The virtue of the Fajr (Dawn) Salah

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. Peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and all his Companions. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone who has no partner and that Muhammad is His Servant and Messenger.

The favors of Allah to us are multiple and countless. Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "And if you count the Blessings of Allah, never will you be able to count them." [Surat Ibrahim: 34].

Allah (Exalted be He) says: "And whatever of blessings and good things you have, it is from Allah." [Surat An-Nahl: 53].

Of these great blessings is the blessing of sleeping which Allah granted to His Servants. Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "It is out of His Mercy that He has put for you night and day, that you may rest therein (i.e. during the night) and that you may seek of His Bounty (i.e. during the day), and in order that you may be grateful." [Surat Al Qasas: 73].

Allah (Exalted be He) says: "And have made your sleep as a thing for rest." [Surat An-Naba': 9]The inactivity of a person during the hours of the night after the activity of the daytime helps man to survive and maintain his activity to do his functions for which Allah created him. From among those functions are: Performing the Fajr (Dawn) Salah in congregation in the masjid, for Fajr is a great Salah.

Here are some great virtues for those who perform the Fajr Salah in congregation:

1- A person who performs the Fajr Salah is in the protection, preservation, and care of Allah in this world and in the Hereafter. Imam Muslim reported in his Sahih from the Hadith of Jundub ibn `Abdullah that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "He who offers the Dawn (Fajr) Salah will come under the Protection of Allah. So, let not Allah call him to account, withdrawing, in any respect, His Protection. Because, He will get hold of him and throw him down on his face in the Hell-fire."[1]

2- Performing the Fajr Salah is a salvation to a servant from Hell-Fire. Imam Muslim reported in his Sahih from the Hadith of `Imarah ibn Ruwaybah who said: "I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) saying:"He who performs Salah (prayers) before the rising of the sun and before its setting, will not enter the Hell." [i.e., Fajr and `Asr].[2]

3- Performing the Fajr Salah is a reason for entering Paradise. Al Bukhari and Muslim reported from the Hadith of Abu Musa Al Ash`ary that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Whoever prays the two cool prayers (`Asr and Fajr) will go to Paradise."[3]

4- Angels attend this Salah. Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "is ever witnessed (attended by the angels in charge of mankind of the day and the night)." [Surat Al Isra': 78].

Al Bukhari and Muslim reported from the Hadith of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "(A group of) angels stay with you at night and (another group of) angels by daytime, and both groups gather at the time of the `Asr and Fajr Salah. Then those angels who have stayed with you overnight, ascend (to Heaven) and Allah asks them (about you) - and He knows everything about you: "In what state did you leave My slaves?" The angels reply: "When we left them, they were praying, and when we reached them they were praying.""[4]

5- Those who perform the Fajr Salah shall have full light on the Day of Recompense. Ibn Majah reported in his Sunan from the Hadith of Sahl ibn Sa`d As-Sa`idy (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:"Give glad tidings to those who walk to the mosques in darkness for having a perfect light on the Day of Judgment."[5]

6- Those who perform the Fajr Salah shall have the reward of performing Qiyam (optional night Salah) of one night. Imam Muslim reported from the Hadith of `Uthman ibn `Affan (peace be upon him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "The one who performs `Isha' Salah in congregation is as if he has performed Salah for half of the night. And one who performs the Fajr Salah in congregation, is as if he has performed Salah the whole night."[6]

7- Security from hypocrisy. Al Bukhari and Muslim reported from the Hadith of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:"The most burdensome prayers for the hypocrites are the `Isha' Salah and the Fajr Salah. If they knew what there is in them, they would come even if they had to crawl. I was thinking of ordering the Iqamah for Salah, then I would tell a man to lead the people in prayer, and I would set out with men carrying bundles of firewood, and go to people who do not attend the prayer and burn their houses down around them."[7]

Imam Muslim reported in his Sahih from the Hadith of Ibn Mas`ud (may Allah be pleased with him) who said:"I have seen the time when no one stayed behind except a well-known hypocrite. I also saw that a man was brought swaying (on account of weakness) between two men till he was set up in a row (in the mosque)."[8] Ibn `Umar said:"When we missed someone in `Isha' and Fajr Salah,we would think ill of him."[9]

8- The two Rak`ah before the dawn (Fajr) Salah are better than this world and all it contains. Imam Muslim reported in his Sahih from the Hadith of `A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "The two Rak`ah before the dawn (Fajr) Salah are better than this world and all it contains."[10]

If the two Sunnah Salah before Fajr are better than the world and all that therein such as proeprties, palaces, rivers, wives, and all pleasures and lusts, how about the Fajr Salah itself?!

9- Seeing Allah (may He be Glorified and Exalted) which is the ultimate end which the believers seek. Al Bukhari and Muslim reported from the Hadith of Jarir Al Bujaly (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: "We were with the Prophet (peace be upon him) and he looked at the moon -full moon- and said: 'Certainly you will see your Lord as you see this moon and you will have no trouble in seeing Him. So if you can avoid missing (through sleep or business, etc.) a Salah before the sunrise (Fajr) and a Salah before sunset (`Asr), you must do so.' He then recited Allah's Statement: And celebrate the praises Of your Lord before The rising of the sun And before (its) setting." [Surat Taha: 39].[11]

10- The one who preserves the Fajr Salah is the most comfortable of all, the most active, and the most soft-hearted. Al Bukhari and Muslim reported on the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:"Satan puts three knots at the back of the head of any of you if he is asleep. On every knot he reads and exhales the following words, 'The night is long, so stay asleep.' When one wakes up and remembers Allah, one knot is undone; and when one performs ablution, the second knot is undone, and when one prays the third knot is undone and one gets up energetic with a good heart in the morning; otherwise one gets up lazy and with a mischievous heart."[12]

There are many texts contain severe warning for those who neglect the Fajr Salah, of which are: The Hadith that was reported by Al Bukhari and Muslim on the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "By Him in Whose Hand my soul is I was about to order for collecting fire-wood (fuel) and then order someone to pronounce the Adhan for the prayer and then order someone to lead the prayer then I would go from behind and burn the houses of men who did not present themselves for the (compulsory congregational) prayer. By Him, in Whose Hands my soul is, if anyone of them had known that he would get a bone covered with good meat or two (small) pieces of meat present in between two ribs, he would have turned up for the `Isha' Salah.'"[13]

Some scholars said: The Prophet (peace be upon him) only intended to do that terrible action is those who neglect the Fajr Salah but for a major sin they had done.

Of these Hadiths also is the Hadith that Al Bukhari and Muslim reported from on the authority of Ibn Mas`ud who said: It was mentioned before the Prophet (peace be upon him) that there was a man who slept the night till morning (after sunrise). The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "He is a man in whose ears (or ear) Satan had urinated."[14]

The one who neglects the Fajr Salah exposes himself to the punishment of Allah in his grave and on the Day of Recompense. Allah (Glory be to Him) says: "Then, there has succeeded them a posterity who have given up As-Salât (the prayers) [i.e. made their Salât (prayers) to be lost, either by not offering them or by not offering them perfectly or by not offering them in their proper fixed times] and have followed lusts. So they will be thrown in Hell.[Surat Maryam: 59].

It was reported in Sahih Al Bukhari the story of the vision of the Prophet (peace be upon him) which states: "He whose head was being crushed with a stone was one who learnt the Qur'an but never acted on it, and slept ignoring the compulsory prayers."[15]

The Permanent Committee was asked in Fatwa No. (5130) about a person who does not offer Salah except after the sun has risen, what is ruling of his Salah? Will it affect fasting? The answer was: Abandoning the Fajr Salah for no reason such as sleeping or forgetfulness until the sun rises is considered disbelief according to the correct opinion of scholars, accordingly his fasting is invalid.

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds [i.e., people]. May Allah send His Peace and Blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and all his Companions!