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Fajr prayer
Official name	صلاة الفجر، صلاة الصبح، صلاة الغداة
Observed by	Muslims
Type	Islam
Significance	Morning prayer
Begins	Dawn
Ends	Sunrise
Frequency	Daily

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The fajr prayer, alternatively transliterated as fadjr prayer, and also known as the subh prayer, is a salah (ritual prayer) offered in the early morning. Consisting of two rak'a (units), it is performed between the break of dawn and sunrise. It is one of two prayers mentioned by name in the Qur'an. Due to its timing, Islamic belief holds the fajr prayer to be of great importance. During the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, Muslims begin fasting with the fajr prayer.

Performance

The fajr prayer consists of two compulsory (fardh) units of prayer (rak'a). In addition, the voluntary sunnah prayer consists of two units of prayer and can be performed before the compulsory prayer.

In fajr, Al-Fatiha and the additional surah are to be read aloud (jahr), as during Maghrib and Isha. It is commonly performed silently when waking up in the morning.

The prayer includes wudu (ritual purification) and salat (ritual prayer).

Fajr replaced salat al-duha as the morning prayer before the five prayers were standardized.

Textual references

Qur'an

Qur'an 11:114 commands Muhammad to recite at dawn. This verse is taken as foundational for prescribing the times for prayer.

In Qur'an 17:78, dawn is one of the three times that prayer is to be performed. According to Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti's commentary on angels (Al-Haba'ik fi Akhbar al-Mala'ik), this verse describes the witnessing of dawn prayer by the angels of the day and the night.

The most burdensome prayers for the hypocrites are the Isha prayer and the Fajr prayer. If only they knew what (reward) there is in them, they would come to them even if they had to crawl.

Timings

The timings for the prayer are prescribed by the hadith.

See also

The other Islamic obligatory prayers, which are, in chronological order following the fajr prayer: Zuhr, Asr, Maghrib, and Isha.

• Sunnah and nafl prayers – optional prayers performed by Muslims, some of which are performed before or after the obligatory prayers
• Shacharit – the Jewish morning prayer

Notes

1. Arabic: صَلَاةُ الْفَجْر, romanized: Ṣalāt al-Fajr
2. Arabic: صَلَاةُ الْصُبْح, romanized: Ṣalāt al-Ṣubḥ
3. Some Malikis do not use them interchangeably, referring to the two-rakat voluntary Sunnah prayer as "fajr" and the two-rakat mandatory fardh prayer as "Subh"

References

1. ^ "Times of the Prayer – Shaykh Muhammad al-'Arabi al-Qarawi". 2015-04-10. Retrieved 2024-10-05.
2. Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim world. Internet Archive. New York : Macmillan Reference USA : Thomson/Gale. 2004. ISBN 978-0-02-865603-8.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
3. Glassé, Cyril (2001). The new encyclopedia of Islam. Internet Archive. Walnut Creek, CA : AltaMira Press. ISBN 978-0-7591-0189-0.
4. "Surah An-Nur - 58". Quran.com. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
5. "Surah Al-Isra - 78". Quran.com. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
6. sufyan (2011-07-05). "What Are the Confirmed Sunna and Non-Confirmed Sunna Prayers Associated With the Obligatory Prayers?". SeekersGuidance. Retrieved 2024-10-05.
7. Monnot, Guy (1995). Encyclopaedia of Islam. Vol. VIII (New ed.). Leiden: Brill Publishers. p. 928. ISBN 9004098348.
8. Glassé, Cyril (2001). The new encyclopedia of Islam. Walnut Creek, CA : AltaMira Press. p. 396. ISBN 978-0-7591-0189-0.
9. Farneth, Molly (2023). "A Social Practical Account of Rituals". The Politics of Ritual. Princeton University Press. p. 25. doi:10.2307/j.ctv2wr4wbd.5. ISBN 978-0-691-19892-7. JSTOR j.ctv2wr4wbd.5.
10. Biderman, Shlomo; Scharfstein, Ben-Ami (14 December 2023). Interpretation in Religion. BRILL. p. 220. ISBN 978-90-04-45155-1.
11. Akhtar, Shabbir (31 October 2007). The Quran and the Secular Mind: A Philosophy of Islam. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-134-07255-2.
12. Ilyas, Mohammad (1988). Astronomy of Islamic Times for the Twenty-first Century. Mansell. p. 28. ISBN 978-0-7201-1983-1.
13. Karic, Enes (3 July 2023). "Time in the Qur'an: An Introductory Overview". American Journal of Islam and Society. 40 (1–2): 172–212. doi:10.35632/ajis.v39i3-4.3195. ISSN 2690-3741.
14. Burge, Stephen (22 December 2015). Angels in Islam: Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti's al-Haba'ik fi akhbar al-mala'ik. Routledge. p. 160. ISBN 978-1-136-50474-7.
15. Bowker, John (1 January 2003). "Ṣalāt". The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/acref/9780192800947.001.0001. ISBN 978-0-19-280094-7.
16. ^ "Glossary of Terms". Al Islam. Retrieved 2024-10-05.
17. ^ "True Islam - Number of Salat". Quran-Islam. Retrieved 2024-10-05.
18. ^ Yüksel, Edip; Shaiban, Layth Saleh al-; Schulte-Nafeh, Martha, eds. (2007). The Quran: A Reformist Translation. United States of America: Brainbow Press. p. 509. ISBN 978-0-9796715-0-0.
19. ^ "10. How Can we Observe the Sala Prayers by Following the Quran Alone? - Edip-Layth - quranix.org". quranix.org. Retrieved 2024-10-05.
20. ^ "Prayer (Salat): According to Five Islamic Schools of Law Part 1". www.al-islam.org. 2013-11-12. Retrieved 2024-10-05.
21. "Different Types of Adhan | Mohammad Zahid". www.inkoffaith.com. Retrieved 2024-10-05.

v t e Salah (Islamic prayer)
Islamic prayers - Prayer compensation - Woman prayer
Categories and types	Regular mandatory prayers Fajr (Fajr nafl prayer, Qunut) Zuhr Asr Maghrib Isha (Chafa'a, Witr) Jumu'ah (weekly Friday prayer) Communal mandatory prayers Salat al-Janazah Prayers for the absent Eid prayers (according to some Islamic scholars) Congregational prayers Jumu'ah Tarawih Eid prayers Rain prayer Eclipse prayer Supererogatory prayers Prayers of the tradition Voluntary prayers Duha Ishraq Tahajjud Night nafl prayer [ar] Tarawih Tawassul Chafa'a Witr Tahiyyat masjid [ar] Occasional prayers Salat al-Istikharah Salat al-Tawba Sick prayer [ar] Need prayer [ar] Fear prayer [ar] Tasbih prayer [ar] Eid prayers Tarawih (Ramadan)
Prayer unit (raka'ah) and its constituents	Intention (Niyyah) Basmala Takbir Al-Fatiha Standing (Qiyam) Recitation Qira'at Proper pronunciation (Tajwid) Tilawa Loud prayer [ar] Silent prayer [ar] Supplication (Qunut) Bowing (Ruku) Prostration Sujud Sujud Sahwi Sujud Shukr Sujud Tilawa Sitting in salah (Tashahhud) Peace greeting (Taslim) Reverence (Khouchouâa [ar]) Contentment
Mosque	Mihrab Podium (Minbar) Sermon (Khutbah) Prayer hall (Musalla) Prayer rug (sajjādah)
Conditions	Prayer call Adhan Iqama Salah times Prayer forbidden times Prayer direction (Qibla) Islamic hygienical jurisprudence Ritual purity in Islam Junub Menstruation in Islam Istihadha Najis Bath (Ghusl) Ablution (Wudu) Dry ablution (Tayammum) Screen or barrier (Sutrah)
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• Salah
• Salah terminology