As the phone begins to ring in your dream, you start to realize that that ringing or beeping is not the phone but its actually your alarm clock set to 4:00am. Half-unconsciously, you slam your hand down on the OFF button as you do every morning. Time for fajr.
Or if your like me, you set your alarm away from your bed forcing you to literally get up and drag your body over to cut the annoying sound off. Then it happens. Shaitan starts his whispers...
"Just five more minutes. Don't worry, you'll be up way before sunrise. Come on...this is why they make a snooze button. "
And somewhere in between 5 minutes and 50 minutes you miss fajr prayer. Or worse yet, you don't even hear the alarm.
The Importance of Fajr
Abu Musa (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "He who The observes Al-Bardan (i.e., Fajr and `Asr prayers) will enter Jannah.''
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
For the Muslim's life, prayer is at the heart of our existence. Prayer is not just in our day, but our "day" should surround the five daily prayers. The fajr prayer marks the beginning of that day. It was the practice of the Prophet (saw) and his companions not to return to sleep after the fajr prayer and to end their day after the Isha prayer.
As reiterated by THIS VIDEO, fajr is one of the more important prayers in our day. We should strive with the utmost energy to make the fajr salat on time and consistently. If this means going to bed earlier, having a family member physically wake you up (or call)...whatever it takes. And there are even more blessings for making the prayer in congregation. If the men knew the blessings of praying fajr in the Masjid, we would literally be crawling.
Prayer Times
Just to clear up any misunderstandings with reference to the time for fajr...
According to Hadith: "The time of the morning prayer is from the appearance of dawn, as long as the sun has not risen; but when the sun rises, refrain from prayer for it rises between the horns of the devil." Dawn is the same thing as "daybreak" and is marked by the slight break of light against the night darkness. Fajr lasts until sunrise which is marked by the beginning of the appearance of light. The Prophet (saw) was reported to have made the fajr prayer when people could hardly recognize one another. And he was reported to have also delayed the prayer (so much so) that after returning from it one would say that the sun had risen or it was about to rise.
Fajr vs. Fujoor
By the Soul, and the proportion and order given to it; And its enlightenment as to its wrong and its right; Truly he succeeds that purifies it, And he fails that corrupts it! (Holy Qur'an, 91:7-10)
Fujoor is immorality, the souls enlightenment to its wrong. When Allah mentions fujoor in the Qur'an, it is in reference to properties given to the human soul. The Soul has Fujooraha and Taqwaaha. This fujoor is just as innate in the soul as taqwa (regardfulness of G-d, G-d consciousness). Fujoor comes from the same root word as Fajr (fajara), which means to cleave or break. This is why fajr means "day-break". Fujoor on the other hand refers to the capacity for the dawning of light (intellegence). So, we have an obligation to make Fajr, internally and externally. Awaken your body and your soul with remembrance of Allah!
I will rap up my post with a comment from Imam W. D. Mohammed:
"The Fujoor is Fajr unborn... That is to say fujoor (immorality) will develop into fajr. Fajr is the first beginning of the light. So don't think about the world outside. Think about the world inside of your own self. That is the dawning of your intelligence. The potential for the dawning of intelligence is fujoor and that fujoor sometimes gets us into trouble. It can either support our good behavior and our good intentions and serve that good behavior and good intention to bring us into the world and into enlightenment safely; or we can follow our weak inclinations tempted by the world, tempted by appetite for things in the world, and that fujoor will give us support or aid us on to hell. "
8 comments:
ASA
I heard Imam Muhammad refer to fujoor as potential. It is the potential for excellence and for degradation. To define it inheirently as immorality leaves out the potential for excellence. In Suratul Nuh, Prophet Nuh says that the Rejecters of faith are raising offspring who are Fajiran Kafarah, those whose actions and full potential for degradation and outright rejection of all faith is abundant. Here, fujoor is qualified by kafarah. So if things are created in pairs, there is also a fujoor of excellence. Just my reflection on some of the talks the Imam has given on fujoor. Excellent post.
Wa ASA,
I agree! This definition (immorality) as it is defined in the Arabic dictionary and some translations of the Qur'an is not sufficient when you study the context of the word within the language of the Qur'an. Imam points this out clearly with his definition referring to the capacity or potential for excellence. Thanks for your valuable comments brother Tariq!
asa
Another one of my nephews well on his way to reality. May ALLAH continue to reward you and your family. Good to see you over the 4th.
was
Wa ASA Brother Saleem,
You know I am grateful for the example you set as a Muslim and Mentor.
May Allah reward you for all the good you do.
ASA:
Fujoor is certainly the potential for enlightment. Whatever natural phenomenon is described in the Qur'an first has a concrete scientific application and then an abstract moral application. As an object in created matter, fujoor has absolutely no moral implication, only a purely dynamic one. The infant and toddler also exhibit the "fujoor" stage of the development of the intellect and likewise, there is no moral implication involved. It just happens to naturally be their stage of development. They have some light (knowledge) but they are still mostly "in the dark" as far as their intellects are concerned. However, if we were to allow these children to have control over the house, the city or the state, they would wreak havoc simply because they are intellectually, emotionally and spiritually ill-prepared to do so. It wouldn't make the child evil, but their rule would still bring on corruption due to their ignorance. This was Iblees' problem. He was operating from the fujoor thinking that he knew it all ("You created me from fire!").
The moral aspect is to be applied when we ill-prepared adults rule over things and people that we can not handle knowledge-wise. If arrogance sets in, then we are really in trouble. Not wanting to admit our ignorance is what will bring on moral corruption in the human adult.
Iblees is the personification of the fujoor in action in the jinn or pre-human (humus/fertile/productive mind) stage of our growth and development.
Peace,
Imam Benjamin Bilal
Human Restoration Center
Jamaica, NY
917.226.2489
Wa ASA,
Thank you for your commentary and clarification Imam Ben. I really admire you as a scholar and I'm sure others will benefit from your work as I have. May Allah continue to bless you.
Fujoorha= The rational mind becoming aware of it's needs in the material world.
Taqwaha= The emotional intelligence being aware of it's rights and duties in society and the proper value of the material world.
These are the definitions that I heard Imam Mohammed give to these terms. Take what you need from it. "The Best Thereof"
Your Friend,
H. Mohammed Abdullah
Salaam, Thanks for posting this.
Really it happens somethimes to me to not hear the beep of the alarm. This is really worse, I really love to wake up for Fajr.
May Allah rewarde you for this post.
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