Why do hanafis pray fajr congregation at a later time outside ramadan and pray early in ramadan

Question

I have seen many times the congregation time for fajr on 29th Shabaan is 5:40 AM and 1st Ramadan its 5:10/15 AM. Similarly the time for 29th Ramadan 5:00 AM and 1st Shawwal 5:20 AM.

Other days the time difference from day to day relative to sun is only 5 minutes. But when ramadan comes they pray early. Azaan times also change like congregation time in Ramadaan.

Do they have something specific to pray early in ramadan or has abu hanifah given any instructions to do that? Doesnt this amount to hypocrisy in applying different rules to suit your ease?

Answer 1

As far as I know, the Hanafis typically pray Fajr later outside of Ramadan due to the following hadith:

Rafi bin Khadij said:

قَالَ:‏‏‏‏ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ:‏‏‏‏ أَسْفِرُوا بِالْفَجْرِ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏فَإِنَّهُ أَعْظَمُ لِلْأَجْرِ 

"I heard Allah's Messenger saying: 'Perform Fajr at AI-Isfar, for indeed its reward is greater.'"

^{- Jami` at-Tirmidhi 154}

Al-Isfar means when the dawn breaks and lights (i.e. before sunrise).

But in Ramadan they pray it earlier due to this hadith:

Narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Umar:

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ "‏ إِنَّ بِلاَلاً يُنَادِي بِلَيْلٍ، فَكُلُوا وَاشْرَبُوا حَتَّى يُنَادِيَ ابْنُ أُمِّ مَكْتُومٍ ‏"‏‏.‏

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Bilal pronounces the Adhan at night, so keep on eating and drinking (Suhur) till Ibn Um Maktum pronounces the Adhan."

^{- Sahih al-Bukhari 620}

The reason for the 2 adhans is explained in the answer provided by @Medi1Saif in the question Did Masjid e Nabawi had two Muezzins during the Prophet's lifetime simultaneously?:

The idea for the two adhans is that the first adhan for fajr is held before the time "Bilal pronounces the Adhan at night" so that people can wake up prepare themselves to go to the mosque etc. or as clearly described in the hadith to be prepared that a second call -on time- "till Ibn Um Maktum pronounces the Adhan" comes and that will be the call for the start of fast. This practice is still in use in many Muslim countries and considered as sunnah.

This suggests that they prayed after suhur ended, which is earlier than Al-Isfar.

So according to Hanafis, outside of Ramadan fajr is best prayed at Al-Isfar and during Ramadan after suhur ends, in accordance with these ahadith and the Sunnah.

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Sources: [1] and [2]

Answer 2

Note the following:

• The time for Fajr is from dawn to before sunrise. If it is offered anywhere in this time it is permitted and valid and there is no blame.

• The preferable time for Fajr is different among the schools. According to the Hanafis إسفار (praying when the light has spread) is preferable. While according to the majority تغليس (praying in darkness) is preferable. There are ahadith supporting both views, and anyone who acts on either of them or even both of them is acting on the sunnah.

  The Hadith for delaying it is:

  أسفروا بالفجر فإنه أعظم للأجر

  Delay fajr till whiteness for it fetches the maximum reward

  ^{— Jami at-Tirmidhi}

  This hadith is Sahih, see e.g. Ibn Hajar, Al-Albani, Ibn Hibban \ Al-Arnaa’oot etc.

• The Hanafis also cite that by delaying, there will be ease and safety for the people and more people will get to join the congregation. A bigger congregation is preferable to a smaller one.

  Choosing a less preferable but permissible course of action, to serve some interest, is neither forbidden nor hypocrisy. You may e.g. find the hadith where the Prophet ﷺ offered isha early to make it easy, even though he said that delaying was preferable while in other ahadith it shows that he delayed or hastened it according to the people:

  والعشاء إذا كثر الناس عجل، وإذا قلوا أخر

  The `Isha was offered early if the people gathered, and used to be delayed if their number was less

  ^{— Bukhari}

  And the Hanafis derive a principle from this and apply that to Fajr.

• The practice among some Hanafis is that they choose to hold Fajr congregation early in Ramadan (unlike the rest of the year). Their reasoning is the principle described above: During ramadan the people are already awake and idle after suhoor. If there is a significant delay before the salah then there is a chance that many will fall asleep and miss the congregation. Hence the benefit of a bigger congregation is now achieved by holding it early.

  Some of them have also cited that many of the ahadith on تغليس are in the context of fasting:

  كنت أتسحر في أهلي، ثم يكون سرعة بي، أن أدرك صلاة الفجر مع رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم

  I used to take the "Suhur" meal with my family and hasten so as to catch the Fajr (morning prayer) with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)

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Reference:

قوله: (كنت أتسحر في أهلي، ثم يكون سرعة بي أن أدرك صلاة الفجر مع رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم) ولعل هذا التغليس كان في رمضان خاصة، وهكذا ينبغي عندنا إذا اجتمع الناس، وعليه العمل في دار العلوم بديوبند من عهد الأكابر

^{— فيض الباري على صحيح البخاري}

Answer 3

Excuse me, Hanafis do not do this universally. It may just be where you are.

Also, the adhaan can be given any time after fajr time begins--so if they give it a few minutes later, that doesn't mean the time itself started later.

When Ramadhan comes around, bringing the congregation time earlier or later can be needed to facilitate ease for the people. This was a maxim of the our Prophet, such as when he told the people to shorten the congregational Salah so as to be easy for the muqtadis/followers; this doesn't mean you shorten you tahajjud or sunnah. It's for the people's ease.