How to Pray Fajr
Fajr is the first of the five daily prayers, prayed in two rakahs between the first true light of dawn (subh sadiq) and sunrise. Because it falls before the day starts for most people, it's often the prayer that gets missed most easily — which is part of why it carries particular emphasis in the hadith literature; one well-known narration describes Fajr and Isha as the two prayers hardest on the hypocrites, precisely because they require getting up or staying up when it would be easier not to.
The prayer itself follows the same structure as any two-rakah prayer. Begin with the intention (niyyah) — this doesn't need to be spoken aloud, just held in the mind — then say the opening takbir ("Allahu Akbar") while raising the hands to shoulder or ear level. From standing (qiyam), recite Surah al-Fatihah, followed by another surah or a portion of one; Fajr is one of the two daily prayers where this recitation is said aloud (jahr) rather than silently, whether praying alone or leading others, which is one of the ways it differs from the midday prayers.
After the recitation, bow (ruku) with the back held level and hands on the knees, saying "Subhana Rabbiyal Adheem" (Glory to my Lord, the Magnificent) at least once, then rise back to standing before moving into prostration (sujud) — forehead, nose, both palms, both knees, and both feet touching the ground — saying "Subhana Rabbiyal A'la" (Glory to my Lord, the Most High). A brief sitting between the two prostrations completes one rakah. The second rakah repeats the same sequence, and after its second prostration, the prayer closes seated with the tashahhud — a set of words affirming faith — followed by salutations on the Prophet ﷺ, and finally the salam, turning the head to the right and then the left to close the prayer.
Fajr's timing window is specific and worth knowing precisely: it begins at true dawn, which is distinct from the false dawn (subh kadhib) that can appear and fade earlier in the sky, and ends at sunrise — praying after sunrise means the Fajr window has closed and the prayer becomes a makeup (qada) rather than an on-time prayer. Because the margin between the start of Fajr and sunrise is often under 90 minutes depending on latitude and season, many people set an alarm specifically for it rather than relying on waking naturally.