Fajr Prayer Time — What Time Is Fajr Today?

What Is Fajr Prayer?

Fajr (الفجر) is the first of the five obligatory daily prayers in Islam. Its name means “dawn” in Arabic, and it is performed during the brief window between the first light of true dawn and sunrise. Fajr consists of 2 obligatory rak'aat — the lowest count of any of the five prayers — preceded by 2 Sunnah Mu'akkadah (highly emphasized voluntary rak'aat).

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ placed exceptional weight on these pre-Fajr Sunnahs, saying: “The two rak'ahs of Fajr are better than the world and everything in it.” (Muslim). Unlike other prayers that have Sunnah both before and after, Fajr has no Sunnah after the obligatory prayer.

When Does Fajr Begin? True Dawn vs. False Dawn

Fajr begins at true dawn (Subh Sadiq) — the horizontal whiteness that spreads across the entire eastern horizon. This is distinct from the false dawn (Subh Kadhib), which many people are unaware of.

The false dawn appears first: a brief, narrow, vertical pillar of white light shooting upward from the horizon. It then disappears, returning the sky to darkness. Minutes later, true dawn appears — broader, horizontal, and sustained. Classical scholars and modern astronomers both recognize this sequence. It is the true dawn, not the false one, that marks the start of Fajr.

Astronomically, true dawn begins when the sun is approximately 15–18.5° below the horizon, depending on the calculation method. The prayer window closes at sunrise — typically giving a window of 60 to 90 minutes. Praying in the first portion of this window, immediately after true dawn, is the Sunnah and is considered preferable.

The Makruh (Disliked) Time for Fajr

Praying Fajr in the final moments just before sunrise — when the disc of the sun begins to appear — is makruh (disliked) though still valid. The Sunnah is to pray Fajr with enough time to complete the prayer comfortably before sunrise, not to rush it at the last moment. Missing the window entirely (the sun has fully risen) means the prayer must be made up as Qada immediately upon realization.

Fajr, Imsak, and Ramadan

During Ramadan, Fajr is also the Suhoor cutoff — the moment at which Muslims stop eating and drinking to begin their fast. Some Islamic calendars list an “Imsak” time 10 minutes before Fajr as a precautionary buffer. This is a cultural practice adopted in some regions; it is not a separate time established in Islamic law. The Shari'ah-defined boundary for Suhoor is Fajr itself (true dawn), not Imsak.

Spiritual Virtues of Fajr

The Quran highlights Fajr specifically: “Establish prayer at the decline of the sun until the darkness of the night and [also] the Quran of dawn. Indeed, the recitation of dawn is ever witnessed.” (Quran 17:78). Classical commentators explain that the angels of the night and the angels of the day both gather at Fajr — each group witnesses this prayer before their respective shifts begin.

Praying Fajr in congregation carries particular reward. The Prophet ﷺ said: “Whoever prays Fajr is under the protection of Allah.” (Muslim). The difficulty of rising before dawn is itself part of its spiritual weight.

What to Recite in the 2 Sunnah of Fajr

The pre-Fajr Sunnah is meant to be short and fast per the established practice. In the first rak'ah: Al-Fatiha followed by Surah Al-Kafirun (or Al-Baqarah 2:136 per one narration). In the second rak'ah: Al-Fatiha followed by Surah Al-Ikhlas (or Al-Imran 3:64). The brevity is intentional — it was the practice of the Prophet ﷺ to perform these two rak'aat quickly before the obligatory Fajr.