Fajr prayer

The Fajr prayer (Arabic: صلاة الفجر ṣalāt al-faǧr, "dawn prayer") is one of the five mandatory salah (Islamic prayer). As an Islamic day starts at sunset, the Fajr prayer is technically the third prayer of the day.[1] If counted from midnight, it is the first prayer of the day.[2][3]

The Fajr prayer is mentioned by name in the Quran at sura 24 (An-Nur) ayah.[4] Inspired by the tafsir of the two hadiths that were transmitted on behalf of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, the worth of the Fajr daily prayer is explained as being God's most-favoured prayer since others are asleep.

During the Muslim holy month of Ramadan the start of Fajr prayer time marks the beginning of the obligatory daily fasting (sawm).

Al-Fajr is also the name of eighty-ninth chapter (sura) of the Qur'an.

The five daily prayers collectively are one pillar of the Five Pillars of Islam, in Sunni Islam, and one of the ten Practices of the Religion (Furū al-Dīn) according to Shia Islam.

Name variations

Region/countryLanguageMain
Arab WorldArabicصلاة الفجر
(Ṣalāt al-Fajr/Ṣalāt al-Sobh)
Iran, Afghanistan, TajikistanPersian, Dari, Tajikنماز بامداد، نماز صبح
(Namâz-e Sobh/Namâz-e Bâmdâd)
India, PakistanUrdu, Hindiنمازِ فجر، فجر

फ़ज्र/नमाज़-ए फ़ज्र
(Fajr/ namâz-e-Fajr)

KashmirKashmiriصبحِچ نِماز
TurkeyTurkishSabah namazı
AzerbaijanAzeriSübh namazı
Albania, KosovoAlbanianNamazi i sabahut, Namaz i mëngjesit
BalkansSerbo-CroatianSabah-namaz
BengalBengaliফজরের নামাজ (Fojor er Namaj)
Nigeria, NigerHausaSallar Fajr (Subhi)
PolandPolishFadżr
Greater SomaliaSomaliSalaada Fajar, Salaada Subax
Malay ArchipelagoIndonesian, Malay, Javanese, SundaneseSalat subuh, Solat subuh
UzbekistanUzbekBômdôd namôzi
Iraqi KurdistanSoraniنوێژی بەیانی
KazakhstanKazakhТаң намазы (Tań namazy)

Format

The Fajr prayer consists of two rakat (prescribed movements). In a congregation, the leader of the prayer (imam) recites aloud. However, two sunnah rakaʿāt prior to the two Fard rakaʿāt are highly recommended and named Fajr nafl prayer.

The time period within which the Fajr daily prayer must be offered (with loud recitation of the quran) is from the beginning of dawn[5] to sunrise.[6]

List of hadith mentioning Fajr

The following quotations regarding Fajr, the Islamic dawn prayer, are from books of Sunni hadith. These books relate accounts taken from the life of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, his family, and his companions. They were compiled by Islamic scholars after Muhammad's death. These quotations include information about those who related the accounts, as well as the accounts themselves.

  • Narrated Aisha: Muhammad never missed four Rakat before the Zuhr prayer and two Rakat before the Fajr prayer.[7]
  • Narrated Abu Huraira: Muhammad said, "If anyone of you can get one Rak'a of the 'Asr prayer before sunset, he should complete his prayer. If any of you can get one Rak'a of the Fajr prayer before sunrise, he should complete his prayer." Sahih al-Bukhari, 1:10:531
  • Narrated 'Umar: "The Prophet forbade praying after the Subuh prayer till the sun rises and after the 'Asr prayer till the sun sets." Sahih al-Bukhari, 1:10:555
  • Abu Hurairah stated that Muhammad had said, "There are angels who take turns in visiting you by night and by day, and they all assemble at the dawn (Subuh) and the afternoon (`Asr) prayers. Those who have spent the night with you, ascend to the heaven and their Rabb (Lord), Who Knows better about them, Asks: 'In what condition did you leave My slaves?' They reply: 'We left them while they were performing Salat and we went to them while they were performing Salat.' " From Al-Bukhari and Muslim.
  • Aisha reported Allah's Messenger as saying: "The two rak'ahs at dawn are better than this world and what it contains." Sahih Muslim, 004:1573
  • Ahmad and Muslim record that Aishah said, "I have never seen him (Muhammad) more in haste to do a good deed than he was to perform the two rakahs (Sunnah) before the morning (Fajr prayer)."
  • Abu Huraira reports that Muhammad said: "Do not leave the two rak'ahs of Fajr, even if you were being attacked by cavalry." This is confirmed by Ahmad, Abu Dawud, Al-Bahaiqi and at Tahawi.
  • Aishah reports that Muhammad said, "The two (sunnah) rakahs of Fajr are better than this world and all it contains." This is reported by Ahmad, Muslim, Tirmidhi and Nasa'i.
  • Abu Hurairah reported: Muhammad said, "No Salat is more burdensome to the hypocrites than the Fajr (dawn) prayer and the `Isha' (night) prayer; and if they knew their merits, they would come to them even if they had to crawl to do so. [Sahih-Al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim].

References

  1. The Islamic date (Hijri date) starts after Maghrib – Permanent Committee, AbdurRahman website, Published 9 September 2009, Retrieved 23 May 2020
  2. see 'Glossary', Retrieved 12 July 2020
  3. Significance of Offering The Isha Prayer and Its Benefits, QuranReading website, Published 29 January 2015, Retrieved 14 May 2017
  4. "Quran 24:58". Archived from the original on 2016-08-18. Retrieved 1 October 2019.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  5. There are differing opinions on what angle to use to calculate dawn. The two popular angles are 15° and 18° below the horizon, yet others use 12°.
  6. "Fajr Prayers - Prayer Times NYC". Prayer Times - New York City. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
  7. "Sahih al-Bukhari 2:21:276". Archived from the original on 9 March 2012. Retrieved 1 October 2019.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)

Further reading

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