Auspicious Day and Hour to Open a Shop: How to Calculate It

Among traditional shopkeepers, the phrase "let us open at a blessed hour" is not said lightly. In classical timing science, the opening of a new shop, workshop or company is chosen with care. This science has two main tools: the planets that rule the days of the week, and the planetary hours within each day, known as the auspicious hours.

The Best Days for Trade

In the classical order, each day belongs to a planet. For trade, tradition highlights these days most of all:

• Thursday (Jupiter): Associated with abundance, growth and expansion. It is the day most often recommended for starting a new business.
• Wednesday (Mercury): Known as the planet of buying and selling, accounts, correspondence and agreements. Considered well suited to trade and service businesses.
• Sunday (the Sun): Associated with visibility and reputation. Preferred for businesses that depend on being recognised.

Tuesday (Mars) and Saturday (Saturn), on the other hand, are days the tradition approaches with more caution for a new commercial venture.

The Blessing of the Early Morning

One of the firmest foundations on the subject of timing is a hadith. In a hadith narrated by Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud, the Prophet prayed: "O Allah, bless my community in its early mornings." The same narration relates that its narrator, Sakhr al-Ghamidi, was a merchant who always sent out his caravans early in the morning, and that his wealth grew. This is why the first hours of the morning are considered especially valuable for an opening.

How Are Planetary Hours Calculated?

Planetary hours are not the 60-minute hours on your clock. The calculation works like this:

1. Find the sunrise and sunset times for that day in the city where you will open.
2. Divide the time between them by 12. The result is one "daytime hour" for that day. It is longer than 60 minutes in summer and shorter in winter.
3. The first hour after sunrise belongs to the planet of the day. The following hours continue in this order: Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Sun, Venus, Mercury, Moon, and then back to the start.

Example: On a Thursday, the 1st hour after sunrise is Jupiter, the 2nd Mars, the 3rd the Sun, the 4th Venus, the 5th Mercury, the 6th the Moon, the 7th Saturn, and the 8th is Jupiter again. In other words, Jupiter's influence comes to the fore twice during a Thursday.

This calculation is the same for everyone. In the tradition, however, the real subtlety is personal: the ruling planet of the shop owner's name and the planet of the opening hour should support each other. The same Thursday morning can be a very strong time for one business owner and an ordinary one for another.

Practical Tips for Opening Day

• If possible, time the opening for the first half of the lunar month, when the moon is waxing.
• Begin with the basmala as you open your doors, and make the first sale with the intention of blessing.
• Complete registration, tax and licensing formalities in advance so you are not forced to postpone the opening because of them.

This information is based on traditional timing science. Blessing gains its meaning together with hard work and honest trade.