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Is it permissible to delay Fajr prayer until after sunrise due to studying and being unable to wake up to perform it?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

Prayer is a great pillar of Islam, and it is the first thing a servant will be held accountable for. Severe warnings have been established for those who abandon it or are negligent concerning it. Allah Almighty says: "There succeeded them later generations who neglected prayer and pursued desires; so they are going to meet evil." And He says: "So woe to those who pray, [but] who are heedless of their prayer." Maintaining it includes performing it on time, as Allah Almighty says: "Indeed, prayer has been decreed upon the believers a decree [to be observed at] fixed times." It is not permissible to intentionally delay the Fajr prayer beyond its time without a legitimate excuse; it is a major sin, and some say it is an act of disbelief that expels one from the fold of Islam. However, if you slept before the obligatory prayer time began and did not wake up until after its time had passed, there is no sin upon you. It is incumbent to take the means to wake up, such as setting an alarm; otherwise, sin would result from one's negligence in taking these means.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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