the Messenger—peace and blessings be upon him—or any of the Companions—may Allah be pleased with them—did so. (1)
Sixth: One Who Misses the Two Rak‘ahs of Fajr
It is prescribed for one who misses the two rak‘ahs of Fajr to perform them either immediately after the obligatory Fajr prayer or after sunrise, though performing them after sunrise is preferable.
Abu Hurayra—may Allah be pleased with him—reported that the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—said, “Whoever does not perform the two rak‘ahs of Fajr should perform them after the sun rises.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhī. (2)
I say: On its face, this hadith indicates that if the regular sunnah prayer of Fajr is missed, it is obligatory to perform it after sunrise. However, this command is understood as a recommendation rather than an obligation, as demonstrated by the following hadith:
Qays ibn Qahd—with the qāf pronounced with an a, the hā unvowelled, and an unpointed dāl—(3), may Allah be pleased with him, performed the Fajr prayer with the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—without having performed the two rak‘ahs of Fajr. When the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—concluded the prayer, he concluded it with him. He then stood and performed the two rak‘ahs of Fajr, while the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—