Please let me know that in the morning sometimes when we enter the masjid for fajr, salah has already begun. Is it obligatory to perform the fajr fardh first? Regarding the sunnah of fajr, can we pray the sunnah after the fardh of fajr or not? Please reply.
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
If a person who has not performed the sunnah of fajr enters the masjid and sees that the fardh prayer has begun, he should gauge whether or not he will get to participate in the congregation before salām. If he believes that he will get to participate in the congregation despite performing the two rak῾at of sunnah, then he should perform the two rak῾at of sunnah. He should perform the sunnah outside the actual masjid where the congregation is taking place. If there is no area out of the actual masjid, then he should perform the sunnah behind a pillar in the masjid. It is disliked to perform the sunnah near the congregation of the fajr salāh.[i]
If he is convinced that he will not be able to join the congregation because of the two rakāt sunnah prayer, he should leave the performance of the two rakāt of the sunnah prayer and join the congregation.[ii]
If a person failed to perform the sunnah prayer of fajr prior to the fardh of fajr, then it is preferable for him to perform them after sunrise. He cannot perform it after the fardh prayer and before sunrise.[iii]
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Mufti Faraz Ibn Adam al-Mahmudi,
www.darulfiqh.com
[i] وفي رد المحتار على الدر المختار
(قَوْلُهُ عِنْدَ بَابِ الْمَسْجِدِ) أَيْ خَارِجَ الْمَسْجِدِ كَمَا صَرَّحَ بِهِ الْقُهُسْتَانِيُّ. وَقَالَ فِي الْعِنَايَةِ لِأَنَّهُ لَوْ صَلَّاهَا فِي الْمَسْجِدِ كَانَ مُتَنَفِّلًا فِيهِ عِنْدَ اشْتِغَالِ الْإِمَامِ بِالْفَرِيضَةِ وَهُوَ مَكْرُوهٌ، فَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ عَلَى بَابِ الْمَسْجِدِ مَوْضِعٌ لِلصَّلَاةِ يُصَلِّيهَا فِي الْمَسْجِدِ خَلْفَ سَارِيَةٍ مِنْ سِوَارِي الْمَسْجِدِ، وَأَشَدُّهَا كَرَاهَةً أَنْ يُصَلِّيَهَا مُخَالِطًا لِلصَّفِّ مُخَالِفًا لِلْجَمَاعَةِ وَاَلَّذِي يَلِي ذَلِكَ خَلْفَ الصَّفِّ مِنْ غَيْرِ حَائِلٍ اهـ وَمِثْلُهُ فِي النِّهَايَةِ وَالْمِعْرَاجِ. (ج 2 ص 56 ايج ايم سعيد)
وكذا في أحسن الفتاوى ج 3 ص 257 ايج ايم سعيد
[ii] ومن العلائية في رد المحتار على الدر المختار
(وَإِذَا خَافَ فَوْتَ) رَكْعَتَيْ (الْفَجْرِ لِاشْتِغَالِهِ بِسُنَّتِهَا تَرَكَهَا) لِكَوْنِ الْجَمَاعَةِ أَكْمَلَ (وَإِلَّا) بِأَنْ رَجَا إدْرَاكَ رَكْعَةٍ فِي ظَاهِرِ الْمَذْهَبِ. وَقِيلَ التَّشَهُّدُ وَاعْتَمَدَهُ الْمُصَنِّفُ وَالشُّرُنْبُلالي تَبَعًا لِلْبَحْرِ، لَكِنْ ضَعَّفَهُ فِي النَّهْرِ (ج2 ص 56 ايج ايم سعيد)