Source: Fatāwā Arkān-e-Islām
❖ Question
What is the Sharīʿah ruling regarding a person who delays the Fajr prayer until its prescribed time has completely ended?
❖ Answer
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu wa-s-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, ammā baʿd!
Those who delay the Fajr prayer until its time has expired fall into two categories:
① Praying After the Time Ends, Considering It Halāl
◈ If someone deliberately performs Fajr after its time ends, believing that this is permissible or lawful, this is considered kufr (disbelief) towards Allah ﷻ.
◈ This is because regarding it as permissible to delay the prayer without a valid Sharīʿah excuse contradicts the Qur’an, Sunnah, and the consensus of the Ummah, thus taking a person outside the fold of Islam.
② Praying Late but Considering It a Sin
◈ If someone delays the prayer beyond its time but does not believe it to be permissible — rather, admits it to be a sin — and the delay is due to oversleeping or weakness in controlling oneself, then such a person must:
❀ Sincerely repent to Allah ﷻ
❀ Resolve never to repeat the act.
③ Never Despair of Allah’s Mercy
◈ Allah ﷻ has kept the door of repentance open for every sin — even major sins and acts of disbelief. Whoever repents sincerely can attain forgiveness.
﴿قُل يـعِبادِىَ الَّذينَ أَسرَفوا عَلى أَنفُسِهِم لا تَقنَطوا مِن رَحمَةِ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغفِرُ الذُّنوبَ جَميعًا إِنَّهُ هُوَ الغَفورُ الرَّحيمُ﴾ (az-Zumar: 53)
④ Effort to Reform and Responsibility
◈ Anyone aware of the Sharīʿah ruling should advise and remind others to perform prayer on time.
◈ If they accept the advice and repent, that is praiseworthy; but if they persist, their matter should be reported to the relevant authorities so that:
❀ The reporter is absolved of responsibility.
❀ Measures can be taken to reform such individuals.
ھذا ما عندي والله أعلم بالصواب
