Fajr: Quran and Hadith

References from the Quran and hadith, with the Sunni view (Hanafi, Shafi‘i, Maliki, Hanbali) and the Shia view (Jafari) side by side.

Timing of Fajr

Quran 2:187 Eat and drink until the white thread of dawn becomes distinct from the black thread. Fajr begins at this true dawn.
Quran 17:78 Establish prayer … and the recitation at dawn.
Sahih Muslim 612 The time of Fajr is from the rising of dawn until the sun rises.
Abu Dawud 393, Tirmidhi 149 Jibril led Fajr when dawn broke on the first day, and when it had grown light on the second, and said the time lies between the two.
Sahih al-Bukhari 578, Sahih Muslim 645 The Prophet ﷺ prayed Fajr while it was still dark. The Shafi‘i, Maliki and Hanbali schools prefer praying it early.
Tirmidhi 154, Abu Dawud 424 Pray Fajr when the light has spread, for its reward is greater. The Hanafi school prefers praying it in the light (isfar).

Quran 17:78 Establish prayer … and the recitation at dawn.
Man La Yahduruhu al-Faqih, vol. 1, chapter on recognizing the dawn, hadith 1-2 Imam al-Sadiq: the true dawn spreads across the horizon like a white river, not upward like a wolf’s tail, and the time of Fajr begins once it has spread and lit the sky.
Man La Yahduruhu al-Faqih, vol. 1, chapter on prayer times, hadith 6 Imam al-Sadiq: praying at the start of a prayer’s time brings Allah’s pleasure; praying at its end brings only His forgiveness.

Quran 17:78 The recitation at dawn is witnessed.
Sahih Muslim 657 Whoever prays Fajr is under the protection of Allah.
Sahih al-Bukhari 574, Sahih Muslim 635 Whoever prays the two cool prayers (Fajr and Asr) will enter Paradise.
Sahih Muslim 656 Whoever prays Fajr in congregation, it is as if he prayed the whole night.
Sahih al-Bukhari 657, Sahih Muslim 651 The heaviest prayers on the hypocrites are Isha and Fajr; if they knew their reward, they would come even crawling.

Quran 17:78 The recitation at dawn is witnessed.
Man La Yahduruhu al-Faqih, vol. 1, chapter on prayer times, hadith 7 Imam al-Sadiq: praying at the earliest time is better for the believer than his children and his wealth.

2 fard rak‘ahs, with 2 sunnah rak‘ahs before them.
Sahih Muslim 725 The two rak‘ahs before Fajr are better than the world and all it contains.
Sahih al-Bukhari 1169, Sahih Muslim 724 Aisha: he ﷺ was not more regular in any voluntary prayer than the two rak‘ahs before Fajr.
Qunut: the Shafi‘i and Maliki schools recite qunut in Fajr; the Hanafi and Hanbali schools do not, except in times of calamity.

2 obligatory rak‘ahs, with 2 nafilah rak‘ahs before them.
Wasa’il al-Shi‘a, vol. 4, p. 46 Imam al-Sadiq: the daily prayers are 51 rak‘ahs, 17 obligatory and 34 nafilah; in Jafari practice 2 nafilah rak‘ahs come before Fajr.
Qunut is recited in the second rak‘ah of every prayer, Fajr included.

Hadith numbers follow sunnah.com. Jafari sources are named by book, volume and chapter.

Last updated: Tuesday, 6 October 2026