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. "
