Author: Yaman Khattab

Bismillah Al-Rahman Al-Raheem,

The Fajr (or dawn) salah can be one of the most difficult prayers for practicing Muslims to uphold for the obvious reason that it typically falls at a time when most of us are probably in our deepest stages of sleep and comfort. While some may find it surprisingly easy to simply sleep through Fajr, it takes an understanding of the importance and virtues of Fajr, and effective “sleep-hostile” techniques, in order to build a consistent Fajr cycle and to ensure we are fulfilling the obligations that Allah (subhana wat’ala) has placed upon us.

THE VIRTUES OF FAJR

A detailed discussion on the importance of Fajr salah would require an entire discussion on its own, but here are a few sources which speak towards the importance of being consistent in our salah.

The Prophet (salAllahu ‘alayhi wasalam) said:  “The difference between a man (Muslim) and shirk and kufr is the abandoning of salaah.”
(Sahih Muslim: Kitab ul Iman: Book 001, Number 0147)

The Prophet (salAllahu ‘alayhi wasalam) was asked: “Which deed is dearest to Allah?” He replied “To offer the Salat (prayers) at their fixed times”
(Bukhari)

It has been narrated by Abu Hurairah that Nabi (salAllahu ‘alayhi wasalam) said:  “There is no Salaah that is more burdensome on a Munaafiq (hypocrite) than the Fajr and Eshaa Salaah.  If they knew the virtue of these Salaah they would perform them even if they had to come to the Masjid crawling.”
(Muslim)

In Surah al Maun, Allah says, “Woe to the people who pray, those who with their salah are sahun”

According to Tafsir Ibn Kathir:
They are those people who pray and adhere to the prayer, yet they are mindless of it. This may either be referring to its act entirely, as Ibn `Abbas said, or it may be referring to performing it in its stipulated time that has been legislated Islamically. This means that the person prays it completely outside of its time.

From the above sources alone, we can see just how imperative the salah is in Islam. But while it is evident that those of us who call ourselves Muslims must ensure that we are performing our five obligatory daily salawaat, simply praying is not enough- one must also ensure that all of their salawaat are performed at their prescribed times.  This includes, of course, the Fajr salah.

So what can be done by those of us who are finding it difficult to pray Fajr on a regular basis? Here are some techniques that you might find useful and that I would recommend you consider putting into action if you find yourself having trouble performing Fajr salah on a consistent basis:

1) START WITH THE INTENTION

Firstly, ensure that you go to bed with the clear and sincere intention to wake up that night to perform your Fajr prayer. Think about all of the times you have had to wake up early for an important occasion – be it an exam, work, or anything else. Whether or not you realize it, you have always had the intention of waking up and committing yourself to what you had to do, and the same logic can be applied here. When you buy into the sincere intention to wake up, you will be able to adhere to the next pieces of advice quite naturally.

2) SLEEP EARLY

Getting enough shut eye before Fajr is fundamental to ones ability to wake up on time. Those who are able to wake up on a consistent basis will usually tell you that this is probably the most decisive factor; sleep too close to Fajr time, and by the time you’re supposed to wake up, your body will be in such a deep state of sleep that you’ll either sleep through your alarm, or procrastinate after turning it off and fall back to sleep.

3) RELOCATE YOUR ALARM CLOCK

Have you ever had trouble trying to remember a conversation someone claims to have had with you while they were trying to wake you up? It’s an interesting phenomenon, but our minds function in bizarre ways in the state between sleep and wakefulness, which can lead to confusion and even minor amnesia. This often leads many to shut off their alarms without ever remembering it, only to wake up thinking “Why didn’t my alarm go off?!” If this sounds like you, try relocating your alarm clock to a position in your room that requires you to physically get up and turn it off. This will stop your unconscious mind from instinctively turning it off, and give you more time to reach the state of awareness needed to realize that the alarm is meant to wake you up. When it goes off, sit up in bed, say the shahadah, and in one swift motion, turn it off and head directly to make your wudu. I would also advise turning on as many lights on as possible, as light resets our biological rhythms and “turns on” our bodies, so to speak.

Disclaimer: Although this method can be effective, please do not solely rely on this approach, as I know some people who have practiced much more sophisticated methods (such as having an alarm app on their phone which forces them to do a math problem before they can turn the alarm off, or setting up multiple alarm clocks around their room, or both) only to end up shutting off their alarms off and going back to sleep.

4) SET UP A NETWORK

If all else fails do not despair. You are not alone. Why not set up an agreement with a group of friends to call each other for Fajr to ensure each is awake? This can be practiced for a few days or weeks until everyone in the group becomes consistent. In fact, the MSA here at York University already has a framework set up called the Fajr Network, where a local brother or sister will give you a personal wake up call everyday. Perfect!

http://www.yorkmsa.ca/blog/programs/fajr-network/

5) GIVE YOURSELF RESPONSIBILITY

I have personally found that I am much more likely to wake up if I force my parents and siblings to keep their alarms off and entrust me to act as a global alarm clock for the household. This puts the onus on me to wake everyone else up for prayer, and makes me that much more determined to wake up on time. InshaAllah practicing this method will not only lead to you being rewarded for your efforts in calling others to prayer, but you might even become motivated to ensure that you are not to blame for everyone missing their salah.

6) KNOW THIS…

And finally, know for certain that those among us who obey the commands of Allah and His messenger have been promised victory in this world and/or the next (and Allah knows best). These commands include, but are not exclusive to, praying the five daily prayers at their prescribed times. Take a minute to think about that for a moment; Allah, the All-Mighty and Most-High, has promised us victory and success in this life and the next, inshaAllah, and Allah always keeps His promises, especially to His slaves who struggle and strive in His path. For those of us hoping to attain some goal in this life, and the ultimate goal of Jannah in the next, know for certain that being consistent in salah- the first thing we will be asked about on the Day of Resurrection- will have a direct correlation to our success.

Research shows that, on average, it takes approximately 2 months to make a habit (Lilly et al. 2009), so make sure to put in a real and honest effort to wake up on a consistent basis if you haven’t yet established a routine.

Is there anything here that I missed, or are there any specific techniques that you use which you find effective in helping you wake up for Fajr? Please feel free to share them with us in the comments section below. Who knows, someone may end up using your advice for the rest of their lives!