There are many evidences in Qur\u2019an and Sunnah proving the excellence and merits of praying Tahajjud \u2013 the night vigil prayer. This article explains the benefits, when and how to pray it.
\nAllah Most High said,
\n\u201cEstablish worship at the going down of the sun until the dark of the night, and (the recital of) the Qur\u2019an at dawn. Lo! (the recital of) the Qur\u2019an at dawn is ever witnessed. And some part of the night awake for its recital, as voluntary worship for you. It may be that your Lord will raise you to a praised estate.\u201d [Qur\u2019an, 17: 78-79]
\nAbu Hurayra (Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him, his family, and companions) said,
\n\u201cOur Lord (glorified and exalted be He) descends each night to the earth\u2019s sky when there remains the final third of the night, and He says: \u2018Who is saying a prayer to Me that I may answer it? Who is asking something of Me that I may give it him? Who is asking forgiveness of Me that I may forgive him?’\u201d [Bukhari (also by Muslim, Malik, at-Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud).]
\nAbu Hurayra (Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him, his family, and companions) said,
\n\u201cThe best prayer after the obligatory prayers is the night prayer.\u201d[Muslim]
\nAbu Hurayra (Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him, his family, and companions) was asked, \u201cWhat prayer is most virtuous, after the obligatory prayers?\u201d
\nHe said, \u201cPrayer in the depths of the night.\u201d [Muslim, Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Nasa\u2019i, Ibn Majah]
\nAbd Allah ibn Salam (Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him, his family, and companions) said, \u201cO people! Spread the salams, feed others, maintain family ties, and pray at night when others sleep and you will enter Heaven safely.\u201d[Tirmidhi, Hakim]
\nAbu Umama al-Bahili (Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him, his family, and companions) said, \u201cHold fast to night prayer, for it was the way of the righteous before you, a way of drawing closer to your Lord, an expiation for wrong deeds, and a shield from sin.\u201d [Tirmidhi, and others] In some narrations, there is an addition, \u201cAnd it repels sickness from the body.\u201d
\nIbn Mas`ud (Allah be pleased with him) said, \u201cThe virtues of night prayer over day prayer is like the virtue of secret charity over open charity.\u201d[Tabarani] The scholars explain that this refers to voluntary prayers.
\nImam Saffarini, the Hanbali faqih and sufi, explained in his Sharh Mandhumat al-Adaab:
\n\u201cNight prayer is superior to day prayer because:
\nIt is more concealed and closer to sincerity. The righteous early Muslims (salaf) used to strive hard to hide their secrets [f: i.e. the actions between them and Allah].
\nHasan [al-Basri] said, \u2018It used to be that a person would have guests staying over and he would pray at night without his guests knowing\u2026\u2019
\nAnd because night prayer is harder on the lower self, because night is a time of rest from the tire of day, so leaving sleep despite the lower self being desirous of it is a tremendous struggle (mujahada). Some have said, \u2018The best of works are those the lower self is forced to perform.\u2019
\nAnd because recitation in night prayer is closer to contemplation, because things that busy the heart are mostly absent at night, so the heart is attentive and is with the tongue in understanding, as Allah Most High said, \u2018o! The night vigil is (a time) when impression is more keen and speech more certain. [Lo! You have by day a chain of business. So remember the name of your Lord and devote yourself with a complete devotion.]\u2019 (Qur\u2019an, 73: 6-7) It is because of this that we have been commanded to recite the Qur\u2019an in night prayer in a steady recital (tartil).
\nAnd it is because of this that night prayer is a shield from sin.
\nAnd because night vigil time is the best of times for voluntary worship and prayer, and the closest a servant is to his Lord.
\nAnd because it is a time when the doors of the sky are opened, supplications answered, and the needs of those who ask fulfilled.
\nAllah has praised those who wake up at night for His remembrance, supplication, and to seek forgiveness and entreat Him, saying, \u2018They forsake their beds to cry unto their Lord in fear and hope, and spend of what We have bestowed on them. No soul knows what is kept hid from them of joy, as a reward for what they used to do.\u2019 [Qur\u2019an, 32: 16-17]
\nAnd He said, \u2018Those who pray for pardon in the watches of the night.\u2019[Qur\u2019an, 3: 17]
\nAnd, \u2018[The (faithful) servants of the Merciful are they who walk upon the earth modestly, and when the foolish one address them answer: Peace;] And who spend the night before their Lord, prostrate and standing\u2026\u2019[Qur\u2019an, 25: 63-64]
\nAllah most negated similitude between those who pray at night and those who do not: \u2018Is the one who worships devoutly in the watches of the night, prostrate and standing, fearful of the Hereafter and hoping for the mercy of his Lord, (to be accounted equal with a disbeliever)? Say: are those who know equal with those who know know? But only people of understanding will pay heed.\u2019 [Qur\u2019an, 39: 9]\u201d [Saffarini,Ghidha al-Albab Sharh Mandhumat al-Adaab,
\nImam Abu Sa\u2019id al-Khadimi said,
\n\u201cThere is scholarly consensus (ijma`) that among the best of virtuous acts is the night vigil prayer.\u201d [al-Bariqa al-Mahmudiyya Sharh al-Tariqa al-Muhammadiyya]
\nThe scholars derived the following from the Qur\u2019an and prophetic hadiths:
\n1. The minimal night vigil prayer is 2 rakats. [Hindiyya, quoting Fath al-Qadir]
\n2. Its optimal recommended amount is 8 rakats, because this was the general practice of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him, his family, and companions). [Hindiyya, quoting Fath al-Qadir]
\nNarated By Ibn Umar : Once a person asked ALLAH\u2019s Apostle about the night prayer. ALLAH\u2019s Apostle replied, \u201cThe night prayer is offered as two Rakat followed by two Rakat and so on and if anyone is afraid of the approaching dawn (Fajr prayer) he should pray one Raka and this will be a Witr for all the Rakat which he has prayed before.\u201d Nafi\u2019 told that \u2018Abdullah bin \u2018Umar used to say Taslim between (the first) two Rakat and (the third) odd one in the Witr prayer, when he wanted to attend to a certain matter (during that interval between the Rakat).
\n3. Lengthier recitation is superior to a larger number of rakats prayed. [Durr al-Mukhtar, Radd al-Muhtar]
\n4. If one divides the night in thirds, then the final middle third is most virtuous. [Durr al-Mukhtar]
\n5. If one divides the night in half, then the second half is more virtuous. [ibid.]
\n6. Voluntary (nafl) prayer at night is more virtuous than voluntary prayer during the day. However, the full reward mentioned in the Qur\u2019anic verses and Prophetic hadiths refers to worship that was preceded by sleep. This is also understood from the very linguistic meaning of tahajjud, which is to struggle rid oneself of sleep. [Ibn Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar, quoting Ibn Amir Haajj\u2019s Halba]
\n7. Ibn Nujaym and Haskafi both affirmed that night prayer is recommended. [al-Bahr al-Ra\u2019iq, and al-Durr al-Mukhtar; chosen in al-Fatawa al-Hindiyya] Kamal ibn al-Humam, the brilliant mujtahid who was the greatest Hanafi faqih of the latter half of Islamic history, however, wavered between it being recommended or a confirmed sunna. This is because while the spoken hadiths indicate recommendation, the continued practice of the Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace) would seem to indicate it being a confirmed sunna. This was also chosen by Ibn al-Humam\u2019s student, Ibn Amir Haaj in his Halba. [Ibn Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar]
\n8. It is disliked to leave the night vigil prayer for one who has made it their habit, unless there is an excuse, because the Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace) said to Ibn Umar (Allah be pleased with him), \u201cO Abd Allah! Do not be like so-and-so. He used to pray at night and then left it.\u201d [Bukhari and Muslim] Therefore, one should take on an amount of works one can sustain, for the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him, his family, and companions) said, \u201cThe most beloved of actions to Allah are the most constant, even if little.\u201d [Bukhari and Muslim] [Ibn Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar, from Ibn Amir Haajj\u2019s Halba]
\n9. It is recommended to start the night vigil with two short rakats, because of the hadith of Abu Hurayra that the Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, \u201cIt you get up for night prayer, start with two short rakats.\u201d [Muslim, Ahmad, Abu Dawud]
\n10. Supplications in the depths of the night are answered, as the hadiths have mentioned.
\nIbn Mas`ud (Allah be pleased with him) was asked, \u2018I cannot pray at night.\u2019 He said, \u2018Your sins have prevented you.\u2019<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
There are many evidences in Qur\u2019an and Sunnah proving the excellence and merits of praying Tahajjud \u2013 the night vigil prayer. This article explains the benefits, when and how to pray it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":9404,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9402","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-c71-introduction-to-islam-muslims"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n