"We were with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) on a journey, and we kept going one night, then when it was nearly morning the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) dismounted and slept, and the people slept too. We did not wake up until the sun had risen. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) asked the Mu'adhdhin to call the Adhan, then he prayed the two Rak'ahs before Fajr, then he asked him to say the Iqamah, then he led the people in prayer. Then he told us about everything that will happen until the Hour begins."
The Book of the Times (of Prayer) - Sunan an-Nasa'i 621
Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas: "We were with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) on a journey, and we kept going one night, then when it was nearly morning the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) dismounted and slept, and the people slept too. We did not wake up until the sun had risen. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) asked the Mu'adhdhin to call the Adhan, then he prayed the two Rak'ahs before Fajr, then he asked him to say the Iqamah, then he led the people in prayer. Then he told us about everything that will happen until the Hour begins."
Commentary on the Circumstances
This hadith demonstrates the mercy and practical wisdom of the Prophet (ﷺ) in dealing with situations of genuine hardship during travel. The companions' sleep through Fajr time was unintentional and resulted from exhaustion, not negligence.
The Prophet's actions establish that when the Fajr prayer is missed due to unavoidable circumstances, it should be made up immediately upon waking, even if the sun has risen. This ruling provides relief to Muslims who oversleep or forget prayers unintentionally.
Legal Rulings Derived
The sequence of the Prophet's actions establishes the proper procedure for making up missed prayers: first the Sunnah prayers (two Rak'ahs before Fajr), then the obligatory prayer (Fajr).
This hadith proves the permissibility of praying voluntary prayers after sunrise when making up missed prayers, contrary to the general prohibition of praying at sunrise.
The Prophet's teaching about future events after the prayer shows how spiritual lessons often followed prayer sessions, connecting worship with knowledge and remembrance of the Hereafter.
Scholarly Insights
Imam an-Nawawi comments that this hadith contains multiple important legal principles, including the validity of making up missed prayers and the permissibility of specific prayers at normally prohibited times when making up missed prayers.
Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani notes that the Prophet's calm demeanor and systematic approach to the situation teaches Muslims how to handle mistakes and oversights with wisdom rather than panic or harshness.
The scholars unanimously agree that this incident establishes the obligation to make up missed prayers regardless of the reason for missing them, provided it was unintentional.