❀ Time of Fajr Salah and the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ ❀
Written by: Imran Ayyub Lahori
The starting time of Fajr begins with the appearance of true dawn (Ṣubḥ Ṣādiq) and its ending time is sunrise.
➊ Narrated by Hazrat Abu Musa Ash'ari رضي الله عنه:
فأقام الفجر حين انشق الفجر والناس لا يكاد يعرف بعضهم بعضا
[Muslim 614; Nasai 523; Abu Dawood 395]
“The Prophet ﷺ would commence the Fajr prayer as soon as the true dawn broke, and due to darkness, the people could barely recognize one another.”
➋ Narrated by Hazrat Ibn Abbas رضي الله عنهما:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“There are two types of Fajr: One Fajr during which food becomes unlawful and prayer becomes permissible; and another Fajr during which prayer is impermissible, but eating remains permissible.”
In Mustadrak Hakim, a narration from Hazrat Jabir رضي الله عنه includes this addition:
“The Fajr in which eating becomes unlawful spreads across the horizon, while the other ascends like the tail of a wolf—i.e., vertically like a pillar.”
[Ṣaḥīḥ: al-Ṣaḥīḥah 693; Hakim 1/191; Ibn Khuzaymah 356. Declared authentic by Imam Hakim and Imam Dhahabi.]
➊ Narrated by Hazrat Aisha رضي الله عنها:
Believing women used to attend the Fajr prayer with the Prophet ﷺ. After the prayer, they would return wrapped in their garments, and:
لا يعرفهن أحد من الغلس
[Muwatta 1/5; Bukhari 578; Muslim 645; Abu Dawood 423; Nasai 545; Tirmidhi 153; Ibn Majah 669; Humaydi 174; Ahmad 6/258; Abu Awanah 1/370; Bayhaqi 2/192]
“Due to the darkness, no one could recognize them.”
➋ Narrated by Hazrat Jabir رضي الله عنه:
والصبح كان النبي يصليها بغلس
[Bukhari 565; Muslim 246; Abu Dawood 397; Nasai 1/264; Ahmad 3/369]
“The Prophet ﷺ used to offer the Fajr prayer in darkness.”
Narration from Hazrat Rafi' bin Khadij رضي الله عنه:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
أصبحوا بالصبح فإنه أعظم لأجوركم
[Ṣaḥīḥ: Abu Dawood 409; Abu Dawood 424; Tirmidhi 154; Nasai 1/272; Ibn Majah 672; Ahmad 3/465; Darimi 1/277]
“Offer Fajr when it is well illuminated, for it brings greater reward for you.”
Scholars have reconciled this in two ways:
① (Ibn Qayyim, Tahawi):
Begin the prayer in darkness, and prolong the recitation so that the surroundings brighten during prayer.
② (Shafi’i, Ahmad):
The phrase “Asfiru” or “Asbiḥū” implies that Fajr time should be clear and unmistakable, not necessarily that the prayer be delayed.
[A’lam al-Muwaqqi’īn 2/290; al-Rawdat al-Nadiyyah 1/203; Nayl al-Awṭār 1/477; Tuḥfat al-Aḥwadhī 1/505]
Although offering Fajr in full brightness is also proven from the Prophet ﷺ, the practice to which he adhered consistently until his passing was to pray in darkness.
Narrated by Hazrat Abu Mas’ud Al-Ansari رضي الله عنه:
The Prophet ﷺ once offered Fajr in darkness, and once in brightness. Then:
فنم كانت صلاته بعد ذلك التغليس حتى مات ولم يعد إلى أن يسفر
[Ḥasan: Abu Dawood 378; 394; Ibn Khuzaymah 352; Muwatta 29; Ahmad 4/120; Darimi 1189; Bukhari 521; Muslim 610]
“After that, his Fajr prayer remained in darkness until he passed away; he never again offered it in brightness.”
➤ Preferred to Pray in Darkness (تغليس):
➤ Preferred to Pray in Brightness (إسفار):
[Tuḥfat al-Aḥwadhī 1/498; Nayl al-Awṭār 1/477; al-Lubāb 1/60; al-Qawānīn al-Fiqhiyyah p. 45; al-Sharḥ al-Ṣaghīr p. 222]
✔ (Rājiḥ): Offering Fajr in darkness is superior, as it was the consistent Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ and also the practice of the Rightly Guided Caliphs and the majority of the Companions and Tabiʿīn.
It is also noteworthy that the Prophet ﷺ used to adhere only to the most virtuous actions.
[al-Iʿtibār by al-Ḥāzimi, pp. 268–275]
Narration from Hazrat Abdullah bin Amr رضي الله عنه:
The Prophet ﷺ said:
وقت صلاة الفجر مالم تطلع الشمس
[Muslim 612; Ahmad 2/210; Abu Dawood 396; Sharḥ Maʿānī al-Āthār 1/150; Abu Awanah 1/371]
“The time of Fajr Salah is until the sun rises.”
Written by: Imran Ayyub Lahori
✿ Beginning and End Time of Fajr Salah ✿
The starting time of Fajr begins with the appearance of true dawn (Ṣubḥ Ṣādiq) and its ending time is sunrise.
◈ Ahadith on the Time of Fajr and Its Darkness
➊ Narrated by Hazrat Abu Musa Ash'ari رضي الله عنه:
فأقام الفجر حين انشق الفجر والناس لا يكاد يعرف بعضهم بعضا
[Muslim 614; Nasai 523; Abu Dawood 395]
“The Prophet ﷺ would commence the Fajr prayer as soon as the true dawn broke, and due to darkness, the people could barely recognize one another.”
➋ Narrated by Hazrat Ibn Abbas رضي الله عنهما:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“There are two types of Fajr: One Fajr during which food becomes unlawful and prayer becomes permissible; and another Fajr during which prayer is impermissible, but eating remains permissible.”
In Mustadrak Hakim, a narration from Hazrat Jabir رضي الله عنه includes this addition:
“The Fajr in which eating becomes unlawful spreads across the horizon, while the other ascends like the tail of a wolf—i.e., vertically like a pillar.”
[Ṣaḥīḥ: al-Ṣaḥīḥah 693; Hakim 1/191; Ibn Khuzaymah 356. Declared authentic by Imam Hakim and Imam Dhahabi.]
✿ The Prophet ﷺ Offered Fajr in Darkness ✿
➊ Narrated by Hazrat Aisha رضي الله عنها:
Believing women used to attend the Fajr prayer with the Prophet ﷺ. After the prayer, they would return wrapped in their garments, and:
لا يعرفهن أحد من الغلس
[Muwatta 1/5; Bukhari 578; Muslim 645; Abu Dawood 423; Nasai 545; Tirmidhi 153; Ibn Majah 669; Humaydi 174; Ahmad 6/258; Abu Awanah 1/370; Bayhaqi 2/192]
“Due to the darkness, no one could recognize them.”
➋ Narrated by Hazrat Jabir رضي الله عنه:
والصبح كان النبي يصليها بغلس
[Bukhari 565; Muslim 246; Abu Dawood 397; Nasai 1/264; Ahmad 3/369]
“The Prophet ﷺ used to offer the Fajr prayer in darkness.”
✿ Reconciling the Seemingly Contradictory Hadith ✿
Narration from Hazrat Rafi' bin Khadij رضي الله عنه:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
أصبحوا بالصبح فإنه أعظم لأجوركم
[Ṣaḥīḥ: Abu Dawood 409; Abu Dawood 424; Tirmidhi 154; Nasai 1/272; Ibn Majah 672; Ahmad 3/465; Darimi 1/277]
“Offer Fajr when it is well illuminated, for it brings greater reward for you.”
Scholars have reconciled this in two ways:
① (Ibn Qayyim, Tahawi):
Begin the prayer in darkness, and prolong the recitation so that the surroundings brighten during prayer.
② (Shafi’i, Ahmad):
The phrase “Asfiru” or “Asbiḥū” implies that Fajr time should be clear and unmistakable, not necessarily that the prayer be delayed.
[A’lam al-Muwaqqi’īn 2/290; al-Rawdat al-Nadiyyah 1/203; Nayl al-Awṭār 1/477; Tuḥfat al-Aḥwadhī 1/505]
✿ The Prophet's Consistent Practice (Dawam) ✿
Although offering Fajr in full brightness is also proven from the Prophet ﷺ, the practice to which he adhered consistently until his passing was to pray in darkness.
Narrated by Hazrat Abu Mas’ud Al-Ansari رضي الله عنه:
The Prophet ﷺ once offered Fajr in darkness, and once in brightness. Then:
فنم كانت صلاته بعد ذلك التغليس حتى مات ولم يعد إلى أن يسفر
[Ḥasan: Abu Dawood 378; 394; Ibn Khuzaymah 352; Muwatta 29; Ahmad 4/120; Darimi 1189; Bukhari 521; Muslim 610]
“After that, his Fajr prayer remained in darkness until he passed away; he never again offered it in brightness.”
✿ Scholarly Opinions on the Preferred Time for Fajr ✿
➤ Preferred to Pray in Darkness (تغليس):
- Imam Mālik, Shāfiʿī, Ahmad
- Imams Ishāq, Abu Thawr, Awzāʿī, Dāwūd
- Companions: Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, Ali, Ibn Zubair, Anas, Abu Musa, Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنهم
➤ Preferred to Pray in Brightness (إسفار):
- Imams Abu Hanifah, Muhammad, Abu Yusuf
- Their evidence: Hadith “Asbiḥū bi’l-Ṣubḥ”
[Tuḥfat al-Aḥwadhī 1/498; Nayl al-Awṭār 1/477; al-Lubāb 1/60; al-Qawānīn al-Fiqhiyyah p. 45; al-Sharḥ al-Ṣaghīr p. 222]
Preferred and Correct Opinion
✔ (Rājiḥ): Offering Fajr in darkness is superior, as it was the consistent Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ and also the practice of the Rightly Guided Caliphs and the majority of the Companions and Tabiʿīn.
It is also noteworthy that the Prophet ﷺ used to adhere only to the most virtuous actions.
[al-Iʿtibār by al-Ḥāzimi, pp. 268–275]
✿ Supporting Views from Notable Scholars
- Ibn Qudāmah رحمه الله: Preferred praying in darkness
[al-Mughnī 1/44] - Ibn Ḥajar رحمه الله: Same position
[Tuḥfat al-Aḥwadhī 1/503] - ʿAbdur Raḥmān Mubārakpūrī رحمه الله: Same position
[Tuḥfat al-Aḥwadhī 1/505]
Narration from Hazrat Abdullah bin Amr رضي الله عنه:
The Prophet ﷺ said:
وقت صلاة الفجر مالم تطلع الشمس
[Muslim 612; Ahmad 2/210; Abu Dawood 396; Sharḥ Maʿānī al-Āthār 1/150; Abu Awanah 1/371]
“The time of Fajr Salah is until the sun rises.”
