2 Islamic articles on: fajr prayer

Table of contents for the topic fajr prayer
  1. Is the fajr prayer valid if the sun rises while performing it?
  2. How to get up for fajr prayer when you keep falling asleep after the alarm

IslamQA: Is the fajr prayer valid if the sun rises while performing it?

Assalamualaikum, if someone intends to pray Fajr but they wake up 5minutes before sunrise and then whilst they are praying it goes past sunrise, is their prayer invalid? Because when I first searched this online all the answers says just to wake up and pray immediately even if you're late. So I assumed you didn't have to make intention of qaza? Jzk

Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah,

The Prophet PBUH says:

"Whoever could get one rak`a (of the Fajr prayer) before sunrise, he has accomplished the (morning) prayer and whoever could get one rak`a of the `Asr prayer before sunset, he has accomplished the (`Asr) prayer."

Sahih al-Bukhari 579; a version is also in Sahih Muslim 608 a

So if you start the prayer, finish one rakʿa, then if the sun rises, then you have performed it correctly and there is no need to redo it. But if the sun rises during the first rakʿa, there are different opinions on whether the prayer is valid or not. According to some scholars, if the sun rises during the first rakʿa, then the prayer becomes a qaḍāʾ prayer, meaning the person has missed fajr (but they should still continue the prayer, considering it a qaḍāʾ prayer for fajr). According to others, if a person performs the takbirat al-iḥrām (the first “Allahu akbar” at the beginning of the prayer) before sunrise, then they have accomplished fajr and it is not qaḍāʾ.

Source:

IslamQA: How to get up for fajr prayer when you keep falling asleep after the alarm

Assalamualaikum wa rahmatullah wa barakatuh. I hope this question finds you in high imaan & good health, aamiin. I would like to ask for your tips on getting up for Fajr prayer. I've set up my alarm and get awaken in time (usually 1 hr before syuruk) but instead of getting up to do wudhu I would just lay there on my bed thinking if it would be any different if I pray or not, or other pointless things... It mostly ends up with me fallen asleep again and end up praying Fajr after sunrise (with a long sujud session afterwards profusely asking forgiveness for my heedlessness). This rarely happens to other prayers, for which I would immediately go to perform them after 15 mins of adzan time. Do you have any tips to immediately get up for Fajr prayer without aimlessly laying around & daydreaming? Jazakallahu khairan

Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah wa barakatuh,

My advice is to buy an alarm clock (rather than relying on a smartphone) and placing the alarm clock somewhere away from your bed so that when the alarm goes off you have to get out of bed to turn it off. Once you are out of bed it is much easier to continue to the prayer than to go back to bed. Make sure that the alarm clock is distant enough that you cannot reach it from the bed.

Best wishes inshaAllah.