Are you struggling to offer Fajr Namsleaz despite trying hard? I can understand this feeling because, like most people, I used to struggle with the morning prayer myself.
But with Allah’s blessings and the guidance of pious scholars, I was able to overcome this weakness and become regular at Fajr prayers.
In this article, I’ll share my experience to help you offer Fajr regularly, beat procrastination, and transform your life with Allah’s blessings.
Let’s get started.
Dua To Wake Up For Fajr
Let’s start with the Dua to wake up for Fajr because we can’t achieve anything without Allah’s help.
First Dua To Wake Up In Fajr
Scholars recommend reading the dua of Ibrahim عليه السلام mentioned in Surah Ibrahim ayat 40-41 to be regular in prayers.
Make a habit of reading this dua after every Namaz and before going to sleep.
رَبِّ اجْعَلْنِي مُقِيمَ الصَّلَاةِ وَمِنْ ذُرِّيَّتِي ۚ رَبَّنَا وَتَقَبَّلْ دُعَاءِ رَبَّنَا اغْفِرْ لِي وَلِوَالِدَيَّ وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يَوْمَ يَقُومُ الْحِسَابُ
Transliteration
Rabbij Alni Muqeemas Salaati Wa Min Zurriyyati Rabbana Wata Qabbal Dua. Rabbanagh Firli Wali Waali Dayya Walil Mumineena Yaooma Yaqoomul Hisaab
English Translation
“My Lord, make me an establisher of prayer, and [many] from my descendants. Our Lord, and accept my supplication. Our Lord, forgive me and my parents and the believers the Day the account is established.”
Second Dua And Quranic Ayahs To Wake Up In Fajr
There’s another dua in Hadith that Prophet ﷺ taught Muaaz رضي الله عنه.
وعن معاذ رضي الله عنه أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أخذ بيده وقال: ”يا معاذ والله إني لأحبك” فقال:
أوصيك يا معاذ لا تدعن في دبر كل صلاة تقول:
اللَّهُمَّ أَعِنِّي عَلَى ذِكْرِكَ، وَشُكْرِكَ، وَحُسْنِ عِبَادَتِكَ
[ رواه أبو داود بإسناد صحيح]
Translation:
Mu’adh (رضي الله عنه) reported: The Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) took hold of my hand and said, “O Mu’adh! By Allah I love you, so I advise you to never forget to recite after every prayer:
O Allah, help me remember You, to be grateful to You, and to worship You in an excellent manner”
Several scholars recommend reading the following Ayahs of the Holy Quran before sleep to wake up in Fajr.
It is important to remember that this is NOT a sunnah. It is based on the experiences of pious scholars and there’s no harm in doing it as long as you don’t consider it mandatory.
1. Surah Ibrahim Ayah 125
وَإِذْ جَعَلْنَا ٱلْبَيْتَ مَثَابَةًۭ لِّلنَّاسِ وَأَمْنًۭا وَٱتَّخِذُوا۟ مِن مَّقَامِ إِبْرَٰهِـۧمَ مُصَلًّۭى ۖ وَعَهِدْنَآ إِلَىٰٓ إِبْرَٰهِـۧمَ وَإِسْمَـٰعِيلَ أَن طَهِّرَا بَيْتِىَ لِلطَّآئِفِينَ وَٱلْعَـٰكِفِينَ وَٱلرُّكَّعِ ٱلسُّجُودِ
Translation
And ˹remember˺ when We made the Sacred House a centre and a sanctuary for the people ˹saying˺, “˹You may˺ take the standing-place of Abraham2 as a site of prayer.” And We entrusted Abraham and Ishmael to purify My House for those who circle it, who meditate in it, and who bow and prostrate themselves ˹in prayer˺.
2. The last 4 Ayahs of Surah Kahf (107 – 110)
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ كَانَتْ لَهُمْ جَنَّـٰتُ ٱلْفِرْدَوْسِ نُزُلًا ١٠٧
خَـٰلِدِينَ فِيهَا لَا يَبْغُونَ عَنْهَا حِوَلًۭا ١٠٨
قُل لَّوْ كَانَ ٱلْبَحْرُ مِدَادًۭا لِّكَلِمَـٰتِ رَبِّى لَنَفِدَ ٱلْبَحْرُ قَبْلَ أَن تَنفَدَ كَلِمَـٰتُ رَبِّى وَلَوْ جِئْنَا بِمِثْلِهِۦ مَدَدًۭا ١٠٩
قُلْ إِنَّمَآ أَنَا۠ بَشَرٌۭ مِّثْلُكُمْ يُوحَىٰٓ إِلَىَّ أَنَّمَآ إِلَـٰهُكُمْ إِلَـٰهٌۭ وَٰحِدٌۭ ۖ فَمَن كَانَ يَرْجُوا۟ لِقَآءَ رَبِّهِۦ فَلْيَعْمَلْ عَمَلًۭا صَـٰلِحًۭا وَلَا يُشْرِكْ بِعِبَادَةِ رَبِّهِۦٓ أَحَدًۢا ١١٠
Insha Allah after reading these Ayahs you will wake up for Fajr. However, it is up to you to beat your laziness and get up immediately for Namaz or go back to sleep.
How To Wake Up For Fajr Namaz | Proven Tips That Work
Reading the Dua to wake up for Fajr is great. But you won’t be able to regularly offer Fajr until you fix your routine and life habits.
Here are some critical life tips to help you become more vigilant in Fajr Salah.
Make Sincere Intention And Dua
Apart from the Duas we’ve discussed, make dua in your own language and ask Allah SWT to help you wake up in Fajr.
Make this a habit.
Offer 2 rakat Salatul Hajat and cry in front of Allah, and request Him to make you among those who regularly offer Fajr. Insha Allah, sincere Duas never go in vain.
Request Pious Scholars For Dua
Next, go to the Imam of your masjid, your father & mother, and any pious elders in your family or community and request them to make dua for you.
Allah SWT accepts the duas of Muslims for each other.
Sleep Early
Now comes the most important part.
Every other dua and tip for waking up in Fajr will be useless if you don’t go to sleep early. This is absolutely critical.
It is so important that Rasoolullah ﷺ instructed Sahaba not to indulge in unnecessary discussions after Isha and immediately go to sleep.
I understand that our modern lifestyle doesn’t allow us to do that.
But still, try to get at least 6 hours of sleep at night. Otherwise, you won’t be able to wake up for Fajr no matter how hard you try.
So, let’s say you have Fajr Jamat at 5 AM in your local mosque. This means you must wake up at least half an hour earlier (at 4:30 AM) to prepare, make Wudu, offer Sunnahs, and reach the Masjid.
For that to happen, you need to sleep by 10:30 PM max.
That’s quite manageable if you make Fajr a priority.
Don’t Use Your Smartphone Before Sleep
Smartphones are a modern-day spiritual pandemic.
They waste your time and distract you from the most critical things in your life, including Namaz.
But using a smartphone before sleep is disastrous for your mental health and sleep quality.
Modern research shows using smartphones before sleeping damage your brain cells, don’t allow you to relax, and result in poor sleep quality.
Plus, using your smartphone at night in your bedroom when no one’s around is inviting Shaitan and Nafs to trap you in addictions like pornography and other spiritually damaging activities.
So, in short, put the phone away from your bed. Even better, turn it off and put it outside your bedroom.
What about the Fajr alarm? Don’t worry, you can still easily find alarm clocks in any local store (or Amazon) to wake you up.
Read The Masnoon Azkar And Duas Before Sleeping
Rasoolullah ﷺ has prescribed many azkar and duas to read before sleeping so that you end your day by remembering Allah.
If you can’t do all of them, read as much of the following as you can.
- Tasbeeh e Fatimi – 33 times Subhan Allah, 33 times Alhamdulillah, 34 times Allahu Akbar
- Kalima Shahadat
اَشْهَدُ اَنْ لَّآ اِلٰهَ اِلَّا اللهُ وَحْدَہٗ لَاشَرِيْكَ لَه وَاَشْهَدُ اَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهٗ وَرَسُولُه - Durood e Ibrahimi (or any Durood)
- The masnoon dua for sleeping اللَّهُمَّ بِاسْـمِكَ أَمُوتُ وَأَحْيَا
- Astaghfar أسْتَغْفِرُ اللهَ رَبي مِنْ كُلِ ذَنبٍ وَأتُوبُ إلَيهِ
- Surah Fatiha
- Ayat ul Kursi
- Surah Ikhlas, Surah Falaq, and Surah Naas
- Surah Mulk (if you have memorized it)
Insha Allah with the barakah of these Azkar, you will have a blessed sleep and will wake up for Fajr.
Don’t Drink Too Much Water
Research shows that drinking too much water less than two hours before going to bed lowers your sleep quality. So, avoid it to ensure you have a peaceful night and wake up fresh for Fajr.
Have Dinner Early
Experts say you should have dinner at least 3-4 hours before sleep to avoid problems digesting it and to ensure you have an uninterrupted sleep. Filling your stomach too much at dinner time isn’t a good habit anyway.
Because the more you eat, the lazier you become. So, have dinner early and don’t eat until your stomach hurts. Instead, take a light dinner and sleep well.
Place Your Alarm Away From The Bed
Remember the alarm clock I mentioned? It’s time to use it.
Buy an old-fashioned alarm clock and put it away from your bed so that you have to walk to turn it off.
If you get a good night’s sleep, you won’t have problems staying up once you walk to your alarm clock.
Ask Someone To Wake You Up
Does your father, mother, or anyone in the family offer Fajr regularly? Ask them to wake you up.
You can also motivate your family members to do this together. This would drastically increase your chances of getting up because of two or three people try to wake up for Fajr, at least one would succeed and wake up the others as well.
Penalize Yourself For Missing Fajr
Many spiritual mentors and scholars recommend penalizing your Nafs for missing fajr. This can be in various forms.
For example, if you miss Fajr, don’t eat breakfast until you offer its Qaza.
Decide a monetary penalty that you’ll give in charity for missing Fajr. It should not be a huge amount that dents your bank balance. But it shouldn’t is so small that you don’t care. Decide an amount that feels like a burden if you have to give it away every day.
If you don’t have the monetary means, then penalize yourself by offering 10 rakats Nafl prayers every time you miss Fajr.
Doing this would force you to wake up for Fajr so that you can avoid these penalties.
Can I Pray Fajr When I Wake Up Late?
Missing Fajr intentionally is a major sin and among the characteristics of hypocrites described by the Prophet ﷺ۔
“ليس صلاة أثقل على المنافقين من صلاة الفجر والعشاء ولو يعلمون ما فيهما لأتوهما ولو حبوًا
Translation
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “No Salat is more burdensome to the hypocrites than the Fajr (dawn) prayer and the ‘Isha’ (night) prayer; and if they knew their merits, they would come to them even if they had to crawl to do so.”
So, try you best to offer Fajr on time because no Muslim would want to be called a hypocrite by Rasoolullah ﷺ
However, if you don’t manage to wake up despite trying everything, and miss Fajr unintentionally, insha Allah there’s no sin in it, as long as you offer it immediately when you wake up.
This is described in detail in the following Hadith.
أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَانَ فِي سَفَرٍ لَهُ فَمَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَمِلْتُ مَعَهُ فَقَالَ ” انْظُرْ ” . فَقُلْتُ هَذَا رَاكِبٌ هَذَانِ رَاكِبَانِ هَؤُلاَءِ ثَلاَثَةٌ حَتَّى صِرْنَا سَبْعَةً . فَقَالَ ” احْفَظُوا عَلَيْنَا صَلاَتَنَا ” . يَعْنِي صَلاَةَ الْفَجْرِ فَضُرِبَ عَلَى آذَانِهِمْ فَمَا أَيْقَظَهُمْ إِلاَّ حَرُّ الشَّمْسِ فَقَامُوا فَسَارُوا هُنَيَّةً ثُمَّ نَزَلُوا فَتَوَضَّئُوا وَأَذَّنَ بِلاَلٌ فَصَلَّوْا رَكْعَتَىِ الْفَجْرِ ثُمَّ صَلَّوُا الْفَجْرَ وَرَكِبُوا فَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ لِبَعْضٍ قَدْ فَرَّطْنَا فِي صَلاَتِنَا . فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ” إِنَّهُ لاَ تَفْرِيطَ فِي النَّوْمِ إِنَّمَا التَّفْرِيطُ فِي الْيَقَظَةِ فَإِذَا سَهَا أَحَدُكُمْ عَنْ صَلاَةٍ فَلْيُصَلِّهَا حِينَ يَذْكُرُهَا وَمِنَ الْغَدِ لِلْوَقْتِ ” .
Translation
“The Prophet (ﷺ) was on a journey. The Prophet (ﷺ) took a turn and I also took a turn with him. He said: ‘Look!’ I said: ‘This is a rider; these are two riders; and these are three’ until we became seven. He then said: Guard for us our prayer, i.e. the Fajr prayer. But sleep dominated them and none could awaken them except the heat of the sun. They stood up and drove away a little. Then they got down (from their mounts) and performed ablution. Bilal called for prayer and they offered two rak’ahs of (Sunnah) of Fajr and then offered the Fajr prayer and mounted (their mounts). Some of them said to others: We showed negligence in prayer. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: There is no negligence in sleep. The negligence is in wakefulness. If any of you forget saying prayer, he should offer it when he remembers it and next day (he should say it) at its proper time.
Scholars of Islam have derived the following laws from this hadith.
- If you miss Fajr unintentionally due to sleep despite trying your best, there’s no sin in it.
- The moment you wake up, make istaghfar and immediately offer Fajr.
- If you wake up before Zuhr time, you must offer 2 Sunnah and 2 Fardh of Fajr.
- If you wake up so late that it’s Zuhr time, offer 2 Fardh of Fajr only.
So, in short, you can offer Fajr if you wake up late despite making an effort to pray on time.
How Did The Sahaba Wake Up For Fajr?
Missing Fajr Salah was unimaginable for Sahaba for several reasons.
- Namaz was the most important thing in the world for them.
- Their lives were structured around Namaz, so they used to sleep immediately after praying Isha.
- Most Sahaba used to offer Tahajjud prayers regularly. So, staying up for Fajr was never an issue for them.
It is narrated by several Sahaba that they used to get worried about the well-being of a person if they didn’t see him in the Masjid for Salah. It was a core part of their lives, and unless they were traveling of suffering from an illness, they’d never miss any Namaz in the mosque.
Motivational Quotes And Hadith To Perform Fajr Every Day
Here are some of my favorite motivational quotes to help you offer Fajr regularly.
- Fajr is Allah’s anti-depressant for Muslims. Hold it tightly, and you’ll never feel depressed.
- Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “Satan puts three knots at the back of the head of any of you if he is asleep. On every knot, he reads and exhales the following words, ‘The night is long, so stay asleep.’ When one wakes up and remembers Allah, one knot is undone; and when one performs ablution, the second knot is undone, and when one prays, the third knot is undone, and one gets up energetic with a good heart in the morning; otherwise, one gets up lazy and with a mischievous heart.” (Sahih al-Bukhari 1142)
- The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘Whoever goes to the Morning prayer first thing in the morning, he goes out with the banner of faith, but whoever goes out to the marketplace first thing in the morning, he goes out under the banner of Iblis (Satan).’ (Sunan Ibn Majah 2234)
- The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “O Allah, bless my nation in their early mornings (i.e., what they do early in the morning).” (Sunan Ibn Majah 2236)