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Fajr Prayer: Time, Number of Rak‘ahs, Method and Virtues
The dawn prayer is the first of the five daily prayers. Short but immense in reward, it opens the Muslim’s day.
The Time of the Fajr Prayer
The time of Fajr begins with true dawn, a white light that spreads along the eastern horizon, and ends at sunrise. In France, allow roughly 1 h 30 to 2 h between the start of Fajr and sunrise, depending on the season and the latitude. The exact times for your city are given in our prayer times.
How to Pray Fajr Step by Step
- Perform wudu and face the qibla.
- Pray the 2 sunnah rak‘ahs: the Prophet ﷺ often recited Surah Al-Kafirun and then Surah Al-Ikhlas in them (Sahih Muslim, 726).
- Make the intention to pray the 2 obligatory rak‘ahs of Fajr, then say “Allahu akbar”.
- First rak‘ah: recite Al-Fatiha and another surah aloud, bow, stand up again, then perform two prostrations.
- Second rak‘ah: do the same, then sit for the tashahhud and the prayer upon the Prophet ﷺ.
- Finish with the taslim: “As-salamu ‘alaykum wa rahmatullah” to the right and then to the left.
The details of the movements and words are explained in our guide on how to perform the prayer. The call to prayer for Fajr contains a phrase of its own: “As-salatu khayrun mina n-nawm” (see the adhan and iqamah).
The Virtues of the Fajr Prayer
| Virtue | Source |
|---|---|
| The 2 sunnah rak‘ahs of dawn are better than this world and all that it contains | Sahih Muslim, 725 |
| Whoever prays Fajr is under the protection of Allah | Sahih Muslim, 657 |
| Whoever prays the two cool prayers (Fajr and Asr) will enter Paradise | Sahih al-Bukhari, 574 ; Sahih Muslim, 635 |
| Praying Fajr in congregation is like having prayed the whole night | Sahih Muslim, 656 |
Tips for Waking Up for Fajr
- Go to bed early: the Prophet ﷺ disliked staying up talking after the Isha prayer (Sahih al-Bukhari, 568).
- Say the bedtime supplications (see Hisnul Muslim) and make the intention to wake up.
- Set an alarm for the time of Fajr, for example with the adhan of the Muslim Alim app.
- After Fajr, say the morning supplications.
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You may be wondering…
What time is the Fajr prayer?
The time of Fajr begins at true dawn (fajr sadiq), when a horizontal brightness appears in the east, and ends at sunrise. The exact time changes every day: check the prayer times for your city.
How many rak‘ahs is the Fajr prayer?
Fajr has 2 obligatory rak‘ahs, preceded by 2 strongly recommended sunnah rak‘ahs. The two obligatory rak‘ahs are recited aloud.
What if I missed Fajr because I was asleep?
Pray it as soon as you wake up. The Prophet ﷺ said: “Whoever forgets a prayer or falls asleep without praying it, its expiation is to pray it as soon as he remembers it” (Sahih Muslim, 684). It is recommended to also pray the 2 sunnah rak‘ahs.
Should the qunut be recited in the Fajr prayer?
The Shafi‘i and Maliki schools recommend a supplication (qunut) during the second rak‘ah of Fajr. The Hanafi and Hanbali schools reserve it for the witr prayer. Each person follows the opinion of the school they practise; see the four schools of Islamic law.
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