Fajr (Dawn) – to be at the most amazing place on earth!

Surah 113 Al-Falaq

Qul aAAoothu birabbi alfalaq

Say: I seek refuge with (Allah) the Lord of the daybreak

Min sharri ma khalaq

From the evil of what He has created

Wamin sharri ghasiqin ithawaqab

And from the evil of the darkening (night) as it comes with its darkness

Wamin sharri annaffathatifee alAAuqad

And from the evil of witchcraft when they blow in the knots

Wamin sharri hasidin itha hasad

And from the evil of the envier when he envies

The period just prior to and around dawn is a most serene and peaceful time. As the vast majority of the world is sleeping, to rise and be present to the serenity of dawn is to be present to this Blessing of Allahﷻ .

Be present to a whole new world, a world that’s almost unrecognisable from what it becomes only a few hours later during the busy daytime. Peace is felt with a calm cool breeze, birds singing and a fresh day dawning. One is not running on the usual time patterns, so there is not the same urge to rush; time is often experienced as passing slowly. One will find peace of mind readily as one is away from the numerous distractions of the day. Clarity of thought is more speedily achieved, one is present to the moment, and thoughts of problems often become thoughts of solutions.

You may look at birds and animals and notice that they are not yawning or struggling to be awake; instead they are enlivened and have a ‘spring in their hop’! They are chirping and singing with joy. Praise be to their Creator, Allahﷻ .

In contrast, how often are we tired and sluggish in the morning when arising? We emerge from the stupor of sleep as we struggle out of bed. It is often as though one is resisting the day ahead and all of this invariably stems from one simply not getting to sleep on time! How often do we sit watching ‘empty’ television or just ‘unwinding’ as we drag the old day on into the early wasteful hours. The inevitable consequence of a ‘late night’ is that we miss the dawn of a beautiful new day, the most tranquil portion of any day is lost, and what a heavy price to pay!!

The charm of this time of day is simply not unlike another world entirely. It is indeed a Blessing experienced by only those select few and missed by the masses.

Asalaatu khairun minun naum

Can't get up for Fajr? How can one be serious about one’s intention to wake up in time each morning before Fajr when one stays up doing useless things for hours and hours each night? The simple fact is if one wishes to arise for Fajr, one can avoid depriving oneself of sleep and this is done quite simply by going to bed on time.

If we do have a problem with waking for Fajr prayers, the one factor that is sure to make an impact is planning one’s schedule so that one goes to bed earlier and with regularity. This can start with a recommitment to offering the Fajr salat at its prescribed time. The commitment is declared in one’s intention followed by action based upon one’s intention. Actions can then start from that night and continue for at least a period of several weeks until one becomes accustomed to praying Fajr prayers each morning and on time.

Qaza (the late prayer)

In order for one to gain the benefit of salat, the salat prayer must be offered on time. The late prayer is offered seeking only Allah’s forgiveness after we have wronged ourselves by not offering salat at its due time. The timing of each salat is critical, in that the Muslim seeking Guidance is to commit to offering the prayer on time. It is, however, essential to note that it is in one’s nature to err as one is only human after all! The correction after erring is to recommit – it is as simple as that. This is discussed in the next chapter.

There is a whole new world to be discovered at Fajr. Peace! The dew, the light, the fresh crisp start of a new day; it is like a whole new world and we miss this world by staying up late at night engaging in idle tasks. Experience real peace of mind – at dawn, with no worldly affairs to consume one's mind. We can choose how and what we would like to be doing rather than being forced along by the worldly rat-race.

Surah 17 Al-'Isra (the night journey) Ayat 78

AqimI alssalata lidulookI alshshamsI ila ghasaqI allaylI waQur’ana alfajrI inna Qur’ana alfajrI kana mashhoodan

Perform as-salat from midday till the darkness of the night (i.e. the Zuhr, Asr, Maghrib, and Isha prayers), and recite the Qur’an in the early dawn (i.e. the morning prayer). Verily, the recitation of the Qur’an in the early dawn is ever witnessed (attended by the angels in charge of mankind in the day and the night).