How to Perform the Missed Sunnah Prayers of Fajr

Authored by: Shaykh Mubashar Ahmad Rabbani (حفظہ اللہ)

Question:
If the Sunnah prayers of Fajr are not performed before the congregational prayer, can they be offered afterward? Please provide a detailed answer.

Answer:
If someone misses the Sunnah prayers of Fajr due to any reason and cannot perform them before the congregational prayer, they can perform them after the obligatory Fajr prayer. This is evident from the Taqreeri Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم).

Types of Prophetic Sunnah​

The Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) is classified into three types:
➊ Qawl (Statements): Actions or commands verbally instructed by the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم).
➋ Fi'l (Actions): Actions performed by the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) himself.
➌ Taqreer (Approvals): Actions done by others in the presence of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) that he neither objected to nor prohibited, thus indicating his approval.

The following Hadith illustrates this principle:

Evidence from Hadith​

➊ Narration of Qais (رضی اللہ عنہ):
"He prayed the Fajr prayer with the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) but had not performed the two Sunnah Rak’ahs before it. After the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) concluded the Fajr prayer, he (Qais) stood up and performed the two Sunnah Rak’ahs of Fajr. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) was observing him but did not object."
(Mawarid al-Zamaan 624, Ibn Khuzaymah 1116, Mustadrak al-Hakim 1/274, Daraqutni 1/372, Bayhaqi 2/483)

This Hadith demonstrates that the missed Sunnah prayers of Fajr can be performed after the Fajr prayer.

Scholarly Opinions​

Imam Abu al-Hasan Sindhi (رحمہ اللہ) states:
"This Hadith indicates the permissibility of performing the two Rak’ahs of Fajr after the Fajr prayer if they were missed before it."
(Hashiyah Sindhi Ala Ibn Majah 1/352)

Allama Ubaydullah Rahmani Mubarakpuri (رحمہ اللہ) comments:
"Ibn al-Malik remarked that the Prophet’s (صلى الله عليه وسلم) silence in this matter signifies that it is permissible to perform the Sunnah Rak’ahs of Fajr as Qadha (compensatory prayer) after the obligatory Fajr prayer if they were missed earlier. This is also the view of Imam Shafi’i (رحمہ اللہ)."
(Mirqat al-Mafatih 3/465)

Refutation of the Hanafi Position​

Our Hanafi brethren often cite the following narration to claim that the missed Sunnah prayers of Fajr should be performed after sunrise:

"Whoever has not performed the two Rak’ahs of Fajr should perform them after the sun has risen."
(Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Kitab al-Salah, Hadith No. 423)

However, this narration is weak due to the following reasons:

① Weak Chain of Transmission:
The chain includes Qatadah ibn Di’ama al-Sudusi, a Mudallis (narrator known for omitting intermediaries), making the narration unreliable.

② Contradiction with Authentic Evidence:
Authentic Ahadith explicitly permit performing the missed Sunnah Rak’ahs of Fajr after the Fajr prayer, as established earlier.

Moreover, according to Hanafi Fiqh, Imam Abu Hanifa and Qadi Abu Yusuf hold that if someone misses the Sunnah Rak’ahs of Fajr, they should neither perform them after the Fajr prayer nor after sunrise.

The author of Hidayah writes:
"If someone misses the two Rak’ahs of Fajr, they should not perform them before sunrise because they become general Nafl prayers, which are disliked after the Fajr prayer, nor should they perform them after sunrise."
(Hidayah 1/72, Bab Adrak al-Faridah)

This contradicts both authentic Hadith and sound reasoning.

Conclusion​

According to authentic narrations, the missed Sunnah prayers of Fajr can be performed immediately after the Fajr prayer without any issue. The general prohibition of prayers after Fajr does not apply here, as these two Rak’ahs are specifically permitted.