1100/1 - ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) would never leave praying four Rak‘ahs before the Zhuhr prayer and two Rak‘ahs before the Fajr prayer. [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri]
1101/2 - She also reported: The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) would not observe a voluntary prayer more regularly than the two-Rak‘ah Sunnah of Fajr. [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]
1102/3 - She also reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “The two-Rak‘ah Sunnah of Fajr is better than the world and all that is in it.” [Narrated by Muslim]
In another version: “They are indeed dearer to me than the whole world.”
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1) The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) stressed, through his words and practice, the importance of regularly observing the two-Rak‘ah Sunnah before the Fajr prayer.
2) The wise and fortunate person is the one who would regularly observe an act of Sunnah about which the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “...is better than the world and all that is in it.” How often lazy people miss a great deal of goodness!
A person who misses the Sunnah before the Fajr prayer may make up for it immediately after the prayer or after sunrise.
The evidence for this from the preserved Prophetic guidance is the Hadīth in which Qays ibn ‘Amr ibn Sahl reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) went out (of his chambers) and the Iqāmah was made. I prayed the Fajr prayer with him then he turned and found me performing prayer; so he said: “Wait, O Qays! Are you praying two prayers together?” I said: “O Messenger of Allah, I did not perform the two-Rak‘ah Sunnah of Fajr.” He said: “There is no harm then.” [Narrated by Al-Tirmidhi]
In another Hadīth, Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reportedly said: “Whoever has not offered the two-Rak‘ah Sunnah of Fajr should pray it after sunrise.” [Narrated by Al-Tirmidhi]
1103/4 - Abu ‘Abdullāh Bilāl ibn Rabāh, the Prophet’s Muezzin (may Allah be pleased with him), reported that he went to inform the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) that it was time for the Fajr prayer but ‘Ā’ishah asked him about something which diverted his attention till the morning grew bright. Then, he got up and informed the Messenger about the time of prayer. He informed him again but he did not come out immediately to lead the prayer. When he finally came out, he led the people in prayer. Bilāl told him that ‘Ā’ishah diverted his attention by asking him about something till the morning grew bright, and that he (the Prophet) also came out late. Upon that, the Prophet said: “I was engaged in performing the two-Rak‘ah Sunnah of Fajr.” Bilāl said: “O Messenger of Allah, you delayed the prayer till the morning grew very bright." He replied: “Even if the morning had become brighter than it had, I would have still performed them (i.e. the two-Rak‘ah Sunnah of Fajr) in an excellent and perfect manner.” [Narrated by Abu Dāwūd, with a sound Isnād]
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1) It encourages us to perform the two-Rak‘ah Sunnah prayer of Fajr, even if we do not have enough time, given its confirmed importance and the Prophet’s keenness to offer it.
2) According to the Prophet’s guidance, the two-Rak‘ah Sunnah of Fajr should be brief, yet performed in an excellent and complete manner. So, when a person is distracted by some worldly affair, he should still not perform worship in haste. Rather, he should give everything its due right.