Sunnah of Fajr Prayer – Virtues and Rulings
Excerpt from Abu Adnan Muhammad Munir Qamar Nawab al-Din’s book “Rak‘aat of the Five Daily Prayers along with Witr and Tahajjud.”
Some Sunnah prayers are performed before the obligatory prayers, some after, and some both before and after. The Prophet ﷺ was consistent in performing certain Sunnah prayers and spoke highly of their virtues. These are known as Sunan al-Rawatib or Sunan Mu’akkadah.
Among these, the two rak‘ahs before the obligatory Fajr prayer have been emphasized greatly.
In Sahih Muslim, Tirmidhi, Sharh al-Sunnah al-Baghawi, and Musnad Ahmad, the Prophet ﷺ said:
وركعتا الفجر خير من الدنيا وما فيها
The two rak‘ahs of Fajr are better than the world and all that it contains.
In Sahih Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud, and Musnad Ahmad, ‘A’ishah رضي الله عنها reported:
لم يكن النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم على شيء من النوافل أشد تعاهدا منه على ركعتي الفجر
The Prophet ﷺ was more consistent in observing the Sunnah of Fajr than any other voluntary prayer.
Even while traveling — when the four-rak‘ah obligatory prayers were shortened to two — the Prophet ﷺ never abandoned these two rak‘ahs, just as he never abandoned Witr.
On one occasion during a journey, when he and his Companions overslept and the sun had risen, he still prayed these two rak‘ahs before offering the Fajr obligatory prayer.
Multiple hadiths indicate that the Prophet ﷺ would pray these two rak‘ahs lightly. ‘A’ishah رضي الله عنها said:
وكان النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم يخفف الركعتين اللتين قبل صلوة الصبح حتى إني لاقول هل قرا بأم الكتاب
He would perform them so lightly that I would wonder whether he had recited Surah al-Fatihah or not.
Any portion of the Qur’an may be recited in these two rak‘ahs, but the most virtuous is to follow the Prophet ﷺ’s practice of reciting:
After performing the two rak‘ahs, it was the Prophet ﷺ’s practice to lie on his right side for a short while, as narrated in Sahih Bukhari, Muslim, and others:
كان النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم اذا صلى ركعتي الفجر اضطجع على شقه الايمن
When the Prophet ﷺ had prayed the two rak‘ahs of Fajr, he would lie on his right side.
Scholars differ on the ruling of this act. Many consider it mustahabb (recommended) rather than wajib (obligatory). Ibn Hazm considered it obligatory, and Imam al-Shawkani leaned toward that opinion, but most scholars see it as a Sunnah habit of the Prophet ﷺ.
The time for performing these Sunnah is until the iqamah for Fajr is called. Once the iqamah is given, one should join the congregation and not engage in any other prayer — even the Sunnah of Fajr — as per the hadith:
وإذا أقيمت الصلوة فلا صلوة إلا المكتوبة
When the iqamah is called for prayer, there is no prayer except the obligatory one.
This is supported by various narrations in Sahih Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud, and others, where the Prophet ﷺ discouraged starting these Sunnah after the iqamah had been given.
If a person has already started and is near completion (in the tashahhud), they may finish quickly and join the congregation. But if only just beginning, they should break off and join the congregation, making up the Sunnah later.
Excerpt from Abu Adnan Muhammad Munir Qamar Nawab al-Din’s book “Rak‘aat of the Five Daily Prayers along with Witr and Tahajjud.”
Importance of Sunnah al-Fajr
Some Sunnah prayers are performed before the obligatory prayers, some after, and some both before and after. The Prophet ﷺ was consistent in performing certain Sunnah prayers and spoke highly of their virtues. These are known as Sunan al-Rawatib or Sunan Mu’akkadah.
Among these, the two rak‘ahs before the obligatory Fajr prayer have been emphasized greatly.
In Sahih Muslim, Tirmidhi, Sharh al-Sunnah al-Baghawi, and Musnad Ahmad, the Prophet ﷺ said:
وركعتا الفجر خير من الدنيا وما فيها
The two rak‘ahs of Fajr are better than the world and all that it contains.
The Prophet ﷺ’s Consistency
In Sahih Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud, and Musnad Ahmad, ‘A’ishah رضي الله عنها reported:
لم يكن النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم على شيء من النوافل أشد تعاهدا منه على ركعتي الفجر
The Prophet ﷺ was more consistent in observing the Sunnah of Fajr than any other voluntary prayer.
Even while traveling — when the four-rak‘ah obligatory prayers were shortened to two — the Prophet ﷺ never abandoned these two rak‘ahs, just as he never abandoned Witr.
On one occasion during a journey, when he and his Companions overslept and the sun had risen, he still prayed these two rak‘ahs before offering the Fajr obligatory prayer.
How the Prophet ﷺ Performed These Sunnah
Multiple hadiths indicate that the Prophet ﷺ would pray these two rak‘ahs lightly. ‘A’ishah رضي الله عنها said:
وكان النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم يخفف الركعتين اللتين قبل صلوة الصبح حتى إني لاقول هل قرا بأم الكتاب
He would perform them so lightly that I would wonder whether he had recited Surah al-Fatihah or not.
Recitation in Sunnah al-Fajr
Any portion of the Qur’an may be recited in these two rak‘ahs, but the most virtuous is to follow the Prophet ﷺ’s practice of reciting:
- قُلْ يَأَيُّهَا الكَفِرُونَ in the first rak‘ah
- قُلْ هُوَ اللهُ أَحَدٌ in the second rak‘ah
Lying on the Right Side After Sunnah
After performing the two rak‘ahs, it was the Prophet ﷺ’s practice to lie on his right side for a short while, as narrated in Sahih Bukhari, Muslim, and others:
كان النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم اذا صلى ركعتي الفجر اضطجع على شقه الايمن
When the Prophet ﷺ had prayed the two rak‘ahs of Fajr, he would lie on his right side.
Scholars differ on the ruling of this act. Many consider it mustahabb (recommended) rather than wajib (obligatory). Ibn Hazm considered it obligatory, and Imam al-Shawkani leaned toward that opinion, but most scholars see it as a Sunnah habit of the Prophet ﷺ.
Time of Performance
The time for performing these Sunnah is until the iqamah for Fajr is called. Once the iqamah is given, one should join the congregation and not engage in any other prayer — even the Sunnah of Fajr — as per the hadith:
وإذا أقيمت الصلوة فلا صلوة إلا المكتوبة
When the iqamah is called for prayer, there is no prayer except the obligatory one.
This is supported by various narrations in Sahih Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud, and others, where the Prophet ﷺ discouraged starting these Sunnah after the iqamah had been given.
If a person has already started and is near completion (in the tashahhud), they may finish quickly and join the congregation. But if only just beginning, they should break off and join the congregation, making up the Sunnah later.
