Quran
Hadith
Islamic Text
- بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ
In the Name of Allah Most Merciful Most Kind
Short Answer
Yes, you can make up the Sunnahs of Fajr if you miss them along with the Fardh prayer. However, if you miss the Sunnah Rakahs alone, then you do not make them up according to the strongest opinion in the Hanafi Madhab.
Hadith
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ: عَرَّسْنَا مَعَ نَبِيِّ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَلَمْ نَسْتَيْقِظْ حَتَّى طَلَعَتِ الشَّمْسُ، فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: لِيَأْخُذْ كُلُّ رَجُلٍ بِرَأْسِ رَاحِلَتِهِ، فَإِنَّ هَذَا مَنْزِلٌ حَضَرَنَا فِيهِ الشَّيْطَانُ. قَالَ: فَفَعَلْنَا، ثُمَّ دَعَا بِالْمَاءِ فَتَوَضَّأَ، ثُمَّ سَجَدَ سَجْدَتَيْنِ، وَقَالَ يَعْقُوبُ: ثُمَّ صَلَّى سَجْدَتَيْنِ، ثُمَّ أُقِيمَتِ الصَّلَاةُ فَصَلَّى الْغَدَاةَAbu Hurairah (May Allah Most High be pleased with him) said, we camped with the Prophet of Allah ﷺ but did not awake till the sun rose. The Prophet ﷺ said: Let everyone take his animal (and leave), for this is a place where Shaytan has been present with us. We did accordingly. He ﷺ then called for water and performed ablution (Wudu) and performed two Rakahs. Ya’qub said: Then he prayed two Rakahs. Then Iqaamah was made for prayer and he ﷺ offered the morning prayer (Fajr). (Sahih Muslim, 680 – 310)
In the authentic Hadith above, the blessed Prophet ﷺ prayed two Rakahs before the Fardh of Fajr when missed. This is the position of the Hanafi Madhab. They say that a person should make up the Sunnahs of Fajr as well as the Fardh if the prayer is missed. However, there are details to this ruling which should be studied thoroughly in a Fiqh of Salah class.
Classical scholars
(ولا يَقْضِيها) أي سنة الفجر عندهما (إلاَّ تَبَعاً لِفَرْضِهِ) قبل الزوال بالاتفاق، وبعده أيضاً عند بعض مشايخ ما وراء النهر. وقال محمد: يقضيها وحدها أيضاً قبل الزوال. (فتح باب العناية بشرح النقاية)
And he does not make it up. Meaning the Sunnah of Fajr. This is according to them both (Imams Abu Hanifah and Abu Yusuf). Unless (done so) alongside his Fard, and before noon by agreement. And after it according to some of the scholars of Transoxiana. (Imam) Muhammad said: He also makes it up alone before Zawal. (Imam Ali al-Qari, Fath Bab al-Inayah).
Difference of opinion
As seen in the Nass (text) above, there is some difference of opinion amongst Hanafi scholars when it comes to the details of making up the Sunnah of Fajr. Imams Abu Hanifah and Abu Yusuf only considered it valid to make up the Sunnahs of Fajr when the entire prayer had been missed. Whereas Imam Muhammad permitted making up the entire prayer even if the Fardh was prayed on time.
Therefore, a person who did prayer Fajr on time without the sunnah can make up these rakahs after sunrise according to Imam Muhammad.
However, in the above case both Imams Abu Hanifah and Abu Yusuf do not consider the prayer of the Sunnahs of Fajr valid in that case. These Imams state that individuals can only make up the Sunnahs of Fajr if they missed the complete prayer. As such, this would mean a person missed both the Fardh and Sunnah Rakahs of Fajr.
Against the norm
However, making up the Sunnahs of Fajr is against the norm in the Hanafi Madhab. This is because the standard ruling is that Sunnah prayers are not made up after the particular prayer time has expired.
Despite that, there is a limitation with making up the Sunnahs of Fajr. This is because one can only pray these Sunnahs if the missed Fajr prayer is made up before the time of Zawal.
Making up prayers
Unfortunately, there are many people in our time that discourage people making up missed prayers. The Hadith above is one of numerous clear proofs that missed prayers do have to be made up. Therefore, this misconception must be opposed. Although Muslims should strive never to miss prayers, if they do miss one, that prayer must be made up.
Not immediately after sunrise
It is important to note that praying after sunrise does not mean immediately after it. This is because the Prophet ﷺ prohibited praying immediately after sunrise. Consequently, all references to praying after sunrise above must be understood through this prophetic prohibition.
Whether one missed the Fardh prayer or the Sunnah prayer, it cannot be made up immediately after sunrise. Therefore, one will have to wait until the sun rises high before praying.
Conclusion
To conclude, the strongest opinion in the Hanafi Madhab only permits making up the Sunnahs of Fajr if the Fardh was missed too. This is the opinion of Imams Abu Hanifah and Abu Yusuf. Therefore, if the Fardh was prayed on time, but the Sunnahs missed, these prayers should not be made up after sunrise.
Additionally, if one does not make up the Fajr prayer before Zawal of the same day, then he prays the Fardh alone. In such a case he does not pray the Sunnahs. Therefore, the Sunnahs of Fajr are only made up if the entire prayer was missed and then made up before Zawal.
And Allah Most High Knows Best.
–Answered by Shaykh Noorud-deen Rashid (28.02.24)
