Meaning of the hadeeth: “Whoever prays Fajr will be under the protection of Allaah”

Question

Praise be to Allah.

Muslim (657) narrated that Jundub ibn ‘Abd-Allaah said: The
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
“Whoever prays Fajr is under the protection of Allaah, so do not fall short
with regard to the rights of Allaah, for anyone who does that, Allaah will
seize him and will throw him on his face into the Fire of Hell.”

Al-Teebi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: The reason why
Fajr prayer is singled out for mention here is because of the hardship that
it entails, and performing it is a sign of a man’s sincerity and faith, and
whoever is a sincere believer is under the protection of Allaah. Sharh
Mishkaat al-Masaabeeh by al-Teebi (2/184).

There are two scholarly views on the meaning of the hadeeth:

1 – The hadeeth indicates that it is forbidden to harm any Muslim
who prays Fajr, for the one who prays Fajr is under the care and protection
of Allaah, and it is not permissible for anyone to harm the one whom Allaah
has protected. If anyone harms him, he has transgressed and violated the
protection of Allaah, so he deserves the punishment of Allaah for having
transgressed His protection and for harming the one who is under His
protection. See Fayd al-Qadeer by al-Manaawi (6/164).

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in
Sharh Riyaadh al-Saaliheen (1/591):

This indicates that it is obligatory to respect the Muslims
who affirm their Islam by praying Fajr, because no one offers Fajr prayer
but a believer. And it is not permissible for anyone to transgress against
them. End quote.

This is also indicated by the report narrated by al-Tabaraani
in al-Mu’jam al-Awsat (4/5) with his isnaad. Al-Albaani said in
Saheeh al-Targheeb (1/110): it is saheeh because of corroborating
reports.

It was narrated that al-A’mash said: Saalim ibn ‘Abd-Allaah
ibn ‘Umar was sitting with al-Hajjaaj and al-Hajjaaj said to him: Get up and
strike this person’s neck. Saalim picked up the sword and took hold of the
man, and headed towards the gate of the palace. Then his father looked at
him when he was taking this man out and said: Is he really going to do it?
He repeated it two or three times, and when he took him out, Saalim said to
him: Did you pray Fajr? He said: Yes. He said: Then take whichever path you
want. Then he came and threw down the sword and al-Hajjaaj said to him: Did
you strike his neck? He said: No. He said: Why not? He said: I heard my
father say: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said: “Whoever prays Fajr is under the protection of Allaah until
evening comes.”

2 – What is meant by the hadeeth is a warning against
abandoning or neglecting Fajr prayer, because abandoning it is a
transgression of the covenant between a person and his Lord. This covenant
is prayer and regular performance of prayer.

Al-Baydaawi said: It may be that what is meant by protection
is that prayer brings security (from the punishment of Allaah), so what is
meant is: Do not abandon Fajr prayer, and do not be heedless about it, lest
you break the covenant that exists between you and your Lord, and Allaah
seizes you, for whomever He seizes He will throw on his face into the Fire.
That is because Fajr prayer is somewhat difficult and burdensome. So
performing it is a sign of the believer’s sincerity, and the one who is
sincere is under the protection of Allaah. End quote from Fayd al-Qadeer
(6/164).

Some scholars are of the view that the virtue of entering the
protection of Allaah that is mentioned in this hadeeth applies only to the
one who prays Fajr in congregation. Hence al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy
on him) gave it the title, in his editing of Saheeh Muslim, of
“Chapter on the virtue of praying ‘Isha’ and Fajr in congregation.” He was
preceded in that by al-Mundhiri (may Allaah have mercy on him), who quoted
the hadeeth in his book al-Targheeb wa’l-Tarheeb under the heading
“Encouragement to pray Fajr and ‘Isha’, in particular, in congregation, and
a warning against staying away from them.”

This apparently is what Imam Muslim did, as he narrated
nearly twenty ahaadeeth before this hadeeth, and umpteen ahaadeeth after it,
all of them speaking about prayer in congregation and related matters.

Hence al-Haafiz ‘Abd al-Haqq al-Ishbeeli narrated it in his
compilation of al-Saheehayn, in a chapter entitled “Prayer in
congregation” (923).

Al-Mubaarakfoori quoted the same hadeeth in Sharh
al-Tirmidhi, where he said: “The one who prays Fajr” in congregation.
End quote.

Ibn ‘Allaan said in Daleel al-Faaliheen (3/550): i.e.,
prayer in congregation, as mentioned in the other report.

This is supported further by the hadeeth of Abu Bakrah (may
Allaah be pleased with him): “Whoever prays Fajr in congregation will be
under the protection of Allaah …” al-Haythami (may Allaah have mercy on him)
said (2/92): Narrated by al-Tabaraani in al-Kabeer, and its men are
the men of saheeh. Al-Mundhiri said in al-Targheeb: the men of its
isnaad are the men of saheeh. Al-Albaani said: It is saheeh because of
corroborating evidence. See: Saheeh al-Targheeb, no. 461.

Note: This additional material was quoted by al-Manaawi also,
and he attributed it to Muslim, but this is a mistake on his part. The
additional word “in congregation” is not found in Muslim, or in any of the
six books.

And it was said that the virtue is attained by everyone who
prays Fajr on time, even if he does not pray with the congregation, because
no such limitation is mentioned in the report of Muslim or any other author
of the six books.

This appears to be the meaning understood by Ibn Maajah (may
Allaah be pleased with him) as he included this hadeeth in his Sunan
in a chapter entitled “The Muslims are under the protection of Allaah,” in
Kitaab al-Fitan.

This was also suggested by Ibn Hibbaan in his Saheeh
(6/36): “Chapter affirming the protection of Allaah for the one who prays
Fajr.” This applies to all those who pray.

3 – The prescribed prayer in congregation that is enjoined
and brings the reward is prayer in congregation in the mosque, and not any
other congregation. This has been explained in detail in questions no.
8918,
49947 and
72398.

There are several reports that speak of the virtue of
offering Fajr prayer in congregation:

In Tafseer al-Tabari (3/270), in the commentary on the
verse (interpretation of the meaning): “and those
who pray and beg Allaah’s Pardon in the last hours of the night” [Aal
‘Imraan 3:17], it is narrated that Zayd ibn Aslam
said: They are the ones who attend Fajr in congregation.

In their commentary on the verse “Their sides forsake
their beds, to invoke their Lord in fear and hope” [al-Sajdah 32:16],
Abu’l-Darda’ and al-Dahhaak said: ‘Isha’ and Fajr prayer in congregation.

See: Zaad al-Maseer (6/339)

In Saheeh Muslim (656) it is narrated from ‘Uthmaan
(may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allaah (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever prays ‘Isha’ in
congregation, it is as if he spent half the night in prayer, and whoever
prays Fajr in congregation, it is as if he spent the whole night in
prayer.”

Al-Bukhaari (615) and Muslim (437) narrated from Abu Hurayrah
(may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) said: “If they knew what there is (of reward) in
‘Isha’ and Fajr prayer, they would come to them even if they had to crawl.”

‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allaah be pleased with him) said:
To attend Fajr prayer in congregation is dearer to me than spending the
night in prayer. Al-Istidhkaar (2/147).

And Allaah knows best.