Am I Sinful for Not Praying Fajr on Time?
Hanafi Fiqh
Answered by Ustadh Sufyan Qufi
Question
I recall being half asleep (basically unconscious) right before the end of fajr or wanting to take a short nap with the intention of waking up before sunrise. But I forgot to set the alarm and woke up after the fajr prayer time had passed.
I’ve been told that my actions were deliberate, but I don’t believe it. Will I be punished if I did this on purpose, even though I don’t believe I did?
Answer
In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful,
I pray this finds you in the best of states.
You have not missed the Fajr prayer intentionally. You missed it by mistake as you actively took the means to pray it on time.
The Messenger of Allah, Peace and blessings upon him, says: “Allah won’t hold responsible my nation for their mistakes and forgetfulness, and what they were forced to do.” [Ibn Majah]
Please see this answer:
Can You Give Me Tips to Wake Up for Fajr
And Allah knows best.
Wassalam
[Ustadh] Sufyan Qufi
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Ustadh Sufyan Qufi is an advanced seeker of knowledge, originally from Algeria, who grew up in France. He began searching far and wide for answers to the fundamental questions of life and was disappointed at the answers he found. Then he connected with various traditional teachers and gradually connected with SeekersGuidance. He embarked on his journey of learning through the various teachers at SeekersGuidance, including his mentor Shaykh Faraz Rabbani. He studied numerous texts in Islamic Law, Theology, Hadith, and other areas with Shaykh Faraz Rabbani and other teachers, including Shaykh Abdurrahman al-Sha‘ar, Shaykh Ali Hani, and others. He is an active instructor at SeekersGuidance and answers questions through the SeekersGuidance Answers Service.
