Fajr (Dawn Prayer)

General Definition

Fajr begins when the first light of dawn starts to spread horizontally across the horizon, before the sun rises. This time marks the end of the night and the start of the day. Fajr time ends with Shurouq (the sunrise), when the upper disk of the sun appears on the horizon.

With "dawn" here we refer to what is called in arabic "Al-Fajr Al-Saadiq" (i.e. the true dawn) or "Al-Fajr Al-Thaani" (i.e. the second dawn). This terminology is used to distinguish it from "Al-Fajr Al-Kaadhhib" (i.e. the false dawn) or "Al-Fajr Al-Awwal" (i.e. the first dawn), which is the light that appears vertically on the horizon before the true dawn. This phenomenon is called by astronomers Zodiacal Light (opens in a new tab). It has no significance in Islamic prayer times and is only mentioned to not be confused with the true dawn.