All of us had times in our lives when we struggle to wake up for Fajr. How often have you found yourself ‘snoozing’ your way through your alarms and, the next thing you know, the sun is up and the time for Fajr has passed?
Why is it Hard to Wake Up for Fajr?
Even though it frustrates us and it’s one of our five daily prayers, there’s a reason why it’s diffcult for us to wake up for Fajr. In the words of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH):
“During your sleep, Satan knots three knots at the back of the head of each of you, and he breathes the following words at each knot, ‘The night is, long, so keep on sleeping,’ If that person wakes up and celebrates the praises of Allah, then one knot is undone, and when he performs ablution the second knot is undone, and when he prays, all the knots are undone, and he gets up in the morning lively and in good spirits, otherwise he gets up in low spirits and lethargic.” (Bukhari)
The Importance of Waking Up for Fajr
Waking up for Fajr is one of the most trying tasks for us as Muslims, but it’s also one of the most rewarding task to fulfil. It’s the prayer that falls in the last quarter of the night, which, according to the Prophet (PBUH), is when Allah (SWT) comes down to the lowest of the heavens, nearer to His servants, and answers their wishes, as stated in this following hadith:
“The Lord descends every night to the lowest heaven when one-third of the night remains and says: ‘Who will call upon Me, that I may answer Him? Who will ask of Me, that I may give him? Who will seek My forgiveness, that I may forgive him?’” (Bukhari)
With our Fajr prayers, we set the tone and energy of our day in the best possible way, through engaging in an beautiful act of worship that cleanses the soul and brings about happiness and contentment.
So then, how do you make sure that you wake up for Fajr early every morning without fail?
Seek Guidance from Allah (SWT)
First and foremost, make the sincere intention to wake up for Fajr for the sake of Allah (SWT). Remember the power of our Creator and make dua to Allah (SWT) for His help in waking you up in time for Fajr.
Allah the Almightly is the one who grants the strength and patience to get through our struggles. He is the one that will guide us to the path to Jannah through the rewards He grants.
“He who observes Al-Bardan (i.e., Fajr and `Asr prayers) will enter Jannah” (Bukhari).
"He who offers the dawn (Fajr) prayers will come under the Protection of Allah. O son of Adam! Beware, lest Allah should call you to account in any respect from (for withdrawing) His Protection"(Muslim).
"He who performs Salah (prayers) before the rising of the sun and before its setting, will not enter the Hell” (Muslim).
These are some of the ahadith that highlight the immense blessings we receive when we consistently observe our Fajr prayers and remain steadfast in our overall prayers.
Take Practical Steps to Wake Up on Time
There is a hadith reported by Anas ibn Malik, in which a man said, “O Messenger of Allah, should I tie my camel and trust in Allah, or should I leave her untied and trust in Allah?” The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Tie her and trust in Allah.” (Tirmidhi)
In turn, when we put our intentions and trust in Allah (SWT) we also have to put in the effort to make getting up for Fajr easy in the first place.
The first step to take is priortise sleeping early. Make sure you have time to wide down before bed and keep your day-end tasks to a minimum so you can sleep early with a clear head. Try to reduce the time you go to bed by a few minutes each each day so that you’ll ease into the habit of sleeping eariler.
It also helps to have an alarm that doesn’t have a snooze button and falls in line with our five daily prayers, such as an azan clock. If you know, subconsciously, that there will be no snooze options, you can be more aware of your alarm and be more proactive about getting up and turning it off.
If you’re struggling to find the time to sleep early, try scheduling a nap in your day. The Prophet (PBUH) and his companions used to take short naps at midday, which occured before or after Dhuhr depending the timing of the prayer (Al-Albani).
Whichever way works for you, if you sincerely intend to wake up for Fajr and do everything you can to ensure that you do, then Allah (SWT) will make it easier for you to be steadfast in this vital daily act of worship, insha’Allah!
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