Outline
- Introduction
- Related Articles
- What’s the Sunnah of Fajr Prayer
- The Significance of the Sunnah of Fajr Prayer
- When is It Performed
- How is It Performed
Introduction
The real journey in pursuit for salvation for the son of Adam begins after he submits to Allah and embraces Islam, with its rituals, rules and principles. The most frequently observed act of worship that Allah has prescribed upon him is prayer (ṣalāh). Thus, he’s obliged to observe prayers five times a day.
However, besides the five-times daily prayers, there are supererogatory prayers that he’s strongly encouraged to observe. The most famous of them are four:
- Qiyāmullayl
- Witr Prayer
- The Sunnah of Fajr Prayer
- Ḍuḥā Prayer
This article focuses on the Sunnah of Fajr prayer. Its significance, how it’s performed and when it’s performed.
Related Articles
As for Qiyāmullayl, GSalam. Net has a few articles that comprehensively guide you to observe Qiyāmullayl… Check them out in the following:
- The Significance, Effects and Guidelines of Qiyāmullayl
- Qiyāmullayl… Its Enhancers, Etiquettes and Stories
- Qiyāmullayl in Ramadan… The Experience and the Lessons…
As for Witr Prayer, you can check out its article here.
And as for the Ḍuḥā Prayer, you can check out its article here.
Now, now let’s move on to find out what the Sunnah of Fajr prayer is.
What’s the Sunnah of Fajr Prayer
The Sunnah of Fajr Prayer is a form of prayer (ṣalāh) that is performed in the form of two raka’ahs. It’s same as the one you do between adhān and Iqāmah. Remember?
The Significance of the Sunnah of Fajr Prayer Articles
Although it’s similar to any supererogatory prayer, the Sunnah of Fajr Prayer is the most emphasised Sunnah among all of them. It comes after [Witr prayer](https://wp.me/p1aZFD-1Ak) in its strength of emphasis. So much so that, the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam would never miss it. Neither when at home, nor when in a voyage.
Imām al-Bukhārī and Muslim report from the narration of Sayyidatunā ‘Ā’ishah raḍiya Allāhu ’anhā who says:
لَمْ يَكُنْ اَلنَّبِيُّ - صلى الله عليه وسلم -عَلَى شَيْءٍ مِنْ اَلنَّوَافِلِ أَشَدَّ تَعَاهُدًا مِنْهُ عَلَى رَكْعَتَيْ اَلْفَجْرِ
“The Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam was more particular about offering the two (optional) Raka’ahs at dawn than he was about offering any of the other optional prayers. [Agreed upon].”
Sayyidah ‘Ā’ishah raḍiya Allāhu ’anhā also narrates as reported by Imām Muslim, that the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam says:
رَكْعَتَا الْفَجْرِ خَيْرٌ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا وَمَا فِيهَا
“The two raka’ahs at dawn are better than this world and what it contains.”
If anything is so important to you that you can wake up as early as 3am or 4am in pursuit for it, then know that these two raka’ahs of the Sunnah of Fajr prayers entitles you for something bigger and more valuable than that.
When is the Sunnah of Fajr Prayer Performed
The sunnah of Fajr prayer is performed after the adhān (or after the second adhān) that indicates the arrival of the time for Fajr prayers. In other words, between the adhān and the iqāmah of Ṣubḥ prayer.
If in the event, you oversleep and wake up after sunrise, you can still pray the sunnah of the Fajr prayer and then come up with your Ṣubḥ prayer.
Likewise, if you come to the mosque for Ṣubḥ prayer before performing your sunnah of the Fajr prayer, only to find that the congregation (Jamā’ah has started praying the Ṣubḥ, you can join the Jamā’ah first, in fact, you must join the Jamā’ah first, and then after the Ṣubḥ prayer is over, you can make up for your sunnah of Fajr prayer.
The Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam once saw one of his companions praying after they have finished Ṣubḥ prayers. When the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam asked him why he was praying again, he answered that he missed his sunnah of Fajr prayers, and was making up for it. The Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam didn’t say anything, and that indicates an approval.
How is the Sunnah of Fajr Prayer Performed
The Prophet Muhammad ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam would pray them with shorter verses, and would not prolong or spend longer time in it.
It’s reported that he, ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam would read Surah Al-Kāfirūn in the first raka’ah and Surah al-Ikhlāṣ in the second raka’ah.
There’s another narration that the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam would read verse 136 of Al-Baqarah in the first raka’ah and verse 52 or 64 of Sūrah āl-‘Imrān in the second raka’ah.
This gives you a variety of options to read for your Sunnah of Fajr prayers. However, you can opt for any other Surahs or verses of your choice. But it’s still better to follow in the footsteps of the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam.
Until the next post, I leave you in Allah’s protection.
Allah knows best.
Allahu Hafiz 🙂
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