Every Saturday, after Fajr, a group of brothers meets in Bethnal Green and runs. Every Wednesday evening, we do it again. People ask why the early start. The honest answer is that we were told the early morning is blessed — and we believe it.

Blessing in the early hours

اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ لِأُمَّتِي فِي بُكُورِهَا

O Allah, bless my ummah in its early mornings.Sunan Abī Dāwūd 2606 · Jāmiʿ at-Tirmidhī 1212

The narrator of this hadith, Ṣakhr al-Ghāmidī, was a merchant. In the same report he is described as sending out his trade at the start of the day, and prospering. The principle carries into everything: what is begun early is begun with barakah. A run straight after Fajr turns the most blessed hour of the day into something you do with your body, not just something you sleep through.

The Prophet ﷺ ran

ʿĀʾishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported that she raced the Prophet ﷺ on a journey and won. Later, after she had put on weight, they raced again and he won, and he said, “This is for that.” (Sunan Abī Dāwūd 2578). Running is not foreign to our tradition. It is part of a Sunnah of physical vitality — done with joy, and with the people you love.

How to make Fajr runs work

Getting up for Fajr and then running is mostly decided the night before. The Prophet ﷺ disliked sleeping before ʿIshāʾ and talking late after it (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 568). Build your evening around that:

  • Sleep early. The run starts the night before.
  • Lay out your kit. Shoes, layers, keys, water — by the door.
  • Start easy. The first ten minutes are a warm-up, not a race. Run at a pace where you can still talk to the brother next to you.
  • Dress for the season. London mornings are cold for much of the year. Layer up, and wear something visible in the dark months.
  • Know your limits. If you have an injury or medical condition, speak to your GP before starting.

Come and run

Fajr Runs are every Saturday and Evening Runs every Wednesday, in the Bethnal Green area. Because Fajr moves with the seasons, the start time and meeting point are shared with registered brothers. Register for the runs and come as you are.

References

  1. Sunan Abī Dāwūd 2606; Jāmiʿ at-Tirmidhī 1212 (graded ḥasan by at-Tirmidhī) — supplication for blessing in the early morning.
  2. Sunan Abī Dāwūd 2578 — ʿĀʾishah’s race with the Prophet ﷺ.
  3. Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 568 — on sleeping before ʿIshāʾ and talking after it.

Translations of meaning are our own and kept close to the Arabic.