Waking Up for Fajr

If you knew that someone would give you $200 each day just for waking up at a certain time, you would most likely jump out of bed an hour early just to make sure you didn't sleep in late. Likewise, if you knew that someone would crush your head with a gigantic piece of granite each time you failed to wake up on time, you would do everything in your power to make sure you did not give in to the pleasures of a warm and cozy bed early in the morning. Yet many Muslims have trouble waking up on time for the Fajr (dawn) prayer which holds a far greater reward than $200 and which, if not performed on time, results in a dreadful punishment from Allah SWT. Consider the following ahadith:

Abu Hurairah reported that Allah's Messenger (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, "No prayer is more cumbersome upon the hypocrites that the Fajr and Ishaa prayers. Had they been aware of the reward they contain, they would have come to these prayers even by crawling." (Mishkat-ul-Masabih)

Jundub al-Qasri reported that Allah's Messenger (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, "He who observes the Fajr prayer is in the protection of Allah. So behold that Allah should not call you to account in regard to His protection. He will lay hand on him and then throw him on his face in Hell-fire." (Muslim)

It is very, very important in Islam to perform the prayers on time. Purposefully neglecting to pray is a serious act of kufr (disbelief) in Islam.

Jabir reported that the Prophet (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, "The distinction between man and polytheism and infidelity is abandoning of prayer." (Muslim)

Whether or not one prays Fajr sets the tone for how his mood will be during the whole day. Abu Hurairah reported that Allah's Messenger (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, "The Satan knots three knots on the nape of the head of every one of you when he goes to sleep. On every knot he utters, 'There is a long night for you. So sleep.' If he gets up and remembers Allah, one knot is loosened; when he performs ablution another knot is loosened and when he observes prayer the third knot is also loosened and he gets up in the morning in an active and delightful mood. But if he does not do so, he gets up in the morning as spiteful and lazy." (Bukhari)

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