Question: If Fajr ends at 7:45 a.m, and I begin praying at 7:43 and finish at 7:45, is my prayer valid?
Answer: Yes, your dawn (fajr) prayer is considered valid as for the current performance, according to the Shafi`i school, although you incurred the sin (haram) of praying it partially during sunrise.
If less than one rak’a of one’s prayer occurs within the proper time (A: meaning that one does not lift one’s head from the second prostration of the rak’a before the time ends) and the remainder takes place after it, then the whole prayer is considered a make-up. If one rak’a or more takes place within the prayer’s time and the remainder is after it, then the prayer is considered a current performance, though it is unlawful to intentionally delay the prayer until part of it occurs after the time is finished. [The Reliance of the Traveller, f2.3]
As for the Hanafi school, this answer indicates that your fajr prayer was invalid and has to be made up. Fajr Prayer and Sunrise
I recommend this du’a to you from the Qur`an,
Lord, grant that I and my offspring may keep up the prayer. Our Lord, accept my request. [Qur`an, 14:40]
[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria for two years where she studied aqidah, fiqh, tajweed, tafseer, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she completed her Masters in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She recently moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.