, our calculation gives the following times. These are estimates using the Singapore preset, not a reproduction of MUIS's official timetable or a moon-sighting announcement.
| Label on SalahTable | Calculated time | Meaning in this tool |
|---|---|---|
| Sehri ends / Fajr | 5:58 AM | The same calculated dawn instant |
| Sunrise | 7:17 AM | Listed separately; not the sehri cutoff |
No separate imsak time is calculated here. Open the Singapore Ramadan timetable for the full month or Singapore for today's prayer starts.
Why an app and a printed timetable can disagree
First check whether one column is Fajr and the other is a precautionary reminder. Then check the local date, coordinates and method. Different Fajr settings can change the dawn estimate even when neither table adds an imsak reminder; our 15° versus 18° comparison illustrates that effect.
A mosque's Fajr congregation may begin after its listed Fajr start. The later congregation time is not a replacement for the earlier dawn entry when reading a fasting timetable.
Before using a sehri time
- Confirm the city, local date and time zone.
- Read the publisher's definitions for imsak and Fajr.
- Check which method or authority the timetable follows.
- Use the local Ramadan announcement to identify the fasting dates.
Follow your local authority's published guidance for practice. For a question about a particular fast, consult a qualified religious adviser; this guide explains timetable labels.