Fatwa

Am I accountable for not waking up at fajr

Question

am I accountable for not waking up at fajr even though I had the intention to wake up and had the means to wake up?

I don’t know why this happened, I usually wake up for fajr all the time. but still this happens once or twice a year every year. even if it is once or twice a year, I feel bad for not waking up. I sleep late sometimes, but I never  miss fajr because of that. this happens out of nowhere and happens when I least expect it to happen.

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam said,

عَنْ أَبِي قَتَادَةَ، قَالَ: ذَكَرُوا لِلنَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ نَوْمَهُمْ عَنِ الصَّلاَةِ، فَقَالَ: إِنَّهُ لَيْسَ فِي النَّوْمِ تَفْرِيطٌ، إِنَّمَا التَّفْرِيطُ فِي اليَقَظَةِ، فَإِذَا نَسِيَ أَحَدُكُمْ صَلاَةً، أَوْ نَامَ عَنْهَا، فَلْيُصَلِّهَا إِذَا ذَكَرَهَا

Translation: “There is no negligence due to sleep. Negligence is only in wakefulness. So, if one of you forgets to perform salah or sleeps through it, then let him perform it once he remembers (or wakes up). (Tirmidhi – 177)

This hadith tells us that if one tries to wake up for fajr, for example, he does his normal routine of setting his alarm etc, but still somehow sleeps through fajr, then he will not be held accountable by Almighty Allah. The fact that you feel bad for sometimes missing fajr due to sleep is a sign of your Taqwa and closeness to Allah.

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Mufti Bilal Pandor

Concurred by
Mufti Muhammad Patel

Darul Iftaa Mahmudiyyah
Lusaka, Zambia

www.daruliftaazambia.com