Fajr
Encyclopedia
The Fajr prayer is the first of the five daily prayers offered by practising Muslim
s. (Fajr means dawn
in the Arabic language
.) The five daily prayers collectively form 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.
The Fajr prayer is mentioned by name in the Qur'an
at sura
24 (An-Nur
) ayah
. Inspired by the tafsir
of the two hadith
s 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. This has made the Fajr daily prayer the most essential and obligatory congregational prayer to be held by Muslims together in groups in mosque
s.
Fajr prayer requires two fard
rakaʿāt
. In a congregation, the leader of the prayer (imam
) recites aloud. However, two sunnah
rakaʿāt are highly recommended prior to the two Fard rakaʿāt.
The time period within which the Fajr daily prayer must be offered (with loud recitation of the quran) is from the beginning of dawn to sunrise
.
The call to Fajr prayer marks the beginning of the obligatory daily fasting (sawm
) during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan
. The Qur'an relates a sura, Al-Fajr
, by the same name.
. 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.
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
s. (Fajr means dawn
Dawn
Dawn is the time that marks the beginning of the twilight before sunrise. It is recognized by the presence of weak sunlight, while the sun itself is still below the horizon...
in the Arabic language
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
.) The five daily prayers collectively form one pillar of the Five Pillars of Islam
Five Pillars of Islam
The Pillars of Islam are basic concepts and duties for accepting the religion for the Muslims.The Shi'i and Sunni both agree on the essential details for the performance of these acts, but the Shi'a do not refer to them by the same name .-Pillars of Shia:According to Shia Islam, the...
, in Sunni Islam
Sunni Islam
Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam. Sunni Muslims are referred to in Arabic as ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah wa āl-Ǧamāʿah or ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah for short; in English, they are known as Sunni Muslims, Sunnis or Sunnites....
, and one of the ten Practices of the Religion (Furū al-Dīn) according to Shia Islam.
The Fajr prayer is mentioned by name in the Qur'an
Qur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
at sura
Sura
A sura is a division of the Qur'an, often referred to as a chapter. The term chapter is sometimes avoided, as the suras are of unequal length; the shortest sura has only three ayat while the longest contains 286 ayat...
24 (An-Nur
An-Nur
Surat Al-Nur is the 24th sura of the Qur'an with 64 ayat.- Background :The general agreement of scholars is that this sura was revealed shortly before or after the Battle of the Trench in 5 AH-Content:...
) ayah
Ayah
Ayah or Aayah is the Arabic word for sign or proof:"These are the Ayat of Allah, which We recite to you with truth...
. Inspired by the tafsir
Tafsir
Tafseer is the Arabic word for exegesis or commentary, usually of the Qur'an. Ta'wīl is a subset of tafsir and refers to esoteric or mystical interpretation. An author of tafsir is a mufassir .- Etymology :...
of the two hadith
Hadith
The term Hadīth is used to denote a saying or an act or tacit approval or criticism ascribed either validly or invalidly to the Islamic prophet Muhammad....
s that were transmitted on behalf of the Islamic prophet
Prophets of Islam
Muslims identify the Prophets of Islam as those humans chosen by God and given revelation to deliver to mankind. Muslims believe that every prophet was given a belief to worship God and their respective followers believed it as well...
Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
, the worth of the Fajr daily prayer is explained as being God's
God in Islam
In Islamic theology, God is the all-powerful and all-knowing creator, sustainer, ordainer, and judge of the universe. Islam puts a heavy emphasis on the conceptualization of God as strictly singular . God is unique and inherently One , all-merciful and omnipotent. According to the Islamic...
most-favoured prayer since others are asleep. This has made the Fajr daily prayer the most essential and obligatory congregational prayer to be held by Muslims together in groups in mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
s.
Fajr prayer requires two fard
Fard
also is an Islamic term which denotes a religious duty. The word is also used in Persian, Turkish, and Urdu in the same meaning....
rakaʿāt
Raka'ah
Rakaʿah are the prescribed movements and words followed by Muslims during salah .After turning to God in mind and ritual cleansing , the worshipper will stand quietly while reciting the first verses of the Qur'an. The second part of the rak'ah involves bowing low with hands on knees, as if...
. In a congregation, the leader of the prayer (imam
Imam
An imam is an Islamic leadership position, often the worship leader of a mosque and the Muslim community. Similar to spiritual leaders, the imam is the one who leads Islamic worship services. More often, the community turns to the mosque imam if they have a religious question...
) recites aloud. However, two sunnah
Sunnah
The word literally means a clear, well trodden, busy and plain surfaced road. In the discussion of the sources of religion, Sunnah denotes the practice of Prophet Muhammad that he taught and practically instituted as a teacher of the sharī‘ah and the best exemplar...
rakaʿāt are highly recommended prior to the two Fard rakaʿāt.
The time period within which the Fajr daily prayer must be offered (with loud recitation of the quran) is from the beginning of dawn to sunrise
Sunrise
Sunrise is the instant at which the upper edge of the Sun appears above the horizon in the east. Sunrise should not be confused with dawn, which is the point at which the sky begins to lighten, some time before the sun itself appears, ending twilight...
.
The call to Fajr prayer marks the beginning of the obligatory daily fasting (sawm
Sawm
Sawm is an Arabic word for fasting regulated by Islamic jurisprudence. In the terminology of Islamic law, Sawm means to abstain from eating, drinking , having sex and anything against Islamic law...
) during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan
Ramadan (calendar month)
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, and the month in which the Quran was revealed.Ramadan is the holiest of months in the Islamic calendar, and fasting in this month is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. The month is spent by Muslims fasting during the daylight hours from dawn to...
. The Qur'an relates a sura, Al-Fajr
Al-Fajr (sura)
Sūrat al-Fajr is the 89th sura of the Qur'an with 30 ayat.The sura describes destruction of disbelieving peoples, such as Ancient Egyptians and the people of Iram of the Pillars. It condemns those who love wealth and look with disdain upon the poor and orphans...
, by the same name.
Hadith mentioning Fajr Salat
The following quotations regarding Fajr, the Islamic dawn prayer, are from books of Sunni hadithHadith
The term Hadīth is used to denote a saying or an act or tacit approval or criticism ascribed either validly or invalidly to the Islamic prophet Muhammad....
. 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.
- 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."
- Narrated 'Umar: "The Prophet forbade praying after the Fajr prayer till the sun rises and after the 'Asr prayer till the sun sets."
- Abu HurairahAbu HurairahAbu Hurairah , was a companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and the narrator of Hadith most quoted in the isnad by Sunnis.-Early life:...
stated that Muhammad had said, "There are angelsIslamic view of angelsAngels are mentioned many times in the Qur'an and Hadith. Islam is clear on the nature of angels in that they are messengers of God. They have no free will, and can do only what God orders them to do...
who take turns in visiting you by night and by day, and they all assemble at the dawn (Fajr) and the afternoon (`AsrAsrThe Asr prayer is the afternoon daily prayer recited by practising Muslims. It is the third of the five daily prayers . 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 according to Shia Islam...
) prayers. Those who have spent the night with you, ascend to the heavenJannahJannah , is the Islamic conception of paradise. The Arabic word Jannah is a shortened version meaning simply "Garden". According to Islamic eschatology, after death, one will reside in the grave until the appointed resurrection on . Muslims believe that the treatment of the individual in the life...
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-BukhariSahih al-BukhariṢaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī , as it is commonly referred to, is one of the six canonical hadith collections of Islam. These prophetic traditions, or hadith, were collected by the Persian Muslim scholar Muhammad ibn Ismail al-Bukhari, after being transmitted orally for generations. Muslims view this as one of...
and MuslimSahih MuslimSahih Muslim is one of the Six major collections of the hadith in Sunni Islam, oral traditions relating to the words and deeds of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad. It is the second most authentic hadith collection after Sahih Al-Bukhari, and is highly acclaimed by Sunni Muslims...
.
- Aishah relates that Muhammad said about the two rakahs before Fajr, "They are dearer to me than the whole world." This is related by Muslim, Ahmad and Tirmidhi.
- 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 before the morning (prayer)."
- Abu Huraira reports that Muhammad said: "Do not leave the two rak'ahs of Fajr, even if you are 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. [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
See also
- Wudhu
- DhuhrDhuhrThe dhuhr prayer is the prayer after midday Performed daily by practicing Muslims, it is the second of the five daily prayers...
(Mid-day prayer) - MaghribMaghribThe Maghrib prayer , prayed just after sunset, is the fourth of five formal daily prayers performed by practicing Muslims.The formal daily prayers of Islam comprise different numbers of units, called rak'at. The Maghrib prayer has three obligatory rak'at. The first two fard rak'at are prayed...
(Sunset prayer) - Isha' (Night prayer)
- DhikrDhikrDhikr , plural ; ), is an Islamic devotional act, typically involving the repetition of the Names of God, supplications or formulas taken from hadith texts and verses of the Qur'an. Dhikr is usually done individually, but in some Sufi orders it is instituted as a ceremonial activity...
- TasbihTasbihA misbaha , subha , Tasbih , or tespih is a string of prayer beads which is traditionally used by Muslims to keep track of counting in tasbih....