Struggling to Pray? How to Wake Up for Fajr | Blog

This struggle can lead to feelings of frustration, guilt, and a sense of disconnect from spiritual goals, with the repetitive cycle of setting intentions and failing to follow through delivering blow after blow to our spiritual morale. 

Although the idea of waking up for Fajr may seem daunting, with the right approach and sincerity of heart, it can become a manageable endeavor—one that has the power to be the most uplifting and blessed part of our day. In this blog, we’ll explore practical tips and techniques based on both Islamic teachings and science to help you wake up for Fajr consistently and start your day with Allah’s blessings. 

The first and most crucial step in successfully waking up for Fajr is to set a sincere intention (niyya). This involves cultivating a heartfelt desire to please Allah and a firm belief in His support to help you achieve that goal. This profound concept was highlighted in one of the most important sayings of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ: “Verily, actions are judged by intentions, and every individual will have what they intended.” However, it is important to clarify that an intention is not just wishful thinking. Rather, an intention means that you have a firm resolve, in this case, to wake up for Fajr and that you will follow that resolve with the necessary actions to fulfill it. Also, an intention should not be done only once. What was initially a pure intention can weaken over time or become mixed with other intentions. Therefore, sincere intentions require constant self-reflection and renewal. No matter how difficult it is to wake up, you must constantly struggle against yourself and make a firm intention to wake up for Fajr.

Many of us have experienced the anxiety of an impending early-morning exam, a crucial job interview, or a 4 AM flight, where the fear of missing the alarm looms large. But because of the commitments we’ve made, the importance of these events, and the negative consequences of oversleeping, we force ourselves to do everything in our power to ensure we wake up on time. The early morning appointment becomes our main priority. Yet others of us prioritize getting up early for other worldly gains, such as hitting the gym or getting a head start on the day’s emails, because we know the great benefit it will bring to our lives. Similarly, when we set a firm intention to pray Fajr, magnify the significance of the prayer,  and understand its great benefit for our hereafter (ākhira), Fajr is transformed from a daunting task to a spiritual commitment in need of fulfillment—one that is ultimately aided by strength and motivation from Allah. 

Along with our firm intention we also need a clear understanding of the spiritual rewards and blessings of Fajr and the early morning, which can serve as powerful motivation to wake up for prayer.

Abū Mūsā al-Ashʿarī (rA) narrated that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said, “Whoever observes the bardān (i.e., Fajr and theʿAsr, or afternoon, prayers) will enter paradise.” Also, ʿUmāra b. Ruwaina (rA) said, “I heard Allah’s Messenger ﷺ say, ‘Whoever prays before the rising of the sun and before its setting (i.e., the Fajr and ʿAsr prayers) will not enter Hell.’”

It was common among the early generations to stay up after Fajr due to the immense blessings of the early morning. Sakhr b. al-Ghāmidī (rA) reported: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘O Allah, bless my nation in their early mornings.’” 

These unparalleled rewards also extend to the sunnah prayer preceding Fajr. ʿĀisha (rA) narrated that the Messenger ﷺ said, “The two prayer cycles (sing. rakʿa) at dawn are better than this world and what it contains,” referring here to the sunnah prayer preceding Fajr. This sunnah prayer is so emphasized that it is the only sunnah which can be made up if you miss the obligatory prayer at its proper time. 

How would our lives transform if we treated every morning as an opportunity to gain all the wealth of this world? If you were offered a ten million dollar contract, but the only condition was that you had to be in the office every day by 6 AM, how many of us would turn the offer down for the sake of more sleep? Here, Allah’s offer far exceeds any we could get in this world—imagine what it would feel like to start every day knowing you’ve gained something better than the whole world and all the wealth that it contains.

Beginning and ending your day with worship, like performing ritual ablution  (wuḍūʾ) before going to sleep, helps establish a spiritual connection before resting that will aid in your ability to wake up for Fajr. The Prophet ﷺ is reported to have said,

Whenever you go to bed perform ablution like that for the prayer, lie on your right side and say,

Alternatively, or in conjunction with this, you can also recite the Verse of the Throne (Āyat al-Kursī) (Qur’an 2:255) on account of the famous hadith that anyone who recites this verse will have a guardian angel to protect them, and Satan will not be able to approach them until the morning.

This ritual of making wuḍūʾ, lying on your right side, and then reciting duʾās and Qur’anic verses has multiple rewards. In addition to the remembrance of death and protection from nightmares, going to sleep in a state of purification and elevated God-consciousness can make it easier to wake up with a sense of purpose for Fajr. The heart is lighter and more intimately connected to its Creator, establishing a mindset clear of worldly distractions and renewed with spiritual determination to wake up for Fajr.

A purely practical step to waking up on time for Fajr involves optimizing your sleep by going to bed at a reasonable hour, ensuring enough sleep to be able to wake up and feel refreshed and present in the morning prayer. The Prophet ﷺ recommended avoiding staying up late after the night prayer (ʿIshāʾ) unless for an important reason: “The Prophet used to dislike sleeping before ʿIshāʾ and talking after it.” Modern medicine supports going to sleep early and keeping a consistent sleep schedule, with benefits ranging from decreased terminal illnesses to decreased stress and improved weight control.

A common misconception that we need to address is the idea that we are not responsible for sleeping through the time of Fajr due to the hadith that excuses a sleeping person from moral responsibility. ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib (rA) reported: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘The pen is lifted from three people (i.e. their sins are not recorded): a sleeping person until he awakens, a child until he becomes an adult, and an insane person until he regains his sanity.’” While a person is not held responsible for a prayer missed due to dozing off, there is a distinction between carelessness and neglect, and sleep that is entirely out of our hands. As such, we do in fact remain obligated to take the necessary means to wake up for our religious duties. Here self-awareness is key. If you are aware that staying up past a certain hour will impede you from waking up for Fajr, it is your duty to take the necessary steps to avoid going to sleep late in order to fulfill your obligations.

One of the most useful ways to start winding down in the evenings and going to sleep earlier is to prepare your environment for sleep by dimming your lights. Allah has designed the regular rise and fall of the sun to align with twenty-four hour rhythms, called circadian rhythms, in virtually all organisms on Earth. This is true down to the cells in your body. However, in our modern lifestyles, constant exposure to bright fluorescent lights at night blocks the circadian rhythm and the production of melatonin (a hormone in the body related to regulating sleep-wake cycles), confusing your body into thinking that it is still daytime. We only harm ourselves when we neglect Allah’s intricately designed system of using the day for pursuing our livelihoods and the night for rest, “Have we not…made your sleep for rest, and made the night as cover, and made the day for livelihood…”  

Understanding this may also explain the number of hadiths that indicate that the Companions would sleep immediately after the ʿIshāʾ prayer, and while waiting for the prayer would become sleepy to the point of lightly dozing off. Anas b. Mālik (rA) reported that the Companions of Allah’s Messenger ﷺ, in his lifetime, would begin to doze off while waiting for him to start the ʿIshāʾ prayer.

With this in mind, replacing bright bulbs with gentler lights, reducing screen-time, and dimming your lights an hour or two before bedtime will allow your body to begin winding down, signaling that it will soon be time to sleep.

Another way to prepare your body for sleep is to avoid heavy meals before bed. When we eat a large meal late at night, our bodies work overtime to digest it, which can leave us feeling sluggish and bloated. Our gastrointestinal tract also remains active, preventing our bodies from fully entering a restful state. Late-night eating can also lead to indigestion or acid reflux, causing discomfort that may keep us tossing and turning through the night. These disruptions can affect our overall sleep quality, which in turn impacts our ability to rise easily for Fajr. 

To avoid this, try to eat your last meal at least three hours before bedtime. This gives your digestive system enough time to process the food and for your body to naturally wind down. Another important tip is to avoid sugary snacks late in the evening. While a sugary treat might satisfy a late-night craving, it can cause a spike in your blood sugar levels, leading to restlessness. 

Likewise, caffeine—found in coffee, tea, and many sodas—can remain in your bloodstream for up to ten hours, making it difficult to fall asleep. To ensure a more peaceful night’s rest, try to have that cup of coffee by the early afternoon.

Instead of reaching for coffee or sugary snacks, try calming herbal teas like chamomile or peppermint that are known for their relaxing properties. By adjusting your eating habits, you’ll improve your sleep quality and wake up for Fajr feeling refreshed and energized.

For heavy sleepers, one of the most effective ways to stay consistent with Fajr is to have someone else to help you. In family settings, this is actually a duty. Allah says in the Qur’an, “Cooperate with one another in goodness and righteousness”  and “Enjoin prayer on your family, and be patient in offering them.”

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ also said: “May Allah have mercy on a man who gets up at night and prays, then he wakes his wife and she prays, and if she refuses he sprinkles water on her face. And may Allah have mercy on a woman who gets up at night and prays, then she wakes her husband and prays, and if he refuses she sprinkles water on his face.”

If waking your spouse and family for the optional night prayer is praised, what then of the obligatory Fajr prayer?

For those of us living away from family, it’s useful to have a roommate or friend to lean on for support. Find someone you can call or text for motivation and accountability. One innovative approach that’s becoming popular is the creation of group chats on WhatsApp or Telegram that are used to coordinate group meetings for Fajr prayer in congregation or for daily reminders to get up.

We can also benefit from the modern science of habit formation. Psychological research reveals that habits are formed in a process known as the cue-routine-reward loop. This theory suggests that all habits share three common features: a cue that triggers the habit, a routine response, and a generated reward. In this case, realizing the rewards of Fajr and making a firm intention to change your schedule are the cues. The routine is the behavior we want to enforce, that is, waking up for the Fajr prayer. Then, the reward, whether increased energy and productivity in this world or realizing the immense rewards in the hereafter, reinforces the routine, making it more likely that you’ll repeat the habit the next time the cue presents itself.  

Adjusting your internal clock takes time and patience. Consistency in Fajr realigns our body’s circadian rhythms, creating a virtuous cycle that improves our overall sleep quality and energy levels. It may feel challenging at first, but with patience and dedication, the body and mind begin to adjust. Consistency is key when it comes to waking up for Fajr. Like any habit, the more regularly we perform it, the more accustomed our brain will become to that habit. Islam emphasizes the importance of persistence in acts of worship, even if they are small. ʿĀisha (rA) narrated that “The Prophet was asked ‘What deeds are most loved by Allah?’ He said, ‘The most regular constant deeds even if they are few.’”

Waking up for Fajr is more than a routine task—it’s a spiritual commitment that sets the tone for the entire day. While the challenges of modern life may seem overwhelming, following a few practical steps can make a significant difference. By aligning your heart, mind, and habits, you can transform this early morning struggle into a source of immense blessings, helping you grow closer to Allah and achieve greater peace and fulfillment in your life.