Central Khutbah: “The Protection of the Believer Begins with the Fajr Prayer in Congregation”

Getting up for the Fajr prayer is no ordinary matter. It is a hidden choice that people often do not see, but Allah knows, the angels record, and the heavens bear witness to. When the cold intensifies, when winter becomes harsh, and when the warmth of one’s bed seems more inviting than any call, the sincere servant rises, struggles against his own soul, performs ablution, and stands before his Lord. It is in these moments that the sincere are distinguished and people of firm resolve are set apart. Fajr is not merely two obligatory units (farḍ) and its recommended Sunnah prayers; it is a measure of sincerity, a sign of submission, and proof that the heart is more attached to Allah than to sleep, comfort, and the fleeting pleasures of this world.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ emphasized the immense virtue of performing Fajr in congregation. He said:

“The heaviest prayers upon the hypocrites are the ’Isha and Fajr prayers. If they knew the reward they contain, they would come to them even if they had to crawl.”
(Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

This hadith alone demonstrates the greatness of Fajr. It is burdensome only for the one whose heart lacks faith, while it is easy for the one to whom Allah has made obedience beloved. Thus, Fajr distinguishes the sincere from the negligent, the determined from the weak, and those who answer Allah’s call from those overcome by sleep and heedlessness.

In another hadith, the Prophet ﷺ said:

“Whoever performs the ’Isha prayer in congregation is as though he has prayed half of the night, and whoever performs the Fajr prayer in congregation is as though he has prayed the entire night.”
(Muslim)

What an immense reward for only a few minutes of struggling against oneself, a few steps toward the mosque, and a prayer that so many people sleep through. The believer therefore does not focus on the difficulty of waking up, but on the greatness of the reward awaiting him with Allah.

There is also a special virtue attached to performing the Fajr prayer in congregation on Friday. It is narrated from Ibn ’Umar (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

“The most virtuous prayer before Allah is the Fajr prayer in congregation on Friday.”

Scholars have mentioned the meaning of this narration when discussing the unique merits of both Fajr and Friday. When Fajr, congregational prayer, and Friday come together, several great virtues are combined in one act of worship. It is a prayer that gathers the blessings of the early morning, the blessings of praying in congregation, and the blessings of the most honored day of the week.

The Fajr prayer is also the prayer that places the believer under Allah’s protection. The Prophet ﷺ said:

“Whoever performs the Fajr prayer is under the protection of Allah.”
(Muslim)

What a tremendous honor for a servant to begin his day under the protection of his Lord. There is no greater peace than knowing that one has started the day with obedience and that the very first words directed that day were addressed to Allah.

The Prophet ﷺ also said:

“Whoever observes the two cool prayers will enter Paradise.”
(Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

The scholars explain that these are Fajr and ’Asr. They are called “the two cool prayers” because of the times at which they are performed. Whoever carefully preserves these two prayers—especially Fajr, when the soul finds it hardest to rise—has been given a magnificent promise from Allah.

Fajr is also a prayer witnessed by the angels. Allah, the Exalted, says:

“And recite the Qur’an at dawn, for indeed the recitation at dawn is witnessed.”
(Surah Al-Isra, 17:78)

The scholars explain that both the angels of the night and the angels of the day attend this prayer. Fajr therefore possesses a unique distinction: it is an act of worship witnessed by honored creatures at the very moment when night gives way to day, darkness gives way to light, and rest gives way to activity.

The Prophet ﷺ also said:

“The angels of the night and the angels of the day take turns among you, and they meet at the Fajr and ’Asr prayers.”
(Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

When the angels who accompanied you during the night return to their Lord—although He knows all things—they are asked:

“In what state did you leave My servants?”

They reply:

“We left them while they were praying, and we found them while they were praying.”

What an honor it is to begin one’s day in such a way that the angels testify before Allah that they found you standing in prayer, prostrating, or remembering Him.

Some narrations also mention that Allah admires the servant who rises from his warm bed on a cold night, leaves his blanket behind, and stands in prayer out of hope for Allah’s reward and fear of His punishment. Although these reports are generally mentioned in chapters encouraging voluntary night prayer and sincerity, their meaning is noble and clear: Allah loves the servant who struggles against himself solely for His sake, when no one sees him and nothing motivates him except faith.

If Ramadan taught you to wake up for Fajr, do not make worship a seasonal practice. Ramadan was not the destination; it was a school. It was not the end, but a preparation. Whoever has tasted the sweetness of Fajr during Ramadan should preserve it afterward. The Lord of Ramadan is also the Lord of every other month. The Lord of Fajr on the coldest mornings is the same Lord at all times. Remaining steadfast after Ramadan is a sign of sincerity, while returning to negligence is a sign that one has not yet fully absorbed the lessons of that blessed month.

So rejoice, O you who rise for Fajr while others sleep; you who struggle against your own soul, against the cold, fatigue, and the warmth of your bed. Your effort has not been forgotten, your footsteps have been recorded, your struggle has been seen, and your reward with Allah is immense.

The Fajr prayer is light, protection, blessing, and one of the greatest signs of a living faith.

We ask Allah, the Most High, to make us among those who faithfully preserve the Fajr prayer in congregation, who respond to His call, and who remain steadfast in obedience to Him—not only after Ramadan, but throughout every season, on the coldest mornings and in the most difficult days.

(Central khutbah by the Religious Leader Hafiz Hilmija Redžić on March 27, 2026, at the “Association Fraternelle Musulmane” in Mersch)