What is the legal status of the two rak'ahs before Fajr prayer?
Chapter on the Times When Prayer is Prohibited
Al-Mughni
Book of Prayer
Primary text
The two rak'ahs before the Fajr prayer are an emphasized Sunnah (*Sunnah Mu'akkadah*). If missed, the performer has the option to make them up (*qada*) or not, as they are not equivalent to an obligatory prayer.
Supporting text
Some scholars maintain that the two rak'ahs of Fajr are more strongly emphasized than Witr because their structure involves a fixed number of units that cannot be altered, thus resembling obligatory prayers.