Answered by Ustadha Shazia Ahmad
Question
In the Hanafi mosques of my area, the jama‘a (the group prayer) of fajr is offered until a bit of light comes into the sky (isfaar). Should I pray fajr early in its preferred time alone and repeat it with the Hanafi congregation to get both the reward of praying it in its preferred time and praying in the congregation?
Answer
Thank you for your question. No, it is wrong to pray the obligatory prayer twice, and this was never taught to us by the Prophet, Sahaba, or the pious or scholars after them.
Group Prayer
The best way to perform your dawn prayer is with the group at the mosque, even if it is not in the early time. This way is the most meritorious in the sight of Allah. Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “The prayer in congregation is twenty-seven times superior to the prayer offered by person alone.” [Bukhari]
It says in the Reliance of the Traveller:
“The group prayer for which the demand is the strongest is the dawn prayer (subh), then the nightfall prayer (isha), and then the midafternoon prayer (‘asr).”
May Allah give you the best of this world and the next.
[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria for two years where she studied aqida, fiqh, tajweed, tafsir, 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 later moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.