- SLEEP EARLY
Try to sleep as early as possible after ʿIshāʾ Salah. The Prophet ﷺ disliked talking after ʿIshāʾ Ṣalāh (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, 568).
- SLEEP WITH ABLUTION
Perform ablution before you sleep as advised by the Prophet ﷺ (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, 247).
It is narrated that angels remain in the company of the one who sleeps with ablution and say, “O Allah, forgive your such and such servant for he slept in the state of purity” (Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Ḥibbān, 1051; al-Muʿjam al-Kabīr, 13620).
- SLEEP ON YOUR RIGHT SIDE
Lie on your right side and place your right hand under your right cheek as advised by the Prophet ﷺ (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, 6314).
- RECITE THE QURʾĀN
It was the habit of the Prophet ﷺ to recite the Qurʾān before resting for the night. The Prophet ﷺ is reported to have recited for example:
Sūrah Sajdah and Sūrah Mulk (Sunan al-Tirmidhī, 2892).
Sūrah Isrāʾ and Sūrah Zumar (Sunan al-Tirmidhī, 2920).
Sūrah al-Ikhlāṣ, Sūrah al-Falaq and Sūrah al-Nās (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, 5017).
Āyah al-Kursī (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, 5010).
Final two verses of Sūrah Baqarah (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, 5009).There is a weak narration transmitted by ʿAllāmah Ibn Mardawayh (d. 498/1104-5) which suggests that if a person recites the final five verses of Sūrah al-Kahf before sleeping, Allah will awaken him at any time of the night he wishes (Tanzīh al-Sharīʿah, 1: 302; Fayḍ al-Qadīr, 3: 104). ʿAllāmah Ālūsī Baghdādī suggests in Ruḥ al-Maʿānī (8: 190) that he has tested this many times and it has proved useful. If you are struggling to wake up for Fajr Ṣalāḥ, recite these verses and have faith in Allah.
- READ THE DUʿĀS
Recite the Masnūn supplications and make these your final words. Ask Allah to give you Tawfīq and enable you to wake up. Some of the Masnūn supplications include:
سُبْحَانَ اللہ thirty three times اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰہ thirty three times اللہُ أکْبَر thirty four times (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, 5361)
اَللّٰهُمَّ بِاسْمِكَ أَمُوْتُ وَأَحْيَا (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, 6314)
اَللَّهُمَّ قِنِيْ عَذَابَكَ يَوْمَ تَبْعَثُ عِبَادَكَ (Sunan al-Tirmidhī, 3398)
اَللَّهُمَّ أَسْلَمْتُ نَفْسِيْ إلَيْكَ ، وَوَجَّهْتُ وَجْهِيْ إلَيْكَ ، وَفَوَّضْتُ أَمْرِيْ إلَيْكَ ، وَأَلجَأْتُ ظَهْرِيْ إلَيْكَ ، رَغْبَةً وَرَهْبَةً إلَيْكَ ، لَا مَلْجأَ وَلَا مَنْجٰى مِنْكَ إلاَّ إلَيْكَ ، آمَنْتُ بِكِتَابكَ الَّذِيْ أَنْزَلْتَ ، وَبِنَبيِّكَ الَّذِيْ أَرْسَلْتَ (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, 247)
سُبْحَانَكَ اللَّهُمَّ رَبِّيْ بِكَ وَضَعْتُ جَنْبِيْ وَبِكَ أَرْفَعُهُ إِنْ أَمْسَكْتَ نَفْسِيْ فَاغْفِرْ لَهَا وَإِنْ أَرْسَلْتَهَا فَاحْفَظْهَا بِمَا تَحْفَظُ بِهِ عِبَادَكَ الصَّالِحِيْنَ (Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, 2714)
- FIRM INTENTION
Have a firm and resolute intention to wake up for Fajr Ṣalāh.
- ALARM CLOCK & BUDDY
Use an alarm clock and if necessary on more than one device. Buddy up with a neighbour or a friend to wake up each other. Almighty Allah says, “Cooperate in righteousness and piety, but do not cooperate in sin and aggression” (Qurʾān, 5: 2).
- NAP IN THE DAY
Take a short nap (siesta) in the afternoon as this is an established Sunnah (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, 905). Try to establish a daily routine and fix your sleeping and waking up times.
- DAILY REMINDERS
Remind yourself of the virtues of Fajr Ṣalāh and the consequences of not performing it. The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Whoever performs the Bardayn [the Fajr and ʿAṣr Ṣalāh that are performed when it is cool], will enter Paradise” (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, 574).
“There is no Ṣalāh more burdensome for the hypocrites than ʿIshāʾ and Fajr. If they knew what [reward] they contain, they would attend even if they had to crawl” (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, 657).
- WAKE UP!
When your eyes open, make sure you wake up. Read the Masnūn supplications below and get out of bed. Do not allow Satan to whisper in your mind that another five minutes will do no harm. Fight the whispers, otherwise, before you realise, the sun will rise and the Fajr time would have elapsed.
اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ الَّذِيْ أَحْيَانَا بَعْدَ مَا أَمَاتَنَا وَإِلَيْهِ النُّشُوْرُ (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, 6314)
اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ الَّذِيْ عَافَانِيْ فِيْ جَسَدِيْ وَرَدَّ عَلَىَّ رُوْحِيْ وَأَذِنَ لِيْ بِذِكْرِهِ (Sunan al-Tirmidhī, 3401)
– Via Sajid Umar
