Is It Disbelief to Intentionally Fail to Wake Up for Fajr?
Hanafi Fiqh
Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel
Question
If someone goes to sleep without setting the alarm for prayer and with the intention of not waking up, are they out of the fold of Islam?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.
I pray you are in good faith and health.
Just like it is obligatory to perform the prayers, it is also necessary to take the means to perform it on time. Therefore, one should adopt the means and ways to wake up for Fajr as it is an obligation. One will be sinful if one intentionally does not wake up. However, he will not become a disbeliever (kafir).
Importance of Taking Means to Perform Prayers on Time
Just as obligatory prayer is a key duty, a believer must take the means to fulfill one’s duty. That which is necessary except through it is also necessary is an important Fiqh principle.
After all, the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) has emphasized the Fajr prayer in many of the hadiths.
People Would Crawl for Fajr Prayer If They Knew
Abu Hurayra (Allah be pleased with him) reported the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “No prayer is more burdensome to the hypocrites than dawn and evening prayer. If they knew the blessing in them, they would come even if they had to crawl.” [Bukhari; Muslim]
Shaytan Urinates in One’s Ears
‘Abdullah (Allah be please with him) narrated the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, a person was mentioned before the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), and he was told that he had kept on sleeping till morning and had not got up for the prayer. The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Satan urinated in his ears.” [Bukhari]
Come to Isha and Fajr, Even If Crawling
Abu Darda (Allah be pleased with him) reported the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Worship Allah as if you can see Him, for if you do not see Him, He surely sees you. Prepare yourself for death and beware of the supplication of the oppressed, for it will be answered. If one of you can attend the evening and dawn prayers, even if you must crawl, then do so.” [Bayhaqi, Shu‘ab al-Iman]
Related:
- Prayer Reader: The Ultimate Guide To Prayer in Islam
- Can I Pray Fajr After Sunrise if I Wake Up Late?
- Am I Sinful for Not Praying Fajr on Time?
- Can You Give Me Tips to Wake Up for Fajr?
- The Importance of Fajr Prayer and How to Pray It on Time
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I pray this helps with your question.
Wassalam,
[Mawlana] Ilyas Patel
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Mawlana Ilyas Patel is a traditionally-trained scholar who has studied in the UK, India, Pakistan, Syria, Jordan, and Turkey. He started his early education in the UK. He went on to complete the hifz of the Quran in India, then enrolled in an Islamic seminary in the UK, where he studied the secular and ‘Aalimiyya sciences. He then traveled to Karachi, Pakistan. He has been an Imam in Rep of Ireland for several years. He has taught hifz of the Quran, Tajwid, Fiqh, and many other Islamic sciences to children and adults onsite and online extensively in the UK and Ireland. He taught at a local Islamic seminary for 12 years in the UK, where he was a librarian and a teacher of Islamic sciences. He currently resides in the UK with his wife. His interest is a love of books and gardening.
