5/3. Chapter:
Sunan Abi Dawud 1256 — Surahs in Fajr Sunnah
Making Them Brief
Fajr Sunnah Recitation Hadith: Al-Kafirun and Al-Ikhlas
Sunan Abi Dawud : 1256
Sunan Abi DawudHadith Number 1256
حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ مَعِينٍ، حَدَّثَنَا مَرْوَانُ بْنُ مُعَاوِيَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ كَيْسَانَ، عَنْ أَبِي حَازِمٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَرَأَ فِي رَكْعَتَىِ الْفَجْرِ { قُلْ يَا أَيُّهَا الْكَافِرُونَ } وَ { قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ } .
Abu Hurairah Narrated from:
The Prophet (ﷺ) would recite in the two (supererogatory) rak'ahs of the dawn prayer:"Say, O unbelievers" [Surat al-Kafiroon:1]and"Say: He is Allah, the one" [Surat al-Ikhlas:1]
[1] Al-Kāfirūn (109).[2] Al-Ikhlāş (112).Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 1256In-book reference : Book 5, Hadith 7English translation : Book 5, Hadith 1251
Summary of Sunan Abi Dawud Hadith 1256
This Fajr Sunnah recitation hadith from Abu Hurairah tells us what the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم recited in the two supererogatory rak'ahs of the dawn prayer. The report says he recited “Say, O unbelievers,” meaning Surah al-Kafirun, and “Say: He is Allah, the One,” meaning Surah al-Ikhlas. The text is direct and easy to apply in understanding the narration: it names two surahs connected to the two dawn Sunnah rak'ahs. It does not say these were the only verses ever recited in every report, so the explanation should not add that. The teaching is simply that these two surahs were recited by the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم in this prayer.
What we learn from this hadith
- Surah al-Kafirun is mentioned in the two dawn Sunnah rak'ahs.
- Surah al-Ikhlas is also mentioned in this report.
- The narration connects these recitations to the prayer before Fajr.
- The text names the surahs without adding a longer ruling.
