Sunnath Salat of Fajr

Question

The prophet(PBUH) emphasized the importance of sunnath salat of fajr than other sunnath salats.

Is it mandatory to pray sunnath salat of fajr during long travel?

I can see some brothers are praying the sunnath salat of fajr when the jamaath salat is going on. Is it correct?

Answer 1

Praying sunnah when/while the Jama'ah has started

It is totally haram to pray anything sunna or tatwaoo' when the iqama has been called. when the Iqama has been called for any of the five Fard prayers, and one is praying sunnah or any other salat one must stop and go join the Jama'ah. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon Him said):

إِذَا أُقِيمَتِ الصَّلاَةُ فَلاَ صَلاَةَ إِلاَّ الْمَكْتُوبَةُ

When the Iqamah for prayer is said, there is no prayer except the prescribed prayer

Annasa'i

It is also narrated that the Prophet saw a Man praying while the Iqama was being called, so the Prophet asked:

Are you praying Subh with four Rak'ahs?

Annasa'i

Praying Sunnah or other voluntary prayers while traveling

You do not have to make sunnah or any other voluntary prayer/tatawoo', Source. But if you want you can pray tatwoo'/voluntary prayer and witr while your riding. For the Prophet (peace and blessings upon HIm) used to make these prayers on the beast He was riding, but He never made any Fard salawat on it Source.

Answer 2

I am not an authority on Islam, but found this in an authentic site.

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If one assumes that he may miss the second rakaat or tashahhud of the second rakaat of the Fajr fardh salaah and he has not completed the sajdah of the second rakaat of the sunnah salaah, he should break his sunnah salaah and join the jamaat (congregation) of the Fajr fardh salaah.However, it will be waajib (imperative) to repeat the sunnah salaah that was abandoned to join the fardh salaah.

It is advisable to perform the sunnah salaah while the jamaat has already commenced outside the demarcated masjid area as it is makrooh (abominable) to pray the two rakaat of sunnah in the demarcated masjid area. You may perform the Sunnah salaah in the sehn (courtyard area) or some other place of the masjid.

If the Fajr fardh salaah was missed together with the sunnah salaah, then both the sunnah and the Fajr qadha should be performed after sunrise until the pre-zawaal time .After the zawaal time, the performance of only the fardh salaah remains obligatory and not the sunnah salaah.

If only the fardh salaah was missed and not the sunnah salaah, then the qadha of the fardh salaah can be performed at any time provided it is not in the non-permissible times(makrooh) which are : zawaal(zenithal time), sunrise and sunset.

It will be makrooh tanzeehi(undesirable) to perform the two rakaats sunnah of the fajr salaah after the performance of the fajr fardh salaah until sunrise. One should perform the missed sunnah salaah after sunrise until the pre-zawaal time.

In future, prepare well in advance for the Fajr fardh salaah in order to avoid such circumstances. Rasullullah (s.a.w) has greatly emphasized the performance of the two rakaat sunnah of the Fajr salaah.

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You can get the original Q&A and related references here, http://www.askimam.org/public/question_detail/19539