The practice of the five daily prayers is the first of the five fundamental pillars of Islam. One of these prayers is the Fajr, which is performed before sunrise. While motivation and entrepreneurship websites nowadays teach anyone willing to listen the benefits of waking up early, the Lord of the Worlds gave, more than 1,000 years ago, the command to the Muslim community and to all of humanity to worship Him while the day has not yet broken. This is in order to benefit from the blessings related to the Fajr. Discover in this article the definition and the explanations about the Fajr prayer, as well as its time in France, how to perform it, its merits, and much more.
Understanding the Fajr prayer in Islam
What is the Fajr ?
The Fajr (الفجر) is the first of the five daily prayers (salat) in Islam. It must be performed by believers at the moment of dawn, before sunrise. This prayer is also called Sobh (صبح), which means "before dawn" or "early in the morning". The Fajr is a prayer for which Allah says in the Holy Quran :
Perform the prayer (As-Salat) at the decline of the sun until the darkness of the night, and [perform] also the Reading (of the Quran) at dawn, for the Reading (of the Quran) at dawn has witnesses. Surah Al Isra (17) Verse 78
In its definition fajr comes from the verb FAJARA which means "to give a passage to water and make it flow", "to open, to make appear, to make gush forth, to spread out" to cite only these senses of the verb. From it derives the word FAJR which for its part means "the opening of the day, dawn, aurora, whiteness that surges from the sky at the end of the night".
We thus understand more easily that the salat al fajr is that of the nascent day.
The time of the Fajr in France
In order to know the time of the Fajr in France, one must consult the prayer timetable available in the mosques or on various applications and websites dedicated to this purpose. It is important to note that the time of the Fajr varies according to the seasons and the geographical regions, but it always corresponds to a precise moment before sunrise.
How to perform the Fajr prayer ?
The Fajr prayer is composed of two rak'ats, or units of prayer, and follows the following steps :
- Begin with the intention (niyyah) : stand facing the Qibla, with the intention of praying the Fajr.
- Recite the opening invocation (Takbiratul Ihram) by saying "Allahu Akbar" while raising the hands up to the ears.
- Recite Surah Al-Fatiha and another surah or a few verses of the Quran.
- Perform the bowing (ruku'), then rise up saying "Sami'a Allahu liman hamidah" and "Rabbanâ wa lakal-hamd".
- Bow down to the ground to perform two prostrations (sujud), placing the forehead, the nose, the two knees, the hands and the feet on the ground.
- Perform the second rak'at by reciting Surah Al-Fatiha and another surah or a few verses of the Quran, then perform again the bowing and the two prostrations.
- End the prayer with the final salutation (Taslim) by saying "Assalamu 'alaykum wa rahmatullah" to the right, then to the left.
Fajr : Merits of this prayer
The Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) emphasised the importance of the Fajr prayer by saying : "Whoever prays the Fajr is under the protection of Allah" (Reported by Muslim). Moreover, he mentioned that the Fajr prayer is better than this life and its goods (Muslim).
Performing the Fajr prayer regularly therefore allows one to benefit from many merits, such as :
- Obedience to the divine command to worship Him, prayer being the 1st pillar of Islam
- The divine protection and the divine blessings of the first hours of the day
- Success in the affairs of this world and of the hereafter
- The expiation of past sins
- Closeness to Allah and access to His Mercy
Sunnan of the Fajr
In addition to the obligation of the morning prayer, al Fajr, there is also a strongly recommended sunnah before it. It consists of two supererogatory rak'ats called Sunnan Al-Fajr, which are performed before the obligatory Fajr prayer. Whether one is travelling or resident it is recommended to pray these two morning units of prayer before the obligatory prayer, for they constitute a highly meritorious prophetic tradition.
If the supererogatory prayer is so filled with blessings, what then of the rewards that the obligatory prayer holds !
My servant has not drawn closer to Me by anything more beloved to Me than that which I have imposed upon him.
Hadith reported by Bukhari.
Fajr : Differences between Sobh, Fajr and Shuruq
Although the terms Sobh, Fajr and Shuruq are sometimes used to designate the same thing, there are a few differences :
- Sobh : generally designates the dawn prayer, that is to say the Fajr prayer.
- Fajr : corresponds to dawn, as well as to the prayer that is performed at that moment.
- Shuruq : represents sunrise, that is to say the moment when it begins to appear on the horizon. The Fajr prayer must be performed before the Shuruq.
Hadiths and invocations relating to the Fajr
Finally, it is recommended to recite certain invocations, according to one's capacity, after having performed the Fajr prayer, such as these:
- La illaha illa Lah wahdahou la charika Lah lahoul moulk wa lahoul hamd wa houa ala koulli chay in qadir. 100 times
- "Allahumma innî as'aluka 'ilmân nâfi'an wa rizkân tayyiban wa 'amalan mutaqabbalan" (O Allah ! I ask You for useful knowledge, lawful provisions and accepted deeds).
- Recite Ayat al-Kursi (Verse of the Throne).
Thus, the Fajr prayer occupies an important place in the spiritual life of Muslims and allows one to begin each day under the protection of Allah. To draw full benefit from its blessings, it is essential to perform it in its legislated time, for each prayer has been prescribed at precise times that must be respected as best as possible, but it is also important to learn its performance with devotion and its merits in order to continue on this path of Eternal Success by the Permission of Allah azza wa jal.