Sruggling with Fajr Salah

format_quote Originally Posted by Alex28

my doctor has said sleep is important and he does not want me to disturb my sleep by getting up for Fajr Salah.

Salaam.

Is there any way you can sleep earlier so that it will be easier to wake up for Fajr?
Yes sleep is important, and the doctors recommendation is important as well.

The time for Fajr starts with the second dawn (the true dawn) which is the horizontal whiteness that spreads along the horizon right and left, and the time lasts until the sun rises.

http://islamqa.info/en/ref/103186

If you miss Fajr and do not wake up until after the sun has risen, then you should pray Sunnah and then Fard (obligatory prayer).

http://islamqa.info/en/631

I've merged both threads to try and avoid confusion . I also deleted a couple of comments as we must be careful of giving fatwas based on our limited knowledge and personal opinions, which is a very serious thing.

Brother Alex, I am sorry to hear of your health issues. It might be worth getting clarification on whether waking up for Fajr is truly a risk to your health or not, and then the best thing is to ask a scholar regarding your situation.

May Allaah cure you of all your health problems, leaving no trace of illness, Aameen.

format_quote Originally Posted by Alex28

Salaam. I am on antipsychotic medication which I take every night for mental health issues. Hence due to this can I pray Fajr qaza after sunrise ? This is what I do at the moment as I find it difficult to sleep when I try and wake up for Fajr Salah and also worried about going back to a psychiatric hospital by getting ill. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

brother,

I am sorry to hear of your condition.

Just wanted to share a few thoughts in shaa Allah,

1. It is not possible for salaah to be detrimental to any medical condtion in life.

The reason why this can be said with such certainty is because: Our Reason for living is the worship of Allah.

Allah (subhanawataála) tells us in the Quraan (translation):

And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me.(51:56)

In other words, our priority and focus in life should rest on the worship of Allah - at all times.

No calamity, no sickness (save from losing ones senses - in which case, one is not held accountable, and death) should keep us away from our PURPOSE of life.
There should be nothing that comes in the way of our path to our Rabb.
Our lives should be revolving around salaah - not the other way around.

2. It is at times of trials and hardships (and all other times) that we should be turning to Allah - begging for His forgiveness and seeking His aid.
If we do not turn to Allah at these times, then who can we turn to?
We have no one else to turn to, BUT Allah.

We should always remember, that is not the doctors, or the medication that brings us cure - but it is Allah.

So, seek aid from Allah (subhanwataála) first - and even when we use the means that He has provided us, make duaa and say: 'O Allah, grant me cure/ relief through these means.' (in other words, recognizing that the cure does not lie in the medication, but with Allah Taa'la).

An important hadith:

One day I was behind the prophet and he said to me: "Young man, I shall teach you some words [of advice] :

Be mindful of Allah, and Allah will protect you.

Be mindful of Allah, and you will find Him in front of you.

If you ask, ask of Allah; if you seek help, seek help of Allah.

Know that if the Nation were to gather together to benefit you with anything, it would benefit you only with something that Allah had already prescribed for you, and that if they gather together to harm you with anything, they would harm you only with something Allah had already prescribed for you. The pens have been lifted and the pages have dried."

(Tirmdihi)

How do we "Be mindful of Allah"?
--> By doing that which He loves and staying away from that which is displeasing Him.

So, by fulfilling our obligations of salaah - we will be doing that which is pleasing to Him.

And then the hadith continues to say (translation): ".....He will protect you."

Is there any better protection than that of Allah azza wajjal?


3. With regards to sleeping and mental health:

It is known that extreme sleep deprivation is detrimental to ones mental health.
This does not refer to losing a few hours of sleep for the sake of Allah (which can in shaa Allah, also be avoided by sleeping early (soon after Isha salaah), and then being able to arise early in the morning).

We should not forget the great benefits of Fajr salaah:

“Whoever prays fajr is under the protection of Allaah. Do not put yourselves in a situation where Allaah has to call you to account for your negligence.” [Reported by Muslim]

“The best of prayers in the sight of Allaah is the dawn prayer on Friday, in congregation.” [Authenticated by Al-Albani]

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “…and whoever prays the dawn prayer in congregation, it is as if he had prayed the whole night long.” [Reported by Muslim]

So, we cannot avoid to lose out on the love and pleasure of Allah - based on the ill-advices of man.
(The psychiatrist who has advised that you do not wake up for Fajr is surely a disbeliever, and if he is muslim, then surely his heart is very far from the teachings of Allah and His Nabi (sallalahu alaihi wasalam). )

4. Consider the great love that our prophet (sallahu alaihi wasalam) and the sahaba (ra) had for salaah.

There is a narration that speaks of Umar (ra), who on his death-bed, will ask: "Is it time for salaah", whenever he regained consciousness.
Such was the great importance of salaah to this blessed generation -that even at the time of death, it was the only thing on their minds.

There are other narrations of the sahaba being seriously wounded in battle - but, still with these wounds they will be performing salaah.

Today, we live in a time where we find any reason not to perform salaah.
There are many patients in hospitals, for example, who defer salaah (when this should be the time when gaining the pleasure of Allah is so important).

Yet Allah has made it so easy for us, to fulfill our purpose for living:

Even if one cannot perform wudhu - then he can perform (dry) tayyamum.
Even if one cannot stand due to ill health - then he can sit and perform salaah.
Even if one cannot sit - then he can lie down and read his salaah in this position.

In other words, there is no period in ones life (exp for losing ones mind/senses and death) that one should be forsaking his salaah.
There is no life worth living, without the worship of Allah (at all prescribed times, and every other moment of life as well).


May Allah (subhanawataaála) grant you complete shifa' (healing) from your illness, and may He make it easy on you, to not only wake up for Fajr salaah, but also Tahajjud salaah and all other obligatory and nafl acts of worship.
Ameen