97/31. Chapter:
Sahih Bukhari 7471 — Making Up Missed Fajr Prayer
(Allah’s) Wish and Will
وَمَا تَشَاءُونَ إِلاَّ أَنْ يَشَاءَ اللَّهُ} وَقَوْلِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى: {تُؤْتِي الْمُلْكَ مَنْ تَشَاءُ}. {وَلاَ تَقُولَنَّ لِشَيْءٍ إِنِّي فَاعِلٌ ذَلِكَ غَدًا إِلاَّ أَنْ يَشَاءَ اللَّهُ}. {إِنَّكَ لاَ تَهْدِي مَنْ أَحْبَبْتَ وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَهْدِي مَنْ يَشَاءُ}. قَالَ سَعِيدُ بْنُ الْمُسَيَّبِ عَنْ أَبِيهِ نَزَلَتْ فِي أَبِي طَالِبٍ. {يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ بِكُمُ الْيُسْرَ وَلاَ يُرِيدُ بِكُمُ الْعُسْرَ}.
Missed Fajr Prayer Due to Sleep in Hadith
Sahih Bukhari : 7471
Sahih BukhariHadith Number 7471
حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ سَلاَمٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا هُشَيْمٌ، عَنْ حُصَيْنٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي قَتَادَةَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، حِينَ نَامُوا عَنِ الصَّلاَةِ، قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم " إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَبَضَ أَرْوَاحَكُمْ حِينَ شَاءَ، وَرَدَّهَا حِينَ شَاءَ ". فَقَضَوْا حَوَائِجَهُمْ وَتَوَضَّئُوا إِلَى أَنْ طَلَعَتِ الشَّمْسُ وَابْيَضَّتْ فَقَامَ فَصَلَّى.
Abu Qatadah Narrated from:
When the people slept till so late that they did not offer the (morning) prayer, the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Allah captured your souls (made you sleep) when He willed, and returned them (to your bodies) when He willed." So the people got up and went to answer the call of nature, performed ablution, till the sun had risen and it had become white, then the Prophet (ﷺ) got up and offered the prayer.
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 7471In-book reference : Book 97, Hadith 97USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 9, Book 93, Hadith 563
Summary of Sahih Bukhari Hadith 7471
This hadith about missed Fajr prayer shows a clear and calm response when people slept past the morning prayer. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) did not treat sleep as something outside Allah’s control. He said Allah captured their souls when He willed and returned them when He willed. After waking, the people took care of their needs, performed ablution, waited until the sun had risen and become white, and then the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) stood and offered the prayer. The message is not carelessness about salah. Rather, it shows what happened when sleep overtook them, and how they returned to prayer in an ordered way.
What we learn from this hadith
- Sleep and waking are under Allah’s will.
- When prayer is missed due to sleep, one should return to prayer properly.
- Ablution remains part of preparing for prayer after waking.
- The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) handled the situation with calm guidance.
