[Q 614] Tahajjud Jamaat & Fajr Timing

QUESTION:

How is it to pray Tahajjud with Jamaat organised in the masjid everyday just before the Fajar Jamaat and what are the Hanafi rulings for praying Fajar at the beginning time with jamaat in the Masjid.

ANSWER:

Establishing a daily congregation for Tahajjud or any Nafl (nafl – voluntary prayers) without تداعی (tada‘i – formally inviting and gathering people) is permissible. However, if it is done with تداعی (tada‘i – organizing and calling people together), then it is مکروہ تنزیہی (makruh tanzihi – disliked but not sinful), meaning it is better to avoid, although doing so is not a sin.

The fuqaha (fuqaha – Islamic jurists) have explained تداعی (tada‘i) as gathering people for it. Even if no formal announcement is made, but the number of followers in the congregation (excluding the Imam) reaches four or more, this is also considered تداعی (tada‘i).

Therefore, if Tahajjud congregation is established daily without تداعی (tada‘i), it is permissible without dislike. But if it is with تداعی (tada‘i), then although not sinful, it is better to avoid it.

Regarding the ruling of Fajr prayer: according to the Ahnaf (Ahnaf – Hanafi school), performing Fajr with اسفار (isfar – delaying until brightness spreads) is more virtuous. This means starting the prayer at such a time when light has spread, so that if the prayer becomes invalid, one can renew wudu (ablution) and still pray again before sunrise.

However, the Shari‘ah also desires کثرتِ جماعت (kasrat-e-jama‘at – a larger congregation). Therefore, if praying Fajr at the earliest time results in a larger congregation, then it is permissible to establish the congregation at the beginning time. But if only those who prayed Tahajjud attend, and delaying the congregation slightly would allow more people to join, then the congregation should be delayed to accommodate more participants.

A‘la Hazrat Imam Ahl al-Sunnah رحمۃ اللہ علیہ states:

تراویح وکسوف واستسقاء کے سوا جماعت نوافل میں ہمارے ائمہ رضی اللہ تعالٰی عنہم کامذہب معلوم ومشہور اور عامہ کتب مذہب میں مذکور ومسطور ہے کہ بلاتداعی مضائقہ نہیں اور تداعی کے ساتھ مکروہ۔ تداعی ایک دوسرے کوبلاناجمع کرنا اور اسے کثرت جماعت لازم عادی ہے اور اس کی تحدید امام نسفی وغیرہ نے کافی میں یوں فرمائی کہ امام کے ساتھ ایک دوشخص تک بالاتفاق بلاکراہت جائز اور تین میں اختلاف اور چارمقتدی ہوں تو بلاتفاق مکروہ،۔۔۔۔۔۔بالجملہ دو مقتدیوں میں بالاجماع جائز اور پانچ میں بالاتفاق مکروہ، اور تین اور چارمیں اختلاف نقل ومشائخ، اوراصح یہ کہ تین میں کراہت نہیں چار میں ہے، تومذہب مختار یہ نکلا کہ امام کے سوا چار یا زائد ہوں توکراہت ہے ورنہ نہیں،۔۔۔۔پھر اظہریہ کہ یہ کراہت صرف تنزیہی ہے یعنی خلاف اولی لمخالفۃ التوارث (کیونکہ یہ طریقہ توارث کے خلاف ہے) نہ تحریمی کہ گناہ وممنوع ہو۔

English translation: Apart from Taraweeh, eclipse (Kusuf), and rain (Istisqa) prayers, the established and well-known position of our Imams رضي الله تعالى عنهم, as recorded in the major books of the madhhab, is that offering Nafl prayers in congregation without prior arrangement is permissible without any harm, and with arrangement it is makruh (disliked). Tada‘i means to call and gather people together, and this عادةً (usually) entails a large congregation. Its limit has been defined by Imam Nasafi and others in Al-Kafi: with one or two followers behind the Imam, it is جائز (permissible) without dislike by consensus; with three there is difference of opinion; and with four followers it is makruh by consensus… In summary, with two followers it is unanimously permissible, and with five it is unanimously makruh; regarding three and four there is اختلاف (difference), and the stronger view is that with three there is no dislike, while with four there is. Thus, the chosen position is that if, besides the Imam, there are four or more, then there is کراہت (dislike), otherwise not… Then it is more apparent that this dislike is only تنزیہی (tanzihi – mildly disliked), meaning خلافِ اولیٰ (contrary to what is better) due to مخالفتِ توارث (going against the inherited practice), not تحریمی (prohibitively disliked) such that it would be sinful or forbidden.

(Fatawa Ridawiyyah, Volume 7, Page 430)

It is stated in Al-‘Inayah Sharh al-Hidayah:

يستحب الاسفار بالفجر۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔وحد الإسفار أن يبدأ بالصلاة بعد انتشار البياض بقراءة مسنونة، فإن ظهر له حاجة إلى الوضوء بعد الصلاة أمكنه أن يتوضأ أو يصلي الفجر قبل طلوع الشمس
(Al-‘Inayah Sharh al-Hidayah, Volume 1, Page 225)

It is mentioned in Fatawa Ridawiyyah:

حکمت فقہی اس باب میں یہ ہے کہ اسفار میں تکثیر جماعت ہے جو شارع کو مطلوب ومحبوب اور تغلیس میں تقلیل اور لوگوں کو مشقت میں ڈالنا اور یہ دونوں ناپسند ومکروہ

English translation: The juristic wisdom in this matter is that in delaying (Isfar) there is an increase in the congregation, which is desired and beloved to the Lawgiver, whereas in praying at the earliest darkness (Taghles) there is a decrease and it places hardship upon people, and both of these are disliked.

(Fatawa Ridawiyyah, Volume 5)

Answered by: Mubashir Attari (AskMufti Scholar)
Translated answer
Date: 10th April 2026.
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