Basic
Worship & Dhikr
Surah: Al-Isra (78)
Establish Prayer at the Decline of the Sun — The Five Prayers in One Verse
أَقِمِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ لِدُلُوكِ ٱلشَّمۡسِ إِلَىٰ غَسَقِ ٱلَّيۡلِ وَقُرۡءَانَ ٱلۡفَجۡرِ
— الإسراء الآية 78
Verse: "Establish prayer at the decline of the sun until the darkness of night, and the Quran of dawn — indeed the Quran of dawn is witnessed." (17:78) — A single verse gathering the five prayers: "decline of the sun" (its departure from the zenith) = Dhuhr and Asr. "Darkness of night" (deepest darkness) = Maghrib and Isha. "Quran of dawn" = Fajr prayer. "Quran of dawn" — Fajr was named with "Quran" not "prayer": honoring the extended recitation within it. As if Fajr is entirely recitation. "Indeed the Quran of dawn is witnessed" — witnessed by the night angels departing and the day angels arriving simultaneously. Fajr is a prayer attended by an invisible congregation. Lesson: every prayer you perform has an angelic presence — you are not alone in the Fajr rows.
Source: Ibn Kathir (5/96); Al-Sadi; Al-Tabari
Test Yourself
Why was Fajr prayer named "Quran of dawn" unlike the other prayers?
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