Dawn

DAWN:

2:187 - Permitted to you on the night of the fasts is the approach to your wives. They are your garments. And ye are their garments. Allah knoweth what ye used to do secretly among yourselves; but He turned to you and forgave you; so now associate with them and seek what Allah hath ordained for you and eat and drink until the white thread of dawn appear to you distinct from its black thread; then complete your fast till the night appears; but do not associate with your wives while ye are in retreat in the mosques. Those are limits (set by) Allah; approach not nigh thereto. Thus doth Allah make clear His signs to men that they may learn self-restraint. 195 196 197 198 199 200

20:130 – Therefore be patient with what they say and celebrate (constantly) the praises of thy Lord before the rising of the sun and before its setting; yea celebrate them for part of the hours of the night and at the sides of the day: that thou mayest have (spiritual) joy. 2654 2655

2655 Taraf, plural atraf, may mean sides, ends, extremities. If the day be compared to a tubular figure standing erect, the top and bottom are clearly marked, but the sides are not so clearly marked: they would be atraf (plural), not tarafain (dual). Now the prayer before sunrise is clearly Fajr; that before sunset is Asr: "part of the hours of the night" would indicate Magrib (early night, just after sunset), and Isha, before going to bed. There is left Zuhr, which is in the indefinite side or middle of the day : it may be soon after the sun's decline from noon, but there is considerable latitude about the precise hour. The majority of Commentators interpret in favour of the five Canonical prayers, and some include optional prayers. But I think the words are even more comprehensive. A good man's life is all one sweet Song of Praise to Allah. (20.130)

32:15 – Only those believe in Our Signs who when they are recited to them fall down in adoration and celebrate the praises of their Lord nor are they (ever) puffed up with pride. 3647

3647 "In adoration": Sujjadan, or in a posture of prostration, expressive of deep humility and faith. This is the keyword of the Sura, which bears the title of Sajda. All the Signs of Allah lead our thoughts upwards towards Him, and when they are expounded, our attitude should be one of humble gratitude to Allah. At this passage it is usual to make a prostration. (32.15)

32:16- Their limbs do forsake their beds of sleep the while they call on their Lord in Fear and Hope: and they spend (in charity) out of the sustenance which We have bestowed on them. 3648 3649

3648 Men and women "breathless with adoration" shun soft, comfortable beds, and luxurious sleep. Their limbs are better exercised in offices of devotion and prayer, especially by night. Commentators specially refer this to Prayers called Tahajjud, which are offered after midnight in the small hours of the morning. (32.16)

40:55 – Patiently then persevere: for the Promise of Allah is true: and ask forgiveness for thy fault and celebrate the Praises of thy Lord in the evening and in the morning. 4427 4428 4429

4429 Cf. iii. 41. Evening and morning are the best times for contemplation and prayer. But the phrase "evening and morning" may mean "at all times". (40.55)

50:39 - Bear then with patience all that they say and celebrate the praises of thy Lord before the rising of the sun and before (its) setting 4978

4978 Allah should be remembered at all times. But the best time for individual adoration is early in the morning before sunrise, late in the day before sunset, and a portion of the night, when there is stillness in the air, and man's spirit loves to commune with things spiritual. Those who would connect this with the five canonical prayers, instituted at a later stage in Madinah, would take the Fajr for the prayer before sunrise, the Zuhr and, the Asr for the afternoon prayers before sunset and the Magrib and the Ishaa for the night prayers. (50.39)

51:18 - And in the hours of early dawn They (were found) praying for Forgiveness; 5000

5000 They were up early before dawn, ready for their devotions. The praying for Forgiveness and Mercy does not necessarily imply that they had committed fresh sins. Indeed they began the day with such devotions, showing their great humility before Allah and their anxious care for others, for whom they prayed as much as for themselves. See the last sentence of n. 21 to i. 5. (51.18)

54:34 – We sent against them a violent tornado with showers of stones (which destroyed them) except Lut's household: them We delivered by early Dawn 5154

74:34 - And in the hours of early dawn They (were found) praying for Forgiveness; 5000

81:18 - And the Dawn as it breathes away the darkness 5987

5987The slow "breathing out" of the darkness by the Dawn, shows us, by beautiful imagery, that these wonderful operations, of which people in their ignorance are frightened if they have to do with darkness, are really beneficent operations of Allah. They have nothing to do with evil spirits, or witches, or magic. For three questions were actually raised about the holy Prophet's Ministry by the ignorant. (1) Did his wonderful works come from himself and not from Allah? (2) Was he possessed of an evil spirit? In other words, was he mad? For that was the theory of madness then current. (3) Was he a soothsayer, or necromancer, or magician? For he had virtues, powers and eloquence, so extraordinary that they could not understand him. (81.18)

113:1 - Say: I seek refuge with the Lord of the Dawn 6301 6302

6302and the manifestation of light. This may be understood in various senses: (1) literally, when the darkness of the night is at its worst, rays of light pierce through and produce the dawn; (2) when the darkness of ignorance is at its worst, the light of Allah pierces through the soul and gives it enlightenment: xxiv. 35; (3) non-existence is darkness, and life and activity may be typified by light. The author and source of all true light is Allah, and if we seek Him, we are free from ignorance, superstition, fear, and every kind of evil. (113.1)

Fiqh-us-Sunnah
Fiqh 1.88a

The Time of the Morning Prayer (Fajr)

The time of the morning prayer begins with the true dawn and lasts until sunrise. It is preferred to pray it early in its permissible time. Abu Mas'ud al-Ansari reported that the Messenger of Allah prayed the morning prayer in the darkness (of the dawn). Another time, he prayed it when the dawn was shining (or glowing). Then after that, he always prayed in the darkness (of the dawn) until he died." (Related by Abu Dawud and al-Baihaqi. Its chain is sahih.) Said 'Aishah, "Believing women would pray the morning prayer with the Prophet, upon whom be peace, being enveloped in their clothing. They would return to their homes after the prayer and no one could recognize them due to the darkness (of the dawn)." (Related by "the group.")

Fiqh-us-Sunnah
Fiqh 3.130b

Fasting, the time for the pre-dawn meal

The time for the pre-dawn meal is between the middle of the night and dawn. It is considered best to delay it (that is, as close to dawn a possible). Zaid ibn Thabit reported: "We ate the pre-dawn meal with the Messenger of Allah and then we got up for the prayer. He was asked: 'What was the amount of time between the two?' He responded: '[The time it would take to recite] fifty verses.' " This is recounted by al-Bukhari and Muslim.

'Amr ibn Maimun adds: "The companions of Muhammad, upon whom be peace, would be the first to break the fast and the last to eat their pre-dawn meals." This is recorded by al-Baihaqi with a sahih chain.

Abu Dharr al-Ghafari related that the Prophet said: "My nation will always retain some goodness as long as they hasten breaking the fast and delay eating the pre-dawn meal." This hadith has in its chain one Sulaim ibn Abu Uthman who is unknown.

Fiqh-us-Sunnah
Fiqh 2.19

Al-Qunut in salatul fajr

It is not correct to make qunut in the dawn prayer except during times of calamity, in which case it may be made in any of the five daily prayers. Abu Malik al-Ashja'i said: "My father prayed behind the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam when he was sixteen years old, and he prayed behind Abu Bakr, 'Umar, and 'Uthman. I asked him, 'Did they make the qunut'?' He said, 'No, son, it is something that has been innovated."' This is related by Ahmad, an-Nasa'i, Ibn Majah, and at-Tirmidhi who calls it sahih. Anas said that the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam would not make the qunut in fajr unless he was supplicating for a people or supplicating against a people. This is related by Ibn Hibban, al-Khatib, and Ibn Khuzaimah who said it is sahih.

It is also related that az-Zubair, Abu Bakr, 'Umar, and 'Uthman did not make the qunut in the dawn prayer. This is the opinion of the Hanafiyyah, the Hanbaliyyah, Ibn al-Mubarak, al-Thauri, and Ishaq. The followers of Shaf'i are of the opinion that the qunut is to be made after the ruku' of the second rak'ah in the obligatory dawn prayer. This opinion is based on the following two reports. Ibn Sireen narrates that Anas ibn Malik was asked: "Did the Prophet make the qunut in the dawn prayer?" He answered: "Yes." They asked him: "Before the ruku' or after it?" He replied: "After it." This is related by the group save at-Tirmidhi.

There is a report from Anas which says: "The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alehi wasallam did not stop making qunut during the dawn prayer until he left this world." This is related by Ahmad, al-Bazzar, adDaraqutni, al-Baihaqi, and al-Hakim who says it is sahih.

However, there remains some doubt concerning this evidence since the qunut which they asked Anas about, as is clear in the narrations of al Bukhari and Muslim, was the qunut during the time of calamities. Concerning the latter hadith (the one mentioned in support of their stand), in its chain of narrators there is Abu Ja'far ar-Razi who is not a credible source and, thus, one cannot build a case upon his hadith. How could it be that the Messenger of Allah never stopped performing this qunut until his death, and yet, the rightly guided caliphs did not perform it? It is even confirmed that Anas himself did not make the qunut in the dawn prayer! If we must accept this latter hadith as authentic, it would mean that the Prophet always made supplications and remembrance ( dhikr), after the ruku', until his death. This would also come under qunut and, in this sense, it would be more befitting. Still, this is one of the matters in which it is acceptable to have differences of opinion, and one may either do it or leave it. The best guidance is that of Muhammad sallallahu alehi wasllam.

Hadith Qudsi
Hadith Qudsi 35

Our Lord (glorified and exalted be He) descends each night to the earth's sky when there remains the final third of the night, and He says: Who is saying a prayer to Me that I may answer it? Who is asking something of Me that I may give it him? Who is asking forgiveness of Me that I may forgive him? And thus He continues till [the light of] dawn shines.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith
Hadith 6.241 Narrated by
Ibn Al Musaiyab

Abu Huraira said, "The Prophet said, 'A prayer performed in congregation is twenty-five times more superior in reward to a prayer performed by a single person. The angels of the night and the angels of the day are assembled at the time of the Fajr (Morning) prayer." Abu Huraira added, "If you wish, you can recite: 'Verily! The recitation of the Qur'an in the early dawn (Morning prayer) is ever witnessed (attended by the angels of the day and the night).' " (17.78)

Sunan of Abu-Dawood
Hadith 1270 Narrated by
Ali ibn AbuTalib

The Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him) would offer two rak'ahs after every obligatory prayer except the dawn and the afternoon prayer.

Sunan of Abu-Dawood
Hadith 1253 Narrated by
AbuHurayrah

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Do not omit them (the two rak'ahs before the dawn prayer) even if you are driven away by the horses.

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith
Hadith 1113 Narrated by
Abdullah ibn Umar

I observed the Prophet (peace be upon him) for a month reciting chapters 109 and 112 in the two rak'ahs before the dawn Prayer.

Transmitted by Tirmidhi.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith
Hadith 1.461 Narrated by
Nafi

Ibn 'Umar said, "While the Prophet was on the pulpit, a man asked him how to offer the night prayers. He replied, 'Pray two Rakat at a time and then two and then two and so on, and if you are afraid of the dawn (the approach of the time of the Fajr prayer) pray one Rak'a and that will be the witr for all the Rakat which you have offered." Ibn 'Umar said, "The last Rakat of the night prayer should be odd for the Prophet ordered it to be so.