307. My Alarm Didn't Rang For Fajr Prayer

By Asma bint Shameem 

*QUESTION*

Oh no! My alarm didn't go on and I missed Fajr! 

What to do?

*ANSWER*

1.  All you have to do is to perform that prayer AS SOON AS YOU WAKE UP and it won't count as if you missed it. 

That's because you GENUINELY wanted to pray on time but due to a reason that was NOT in your control, you missed the salah. 

Don't 'wait and pray it later'. 

Pray it then and there and In shaa' Allaah it won't count against you. 

That's the Mercy of Allaah, 

al-Kareem that He won't hold it against us. 

Proof:

One time during travel, the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam and his Sahaabah slept and missed Fajr prayer on accident, and the Sahaabah began to ask one another, 

“What is the expiation (kafaarah) for what we have done by neglecting the prayer?” 

The Messenger of Allaah Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam said:

“Sleeping does not mean that you are neglecting the prayer. 

Rather neglecting the prayer means not praying one prayer until the time for the next prayer comes. Whoever does that let him pray when he remembers it.” 

(Saheeh Muslim)

And he Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam said:

“Whoever forgets a prayer, or sleeps and misses it, let him offer it as soon as he remembers, for there is no expiation for it other than that. (Muslim)

Obviously the above hadeeth does not apply to someone who misses the prayer *”intentionally”* or out of *”laziness”*

It only applies if someone had *genuine, sincere* intentions to pray on time  but couldn’t for some some valid excuse. 

So you should pray as soon as you wake up. 

Pray the two Sunnah then the fardh. 

2. But sometimes it may happen that you don’t have much time. 

In this situation you should pray the *fardh* FIRST because if you pray the Sunnah, you may miss the time of the Salaah. 

Then once you’re done with your fardh, if you still have time and the sun has NOT started to rise, then you can pray the Sunnah afterwards. 

Proof:

The Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam saw a man praying two rak‘ahs after Fajr. 

So the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam said: 

“Fajr prayer twice?” 

The man said to him: 

“I did not pray the two rak‘ahs that come before it, so I prayed them (now).”
And the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam did not say anything (meaning he approved of it otherwise he would have said something).”

(Ibn Maajah- saheeh by al-Albaani)

BUT if the sun has already started to rise after you’re done with your fardh, then DELAY the Sunnah until after the sun has risen. 

That’s because the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam forbade Salaah at the time of the sun rising. 

He Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam said:

“ ...refrain from praying until the sun has risen and become high, for when it rises, it rises between the horns of the Shaytaan and at that time the kuffaar prostrate to it.” (Muslim)

3. You should pray the “FARDH” even if the sun is rising 

That’s because the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam said:

‘If one of you catches a Sajdah from the Asr prayer before the sunsets, then he should complete his prayer.  If one of you catches a Sajdah from the morning prayer before the sunrises then he should complete his prayer.’

(al-Bukhaari) 

 Imaam an-Nawawi said:

“This is a clear evidence that whoever caught and prayed a Rak’ah of the morning or Asr prayer, and then the prayer time finished before he gave Salaam then his prayer is not null and void, rather he should complete it, and his prayer is correct.”

*Keep in mind:*

If you miss a Salaah on purpose, THAT'S a *serious crime*. 

May Allaah enable us to be punctual with our daily prayers and make us among the guided ones. Ameen.