Tirmidhi

English Commentary:
1:
Considering the practice of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, as well as the Companions, the Followers (Tabi‘in), and the Pious Predecessors (Salaf Salihin), this is the correct meaning of the hadith.
The best reconciliation that the scholars of hadith have provided between the narrations of this chapter and the previous one is as follows: begin the Fajr prayer in the early time, when it is still dark,
and through lengthening the recitation, let the prayer extend into the time when it becomes light.
In this way, both types of narrations will be acted upon.
(For further details, see Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi, Volume 1, page 145,
published by Maktabah al-Faruqiyyah, Multan,
Pakistan)

424. Commentary:
Some people translate this hadith as, “Perform the Fajr prayer when there is whiteness and brightness.” However, this is not correct, because it is established from the practice of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) and, after him, the Companions (radi Allahu anhum) in the best generations, that they all used to perform the Fajr prayer «غلس»—that is, in the darkness of the morning. Assassination attempts on Umar, Ali, and Muawiyah (radi Allahu anhum) all occurred in the darkness of the morning. Furthermore, linguistically, the meaning of «أصبح الرجل» is «دخل الصبح»—that is, “he entered into the time of morning.” It has also been said that the background of this statement is that perhaps some people, in their haste, would perform the prayer before its proper time, so this command was given to correct them. And another narration with this meaning has been transmitted «اسفروا بالصبح» in meaning (bil-ma‘na). Another explanation is that this statement pertains to nights with moonlight, because on such nights there is some ambiguity in the clear appearance of true dawn (subh sadiq). And Imam Tahawi (rahimahullah) has said that what is meant is, “Lengthen the recitation in the Fajr prayer so much that the atmosphere becomes white.” In any case, the best practice is to perform it soon after true dawn (subh sadiq). After that, its time remains until just before sunrise. [عون المعبود۔ خطابي]

The interpretation of “make the morning bright” to mean that the Fajr prayer should be performed when there is full daylight (as is customary among the Hanafis) is incorrect, because it is contrary to the practice of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam always performed the Fajr prayer in darkness, at its earliest time (ghalas). Therefore, its meaning is either that the Fajr prayer should be performed when there is certainty that true dawn (subh sadiq) has appeared, and not during the false dawn (subh kadhib), or it means that the recitation should be lengthened so that by the time the prayer is completed, the morning has become bright. This is because previous ahadith indicate the virtue of performing it at the earliest time.

Lexical Explanation:
«أَصْبِحُوا بِالصُّبْحِ» and in another narration, the words are «أَسْفِرُوا بِالْفَجْرِ». Some have explained its meaning as: perform the Fajr prayer when the morning has become bright and clear. However, in this sense, this hadith would be in contradiction with the hadith regarding "ghalas" (darkness), therefore its correct meaning is that the prayer should be started in darkness, and the recitation should be prolonged until the morning becomes bright and clear. In this way, both narrations are reconciled. Hafiz Ibn Qayyim and Allamah Tahawi rahimahumallah have given preference to this interpretation, but Imam Ahmad and Imam Shafi'i rahimahumallah and others have explained the meaning of "isfar" as: there should remain no doubt about the clarity of Fajr. This meaning is also correct in its own place, because performing the Fajr prayer without certainty of the break of dawn is not valid.

Benefits and Issues:
➊ The Hanafis, basing their argument on this hadith, have considered "isfar" to be superior, but in light of the continuous practice of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, the Rightly Guided Caliphs, the majority of the Companions radi Allahu anhum, and the Tabi'in, this argument does not remain weighty.
➋ In Abu Dawud, it is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Mas'ud radi Allahu anhu that he once performed the Fajr prayer in "ghalas" (darkness) and once in "isfar" (brightness). Thereafter, until his death, he always performed it in "ghalas". [سنن أبى داود، الصلاة، باب فى المواقيت، حديث : 394]
➌ From this hadith, it is only understood that the morning should become clear and evident, and no kind of doubt should remain, as Imam Ahmad rahimahullah and others have stated. Or, the intent is to make it bright by prolonging the recitation.

Benefit:
The meaning of this hadith is that one should not hasten to perform the Fajr prayer, but rather it should be performed when its time has entered. Mawlana Dawood Raz rahimahullah writes: The Imam of the world in hadith, Quddisa Sirruh, has narrated as many ahadith here, and from them it is apparent that the Noble Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam used to begin the Fajr prayer immediately after the appearance of true dawn (subh sadiq), and there would still be considerable darkness remaining by the time he sallallahu alayhi wa sallam finished the prayer. The meaning of the word «غسلس» is precisely this: that the Fajr prayer was performed by him in the darkness, at the earliest time. Yes, on one occasion, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam performed the Fajr prayer late in order to teach the times of prayer, so that both the earliest time (ghalas) and the latest time (isfar) of this prayer would be known. After that, he sallallahu alayhi wa sallam always performed this prayer in darkness. This is evident from the following hadith:
«عـن ابــى مسـعـود الانصاري ان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم صلى صلوة الصبح مرة بغلس ثم صلى مرة اخرى فاسفربها ثم كانت صلوته بعد ذالك التخليس حتى مات ولم يعدالى ان يسفر» [رواه ابوداؤد ورجاله فى سنن ابي داؤد رجال الصحيح]
That is, it is narrated from Abu Mas’ud al-Ansari radi Allahu anhu that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam once led the Fajr prayer in darkness (ghalas), and then once in brightness (isfar), and after that he always led this prayer in darkness until he met Allah. Never again did he sallallahu alayhi wa sallam lead this prayer in brightness (isfar).

Regarding the hadith of Aisha, Allamah Shawkani states:
“The hadith indicates the recommendation of hastening to perform the Fajr prayer at its earliest time. The scholars have differed regarding this. The Ahl al-Bayt, Malik, al-Shafi’i, Ahmad, Ishaq, Abu Thawr, al-Awza’i, Dawud ibn Ali, Abu Ja’far al-Tabari, and it is narrated from Amr ibn Uthman, Ibn al-Zubayr, Anas, Abu Musa, and Abu Hurayrah, all hold that performing it in darkness (ghalas) is superior, and that performing it in brightness (isfar) is not recommended. Al-Hazimi has attributed this view to the rest of the four caliphs, Ibn Mas’ud, Abu Mas’ud al-Ansari, and the people of Hijaz. They have used the ahadith mentioned in this chapter and others as evidence, and the explicit statement of Abu Mas’ud in the hadith that the Prophet’s prayer was always in darkness (ghalas) until he died, and he never returned to performing it in brightness (isfar).” [نيل ، ج2 ، ص : 19]

In summary, it is as clear as daylight from this hadith and other ahadith that performing the Fajr prayer in darkness (ghalas) is superior. This is the fatwa of the four caliphs, most of the leading Imams of the religion—Imam Malik, al-Shafi’i, Ahmad, Ishaq, the Ahl al-Bayt, and the other aforementioned eminent scholars. And in the hadith of Abu Mas’ud radi Allahu anhu, it is explicitly stated that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam performed this prayer in darkness (ghalas) until the end of his life. Accordingly, in Madinah Munawwarah, the Sacred Haram, and throughout the Hijaz, all praise is due to Allah, this is the practice of the Muslims to this day.

After the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, most of the Companions continued this practice, as is found in Ibn Majah: «عن مغيث بن سمى قال صليت مع عبدالله بن الزبير الصبح بغلس فلما سلم اقبلت على ابــن عــمــر فقلت ما هذه الصلوة قال هذه صلوتنا كانت مع رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وابي بكر وعمر فلما طعن عمر اسفربها عثمان » [و اسناده صحيح تحفة الاحوذى ج 1 ص : 144 66]
That is, a noble person named Mughith ibn Sumi says: I performed the Fajr prayer in darkness (ghalas) with our master Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr radi Allahu anhu. After the prayer, among the congregation was also our master Abdullah ibn Umar radi Allahu anhuma. I asked him about this, and he informed me that our prayer with the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam used to be at this time, and during the times of Abu Bakr and Umar radi Allahu anhum, this prayer was also performed in darkness (ghalas). However, when our master Umar radi Allahu anhu was attacked during the Fajr prayer, our master Uthman radi Allahu anhu, as a precaution, performed it in brightness (isfar).

This also shows that the best time for the Fajr prayer is to perform it in darkness (ghalas). Among the Hanafis, it is considered better to perform it in brightness (isfar), but this view is not correct in light of the clear evidences. The evidence of the Hanafis is the hadith of Rafi’ ibn Khadij radi Allahu anhu, in which the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: «اســفــروا بالفجر فانه اعظم للاجر» “Perform the morning prayer in brightness (isfar), for its reward is greater.”

The correct meaning of this narration is not that the prayer should be performed close to sunrise, as is the current practice among the Hanafis. Its correct meaning is what Imam Tirmidhi rahimahullah has transmitted from the noble Imams. Thus, the Imam says:
“Al-Shafi’i, Ahmad, and Ishaq said: The meaning of isfar is that the dawn becomes clear so that there is no doubt about it, and they did not consider the meaning of isfar to be delaying the prayer.”

That is, Imam al-Shafi’i rahimahullah, Ahmad, and Ishaq say that here “isfar” means that the dawn becomes so clear that there remains no room for doubt, and it does not mean to delay the prayer (as is the common practice among the Hanafis). Many leading Imams of the religion have also explained that the Fajr prayer should be started in darkness (ghalas), and the recitation should be so lengthy that by the time the salam is said, it is bright.

The distinguished student of Imam al-A’zam Abu Hanifah rahimahullah, Imam Muhammad rahimahullah, also holds this view. [تفهيم البخاري پارو3 ص : 3]
Our master Allamah Ibn al-Qayyim rahimahullah has also explained this detail in “I’lam al-Muwaqqi’in.”

Points to remember: This aforementioned difference is only regarding what is earlier and more virtuous. Otherwise, everyone knows that the earliest time for Fajr is darkness (ghalas) and the last time is sunrise, and the prayer can be performed at any time in between. After this explanation, it is astonishing that some of our lay and learned brothers still do not perform Fajr in darkness (ghalas). In fact, if they see a congregation in darkness, they leave from there, to the extent that even in the two sacred sanctuaries (Haramayn Sharifayn), many brothers do not perform Fajr in congregation at the earliest time, thinking that this is not their school of thought. This practice and such a mindset are extremely incorrect. May Allah grant sound understanding.

Even among the senior scholars of the Hanafis, at times, the practice of performing Fajr in darkness (ghalas) has existed. In any case, it is established by decisive evidence that performing Fajr in darkness (ghalas) is superior, and in brightness (isfar) it is permissible. To fight, argue, or make this a cause of division is in no way correct. Our master Umar radi Allahu anhu, during his caliphate, wrote to his governors that they should perform the Fajr prayer when the stars are still thickly visible in the sky—that is, at the earliest time. [شرح صحيح بخاري از مولانا داود راز شرح حديث : 578]