Welcome to Fajr Knights!

Jazakumullahu khayran for registering your masjid and joining the challenge! The information below
is provided as general guidance; you are welcome and encouraged to make adjustments and
additions where required to make the experience more enjoyable and exciting for your youth.

Our Aims (after firstly seeking the pleasure of Allah!):

- To facilitate beneficial and fun challenges that see youth competing to pray Fajr in the
masjid
- For masajid to come together at a common time, towards a common goal in encouraging
the youth to pray in the masjid
- To build positive relationships between like-minded youth
- To increase parent-child bonding
- To encourage non-regular adult attendees to pray Fajr in congregation

And ultimately…

- To inspire a generation of youth (and their fathers) to regularly attend the masjid and pray in
congregation

Guidelines & Suggestions

- We recommend launching the challenge at least 10 days before the commencement date by
announcements, printed material, website, social media, etc.

- Masajid should try to run the challenge during the same dates if possible, to create a
national buzz around each challenge insha’Allah

- Assign a dedicated person, such as the mu’adhin, to take register of attendance each day,
noting full name and age of each participant. An attendance record template has been
provided for this.

- After the first Fajr of the challenge, please offer some brief words to the congregation to
welcome the youth and make them feel special for being there, really promoting the idea of
being people of Fajr. Some narrations are included in Appendix 1.

- Periodically offer words of encouragement and praise to the youngsters during the challenge

- If you have the resources, offer participants Qur’an halaqahs or short classes after Fajr,
especially for any challenges in the Winter period – at least on the weekends. For the
Summer in particular, a short 5-minute reminder after Fajr each day would be beneficial,
ideally followed by some further activity during the daytime over the weekends.

- Hold an event for participants on the first Saturday or Sunday, and again on the final
Saturday or Sunday. The more of these, the better, so they can socialise, meet like-minded
youth, and have fun memories.
 Suggested activities include dodgeball, table-tennis, tug-of-war, and food such as pizza or
order some other lunch for them. In Winter, we suggest a big breakfast spread for all
attendees, including the fathers. Hold at least one of these social gatherings.

- Other suggestions throughout the challenge; short talks / reminders, games, football etc.

- Post occasional updates on social media, and likewise, make occasional announcements
after some of the other salawaat – so that people continue to hear about the challenge and
want to take part next time

- Prize-giving should be done either after the final Fajr of the challenge, or on the following
day after another salah, depending on the time of the year. Please offer congratulatory
words and celebrate their achievements and encourage their fathers too.

- Please give each participant a certificate for competing. A template has been provided. In
addition, and according to the budget available, we recommend on average:
o A box of chocolates for each attendee, even if they attended once
o Medals for all participants, if this can be arranged (we can provide our logo)
o Additionally, a cash or voucher prize for those with 100% attendance or close to
100% (for the UK, suggested minimum £30 for 16-day challenges, and £80 for 30-day
or longer challenges)

- At least two photos recommended, if possible:

- Lastly, upon completion of the challenge and prize-giving, please encourage both father and
child to continue to regularly attend Fajr (and any other salah) in the masjid

- Celebrate their achievements on social media after the challenge

- Registered masajid agree to keep track of daily attendees for the duration of the challenge

- Registered masajid agree to send us feedback within 3 days of the end of the challenge,
detailing how many youth participated, and how many attained 100% attendance, so that
we can track the impact and encourage more to participate

- If possible, please also send in a picture of the participants holding their certificates, next to
the imam; this will only be used for promoting future challenges. Any photos or videos taken
during the challenge or prize-giving would be appreciated.

- Registration is per challenge, and will need to be repeated to participate in any future
challenges, upon which updated templates will be provided

- The use of our promotional material (flyers, certificates, etc.) is provided to you with the clear
understanding that our logo and branding will not be removed
Appendix 1: Virtues of praying in congregation in the masjid / praying Fajr

 “Whoever prays Fajr is under the protection of Allah” [Sahih Muslim 657]

 “Prayer in congregation is superior to prayer alone by twenty-seven degrees.” [Sahih al-

 “When you see a man frequenting the mosque, testify that he is a believer because Allah
says: ‘Allah’s mosques are visited only by those who believe in Allah and the Last Day.’”
[Sunan at-Tirmidhi 2617]

 “He who purifies (Wudu‘) himself in his house and then walks to one of the houses of Allah
(mosque) for performing an obligatory prayers, one step of his will wipe his sins and another
step will elevate his rank (in Jannah).” [Sahih Muslim 666]

 “There is no prayer heavier on the hypocrites than Fajr and Isha. If only they knew their
merits, they would come to them even if they had to crawl.” [Sahih al-Bukhari 657 & Muslim
651]

 “Convey glad tidings to those who walk to the mosque in the darkness. For they will be given
full light on the Day of Resurrection.” [Sunan at-Tirmidhi 223]

 “He who goes to the mosque in the morning or in the evening, Allah prepares him a place in
Jannah whenever he goes to the mosque in the morning and returns from it in the evening.”
[Sahih al-Bukhari 662]

 “Establish the Prayer after the declining of the sun to the dusk of night, and the recitation of
Fajr. Indeed, the recitation of Fajr is witnessed.” – Surah Al-Isra’ (17:78)

 “The two sunnah units of prayer preceding Fajr prayer are better than this world and all that
it contains.” [Sahih Muslim 725]

 “Whoever offers Fajr in congregation and remains seated, engaging in the remembrance of
Allah until the sun has risen, and then offers two units of prayer, he will have a reward equal
to that of performing Hajj and ‘Umrah.” [Sunan at-Tirmidhi 586]