Fajr
We all know the importance of prayer and how it is pivotal in both this life and our fortunes on the day of Judgement.
However, if we look at the first prayer of the day, Fajr prayer, we can see that there are specific mentions made about this prayer and its importance.
Living in the UK, we are faced with challenges relating to this prayer. Times like these, the Autumn and Winter months, it is quite straightforward to read the Fajr prayer as for most of us we just add it into our schedule for work or study preparations in the morning.
During the summer months however, it can be challenging because of the way this country is positioned and thus how long the days become. Often we find ourselves waking up for fajr prayer that is much earlier than the wake up we have for work or for study.
This can prove to be difficult and so it’s worth reminding ourselves on the important points relayed in the Quran and Ahadeeth regarding Fajr.
Firstly, the reward you get for it has been mentioned in numerous places. We are told that Fajr prayer will provide light to those who prayed this on the Day of Judgement and protection from Allah SWT as relayed in hadeeth. We are also told that angels will witness the prayer of Fajr and report back to Allah SWT about His servants.
The imam mentioned the following hadith in relation to this which is translated to say:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Angels take turns among you by night and by day, and they all assemble at the dawn and afternoon prayers. Those (of the angels) who spend the night among you, then, ascend, and their Lord asks them, though He is the best informed about them: How did you leave My servants? -they say: We left them while they were praying and we came to them while they were praying.
As well as this, the 78th ayat of Sura Al-Isra is translated to say:
Observe the prayer from the decline of the sun until the darkness of the night and the dawn prayer, for certainly the dawn prayer is witnessed ˹by angels˺
Dear brothers and sisters, alongside this we are also told that Fajr has rewards that are incomparable to the life we are living. The imam mentioned a hadith about this point which is translated to say:
“The two Rak’at at dawn are better than this world and what it contains.”
Dear brothers and sisters, the prayer of Fajr not only has rewards but it is also an indicator for our souls to reflect on how well we are doing in life. Often we have had reminders warning us about being hypocrites and the obvious question is how does one know if one is guilty of hypocrisy in faith?
The answer to this lies partly in the reminder that we are told today. This is because the following hadith of the Prophet SAWS speaks of hypocrisy and it says:
“The most burdensome prayers for hypocrites are the ‘Isha’ and the Fajr prayers and if they knew what (rewards) these (prayers) contain, they would have come to them (in the mosques), even though they had to crawl on their knees.”
Dear brothers and sisters, the warning here is clear. If we are not waking for Fajr and we are not sleeping after having prayed Isha then this is a sign that our worship is hypocritical and we need to reflect and reset our intentions and our habits.
And so, this reminder concludes with three things that we can all do to ensure that we pray the Fajr prayer.
- Make the intention to pray Fajr as you are about to sleep. This is important as it sets the agenda for the following day in your mind. You are telling yourself and preparing yourself mentally to wake up and make this prayer, this is the first step to successfully praying Fajr. Ask Allah SWT to make it easy for you.
- Set an alarm clock for Fajr that isn’t your phone. If the phone doesn’t wake you up, get a dedicated alarm clock and have it somewhere on the far side of the room so you have to leave your bed in order to switch it off. Alternatively, if you have a Fajr buddy you see in the masjid or someone who wakes up at the same time as you, get them to give you a call or vice versa so that you both make the prayer.
- Sleep early. Remember, all activities become enticing once Isha time has passed. This is a trick of Shaitaan to ensure that you miss Fajr so don’t fall for the trap. Unwind earlier if you need to but don’t sacrifice your sleep time because you need some time to relax in the day. If the devices are too much of a distraction then charge them outside the bedroom and so that way you will not be scrolling in bed till late into the night and thus missing Fajr the following day.
Dear brothers and sisters, the fajr prayer sets the tone for the day. Let us use todays reminder to ensure that we set the correct tone every single day by making this crucial prayer in its allotted time.
