Title: Staying Awake through the Night to Secure Offering Fajr Prayers... Question: I am currently in the bad habit of staying awake all night until Fajr prayer approaches. I offer my Fajr prayers and then go to sleep. I find it much easier this way rather than sleeping and then waking up. It is very difficult for me to wake up for Fajr as I am the only one who intends to pray Fajr in my family. I understand the sole purpose is waking up to pray to Allah, but I tend to miss Fajr if I go to sleep after `Ishaa , which is why I stay awake, so that I do not miss it. Am I doing wrong here? I am unsure that my Fajr prayers are accepted because of me staying awake and waiting for the time to come. Please help. Regards, Raheel Khaliq United Kingdom Answer: My dear brother, even though your intention of keeping awake through the night - to be able to offer your Fajr prayers at the prescribed time - is highly commendable in itself, yet it is not recommended that you put yourself through such an unnatural routine to save yourself from missing your prayers at their prescribed timings. A more natural thing to do, in my opinion, would be to try to retire early for the day, so that you do not have any trouble waking up early in the morning, and then, as an added precaution, to keep an alarm clock by your bedside, so that you are alarmed to wake up at your desired time [1] . Your keeping awake till the Fajr prayers is not 'wrong' from the perspective purely of the Shari`ah and, insha'Allah , your prayers shall be accepted and you will be rewarded for your efforts. Nevertheless, as I have stated earlier, your stated routine is not in consonance with the natural habitat that you should provide yourself and which also the Shari`ah promotes among its adherents. I hope this helps. Regards, Moiz Amjad September 3, 2001 [1] Please also refer to one of my earlier responses to a related question titled: "Not being able to Wake-up for Fajr Prayers", posted at http://www.understanding-islam.com/related/questions.jsp?point=3&id=739 .