The second pillar in Islam, the most important act of worship, what distinguishes the believers from the non-believers, and the first aspect of our lives that we will be held accountable for on the Day of Judgment, what is it? It is the salah; the 5 daily prayers. If we understand the importance of the prayer in the life of a Muslim and if we manage our time correctly, most of us have no trouble in performing the prayers on time, except for one. Have you ever noticed that the rows of the mosques quickly fill up with worshipers for the afternoon or evening prayers, but only a single row is completed for the fajr prayer? The time of the fajr prayer is from the beginning of dawn until just before sunrise, a period which lasts about an hour and a half. Praying fajr on time is like a yardstick for your level of iman or faith. Strength of faith enables one to battle the urge to stay asleep instead of praying fajr. Many of us struggle with praying fajr in its prescribed time. By postponing the prayer until our own convenience, whenever we wake up for school or work once the sun has already risen, then we missed the prayer in its correct time and we are making it up. We missed out on mountains of rewards. It may be difficult to wake up from a deep slumber and leave the comfort of our bed when it is still dark and cold. However, if we realized the tremendous blessings that come with praying fajr on time, we would make it a priority. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, "If the people knew what (reward) there is in the ishaa prayer and the fajr prayer, they would come even if they had to crawl." [Sunan Ibn Majah] The sincere, devoted, and pious worshiper does not find it cumbersome to climb out of bed to pray fajr. Those with weak faith find the fajr prayer to be heavy. This was pointed out by the Prophet (peace be upon him) in his Hadith; he said, "The most burdensome prayers for the hypocrites are the ishaa prayer and the fajr prayer. If only they knew what (reward) there is in them, they would come to them even if they had to crawl." Ihsan Torabi painted a beautiful picture of what the fajr prayer symbolizes. "The time for the fajr prayer is a time of light and barakah, spiritual blessings, and it sets the tone, energy, and frequency for the entire day which follows. Fajr prayer in Islam is designed to begin the day with light and with life, with positive energy and the presence of God's Angels. The early morning sets the tone and energy for the entire day, and by beginning the day in the best possible way, in prayer and meditation, in spiritual practice, you will bless your entire day with blessings and light," Torabi said. Being consistent in your fajr prayer on time is like a safeguard or protection from the Hellfire. Our Prophet (peace be upon him) said to his companions, "Whoever performs the prayer before the rising of the sun (fajr) and the prayer before its setting (asr) will not enter Hell." [Muslim] The Prophet (peace be upon him) also said, "Whoever performs fajr salah and asr salah will enter Paradise." [Bukhari] Praying fajr on time brings light to the face, peace to the heart, blessings, and multiplication of one's wealth and health. Now that we are motivated enough, we need practical tips to help us spring out of bed as soon as the alarm rings for fajr prayer. 1. Sleep early. It's pretty straightforward: if you go to bed earlier, it will be easier to wake up for fajr prayer. The Prophet (peace be upon him) recommended going to bed after ishaa prayer, and science has proven the wisdom of this advice. Healthy aging expert, Dr. Mark Stibich, said, "Did you know that people who work the late shift have a higher risk for developing breast and colon cancer? Researchers believe this link is caused by varying levels of melatonin in people who are exposed to light at night. Light exposure reduces melatonin levels, a hormone that regulates the sleep-wake cycle. Melatonin is thought to protect against cancer, as it appears to suppress the growth of tumors." 2. Make wudu (ablution) before going to bed. When you sleep in a state of purity, the Angels ask Allah to forgive your sins, until you awaken in the morning. 3. Sleep on your right side. Muslims gain rewards by following the sunnah; the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to sleep on his right side with his right hand under his right cheek. 4. Supplication. Make duaa; ask Allah with sincerity and urgency, to give you the strength and willpower to awaken for fajr prayer, and He will come to your aid. 5. Read some verses from the Holy Qur'an at night. Reading certain verses at night may help you to wake up for fajr prayer: Surah Al-Sajdah, Surah Al-Mulk (Tabarak), Surah Al-Israa, Surah Al-Zumar, the last 4 verses of Surah Al-Kahf, and the last 2 verses of Surah Al-Baqarah. 6. Use more than one alarm clock. The louder the better! If you have a serious problem waking up, place one alarm clock in your bedroom but away from your bedside. Place another one in the hallway, and one in the bathroom, so that it keeps ringing until you actually get out of bed. Once you're out of bed, you will most likely make wudu and pray. 7. Alternate responsibility among family members. Each week for example, have a different family member wake the rest of the family up for fajr. 8. Fajr buddy. Sometimes it's a good idea to have a friend; to support one another to wake up for far. Call or send a message to each other when you wake up for fajr. 9. Promise yourself a simple reward. The days you wake up for fajr, treat yourself to your favorite coffee flavor or a small chocolate. 10. One and a half hours sleep cycle rule. The founder of ProductiveMuslim.com, Mohammed Faris, shared his secret trick for waking up for fajr. He said, "There's a theory in sleep science that says that every human being completes an entire sleep cycle in 1.5 hours, therefore, if you can wake up at the end of a multiple of 1.5 hours (e.g. 1.5 hours, or 3 hours, or 4.5 hours, or 6 hours) you'll wake up fresh and rejuvenated. Otherwise, you'll wake up lazy. So if fajr is at 5am, and you sleep at 12am, make sure you set your alarm at 4.30am, because that gives you 4.5 hours to sleep." Some phone applications that regulate the sleep cycle can automatically set your alarm at a time when your sleep cycle has completed. Use technology to your advantage to help you in your mission to be a more devoted worshiper.
