How to wake up for Fajr every day
Fajr is the prayer most people struggle with. The good news: waking up for it is a habit like any other, and it gets easier after the first two weeks.
Why Fajr matters
Whoever prays the morning prayer is under the protection of Allah.
Sahih Muslim
Whoever prays Isha in congregation, it is as if he prayed half the night. And whoever prays Fajr in congregation, it is as if he prayed the whole night.
Sahih Muslim
Allah also mentions the recitation at dawn specifically:
أَقِمِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ لِدُلُوكِ ٱلشَّمۡسِ إِلَىٰ غَسَقِ ٱلَّيۡلِ وَقُرۡءَانَ ٱلۡفَجۡرِۖ إِنَّ قُرۡءَانَ ٱلۡفَجۡرِ كَانَ مَشۡهُودٗا ﴿٧٨﴾
Aqimi alssalata lidulooki alshshamsi ila ghasaqi allayli waqurana alfajri inna qurana alfajri kana mashhoodan
Establish prayer at the decline of the sun [from its meridian] until the darkness of the night and [also] the Qur'an of dawn. Indeed, the recitation of dawn is ever witnessed
Quran 17:78 · Surah Al-Isra
9 tips to wake up for Fajr
- Sleep earlier. The Prophet ﷺ disliked sleeping before Isha and talking after it (al-Bukhari, Muslim). Aim to be in bed within an hour after Isha.
- Make a sincere intention before sleeping to wake up for Fajr, and ask Allah to help you.
- Follow the Sunnah of sleep: wudu, lying on your right side, Ayatul Kursi and the last three surahs. See the Sunnah before sleep.
- Put the alarm out of reach so you have to get up to turn it off. Set a second alarm five minutes later.
- Use the athan as your alarm. In the Hadaff app you can turn on the athan for Fajr.
- Say the dua on waking and get up at once. The Prophet ﷺ said the devil ties three knots on the back of the head of a sleeping person: one is untied by remembering Allah, one by wudu and one by praying (al-Bukhari, Muslim).
- Splash water on your face and make wudu straight away.
- Ask a friend or family member to wake you, or wake each other with a call.
- Track it. A Fajr streak you do not want to break is a strong motivator on cold winter mornings.
If you missed Fajr
Pray it as soon as you wake up. The Prophet ﷺ said: "Whoever forgets a prayer or sleeps through it, its expiation is to pray it when he remembers it" (Sahih Muslim). Then look at what went wrong (late night, phone in bed) and fix one thing for tomorrow.
Track your habits in Hadaff
Add any habit to your Hadaff habit tracker, tick it off each day and watch your streak grow. Prayer times with athan reminders, athkar with a counter and a khatma plan are built in. Free, no ads, no ad tracking.
Frequently asked questions
What time is Fajr?
Fajr begins at true dawn, when the light spreads across the horizon, and ends at sunrise. The exact time depends on your location and the date. See prayer times for cities in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, or use the Hadaff app for your location.
Is it okay to sleep after Fajr?
It is allowed, but the early morning is a blessed time. The Prophet ﷺ prayed: "O Allah, bless my nation in their early mornings" (Abu Dawud, at-Tirmidhi). Many people use it for Quran and the morning athkar.
How many rakats is Fajr?
Two obligatory rakats, preceded by two Sunnah rakats, which the Prophet ﷺ said are better than the world and everything in it (Sahih Muslim).