Fiqh-us-Sunnah, Volume 2:
Its excellence and merit from the Qur'an: Allah ordered his
Messenger to perform salatul tahajjud:
"And some part of the night awake for prayer, a largess for
thee. It may be that thy Lord will raise thee to a praised position."
This order, although it was specifically directed to the
Prophet, also refers to all the Muslims since the Prophet is their example and
guide in all such matters.
Those who regularly perform the tahajjud prayers are the
Righteous and are more deserving of Allah's bounty and mercy. Allah says:
"Lo! Those who keep from evil will dwell amid gardens and watersprings,
taking that which their Lord gives them. For, lo, they were doers of good. They
used to sleep but little of the night and before the dawning of each day would
seek forgiveness.''
Allah praised and complemented the deeds of those who perform
the late-night prayers. "The slaves of the Beneficent are they who walk
upon the earth in humbleness, and when the ignorant address them, they say:
'Peace' and they who spend the night prostrating before their Lord and
standing" [ al-Furqan: 63-64 ].
Allah bears witness to their belief in His signs. He says:
"Only those believe in Our revelations who, when they are reminded of
them, fall down prostrate and hymn the praise of their Lord and they are not
scomful: who 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 hidden for
them of joy as a reward for what they used to do.''
Allah proclaims that those who do not possess these qualities
cannot be treated as equal to those who possess them: "Is he who pays
adoration in the watches of the night, prostrate and standing, aware of the
Hereafter and hoping for the mercy of his Lord equal to a disbeliever? Say:
'Are those who know equal with those who know not?' But only men of
understanding will pay heed.''
Volume
2, Page 21: Hadith regarding Tahajjud
The preceding section was primarily concerned with what Allah
says about those who perform salatul tahajjud. There also exist a number of
ahadith that reinforce the importance of tahajjud.
'Abdullah
ibn as-Salam reports: "When the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam came to
Medinah, the people gathered around him and I was one of them. I looked at his
face and understood that it was not the face of a liar. The first words I heard
him say were: 'O people, spread the salutations, feed the people, keep the ties
of kinship, and pray during the night while the others sleep and you will enter
paradise in peace."' This is related by al-Hakim, Ibn Majah, and
at-Tirmizhi who calls it hasan sahih.
Salman al-Farsi relates that the Prophet sallallahu alehi
wasallam said: "Observe the night prayer, it was the practice of the
rightous before you and it brings you closer to your Lord and it is penance for
evil deeds and erases the sins and repells disease from the body."
Sahl ibn Sa'd reports: "Gabriel came to the Prophet
sallallahu alehi wasallam and said: 'O Muhammad, live as long as you like, for
you are to die. Do whatever deed you wish, for you are to be rewarded. Love
whomever you wish, for you are to be parted. And know that the honor of the
believer is in the night prayer and his glory is being free from want from the
people."'
Abu ad-Darda' reports that the Prophet said: "Three people
are loved by Allah, and He laughs for them and He grants them glad tidings.
[The first is] a man who fights behind a group that flees and does so with his
own soul for Allah's sake, regardless of whether he is killed or he is aided by
Allah and made victorious. Allah says: 'Look to my slave there who is patient
with his life for My sake.' [The second is] the one who has a beautiful wife
and a soft bed and rises during the night. Allah says: 'He leaves his desires
and remembers Me and if he wished he would sleep.' [The third] is a person who
is traveling with a group and they pass the night awake and then sleep, but he
still observes his prayer in hardship or ease."
Volume
2, Page 22: Etiquettes of Late Night Prayer
The following acts are sunnah for one who wishes to perform the
tahajjud prayers. Upon going to sleep, one should make the intention to perform
the tahajjud prayers. Abu ad-Darda' relates that the Prophet sallallahu alehi
wasallam said: "Whoever goes to his bed with the intention of getting up
and praying during the night, and sleep overcomes him until the moming comes,
he will have recorded for him what he had intended, and his sleep will be a
charity for him from his Lord." This is related by an-Nasa'i and ibn Majah
with a sahih chain. Upon waking, one should wipe one's face, use a toothstick,
and look to the sky and make the supplication which has been reported from the
Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam: "There is no God but Thee, Glory be to
Thee, I seek forgiveness from You for my sins, and I ask for your mercy. O
Allah, increase my knowledge and let my heart not swerve after You have guided
me, and bestow mercy upon me from Thyself. All praise be to Allah who has given
us back life after our death and unto Him is the resurrection."
Then, one should recite the last ten 'ayat of al-'Imran,
starting with, "Lo! In the creation of the heavens and the earth and [in]
the difference of night and day are tokens (of His sovereignty) for men of
understanding." Then one should say, "O Allah, to You belongs the
praise. You are the Light of the heavens and the earth and what is therein. And
to You belongs the praise. You are the truth and Your promise is true. And the
meeting with You is true. And the paradise is true. And the Fire is true. And
the prophets are true. And Muhammad is true. And the Hour is true. O Allah, to
You have I submitted. And in You have I believed. And in You have I put my
trust. And to You have I turned. And by You I argue. And to You do I turn for
my decisions. Forgive me of my former and latter sins, and those done in
private and those done in public. You are Allah, there is no God besides
Thee."
One should begin Qiyam al-Layil with two quick rak'at and then
one may pray whatever one wishes after that. 'Aishah says: "When the
Prophet prayed during the late-night, he would begin his prayers with two quick
rak'at." Both of these reports are related by Muslim.
Volume
2, Page 23: One should wake up one's family for tahajjud
Abu Hurairah reports that the Prophet said: "May Allah
bless the man who gets up during the night to pray and wakes up his wife and
who, if she refuses to get up, sprinkles water on her face. And may Allah bless
the woman who gets up during the night to pray and wakes up her husband and
who, if he refuses sprinkles water on his face." The Prophet sallallahu
alehi wasallam also said: "If a man wakes his wife and prays during the
night or they pray two rak'at together, they will be recorded among those (men
and women) who (constantly) make remembrance of Allah." This is related by
Abu Dawud and others with a sahih chain.
Umm Salamah narrates that the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam
got up during the night and said: "Glory be to Allah. What trials are
descended with the night. And what has descended of treasures. Who will waken
the lady occupants of the rooms (i.e., his wives) for prayers; how many a well
dressed in this world will be naked in the hereafter." This is related by
al-Bukhari
Al-Bukhari and Muslim record that the Messenger of Allah asked
'Ali and Fatimah: "Do you not pray [during the night]?" 'Ali said:
"O Messenger of Allah, we are in Allah's hands. If He wishes to make us
get up, we get up." The Prophet turned away when he said that. Then, they
could hear him striking his thigh and saying: "Verily, man disputes a
lot." This is related by al-Bukhari and Muslim.
Volume
2, Page 24: One should stop praying tahajjud and sleep if one becomes very
sleepy
'Aishah
reports that the Messenger of Allah said: "When one of you gets up during
the night for prayer and his Qur'anic recital becomes confused to the extent
that he does not know what he says, he should lie down." This is related
by Muslim.
Anas narrates that the Messenger of Allah entered the mosque and
saw a rope stretching between two posts. He asked: "What is this?"
The people told him that it was for Zainab [bint Jahsh] who, when she became
tired or weary, held it (to keep standing for the prayer). The Prophet said:
"Remove the rope. You should pray as long as you feel active, and when you
get tired or weary, you should lie down to rest." This is related by
al-Bukhari and Muslim.
One should not overburden one's self with the night prayer and
should only pray it to the extent that is reasonable, and not leave that
practice unless there is some great need to do so. 'Aishah reports that the
Messenger of Allah said: "Do (good) deeds according to your capacity, for
by Allah, Allah does not weary from giving rewards unless you get tired of
doing good deeds." This is related by al-Bukhari and Muslim.
Al-Bukhari and Muslim also relate from 'Aishah that the
Messenger of Allah was asked: "What is the most loved deed to Allah?"
He answered: "One that is performed constantly even if it is a small
deed." And Muslim recorded that 'Aishah said: "The Messenger of Allah
was constant in his deeds, and if he did something, he would do it
consistently."
'Abdullah
ibn 'Umar reports that the Messenger of Allah said: "O 'Abdullah, do not
become like so-and-so who used to make the tahajjud prayers and then he stopped
praying it." This is related by al-Bukhari and Muslim.
Al-Bukhari and Muslim also record, on the authority of 'Abdullah
ibn Mas'ud, that it was mentioned to the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam that
a man slept until the morning. [ThereuponJ he said: "Satan has urinated
into the ears of that person." They also record from Salim ibn 'Abdullah
ibn 'Umar, from his father, that the Messenger of Allah said to his father,
"Abdullah would be a good man if he would pray the tahajjud prayers."
Salim said: "After that, 'Abdullah would not sleep during the night save
for a small amount at a time."
Volume
2, Page 24a: The recommended time for tahajjud
Salatul Layil may be performed in the early part of the night,
the middle part of the night, or the latter part of the night, but after the
obligatory salatul 'isha.
While describing the salah of the Prophet sallallahu alehi
wasallam, Anas would say: "If we wanted to see him praying during the
night, we could see him praying. If we wanted to see him sleeping during the
night, we could see him sleeping. And sometimes he would fast for so many days
that we thought he would not leave fasting throughout that month. And sometimes
he would not fast (for so many days) that we thought he would not fast during
that month." This is related by Ahmad, al-Bukhari, and anNasa' i .
Commenting on this subject, Ibn Hajar says: "There was no
specific time in which the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam would perform his
late night prayer; but he would do whatever was easiest for him."
Volume
2, Page 25: Best time for tahajjud
It is best to delay this prayer to the last third portion of the
night. Abu Hurairah reports that the Messenger of Allah said: "Our Lord
descends to the lowest heaven during the last third of the night, inquiring:
'Who will call on Me so that I may respond to him? Who is asking something of
Me so I may give it to him? Who is asking for My forgiveness so I may forgive
him?"' This is related by the group.
'Amr
ibn Abasah reports that he heard the Prophet say: "The closest that a
slave comes to his Lord is during the middle of the latter portion of the
night. If you can be among those who remember Allah, the Exalted One, at that
time then do so." This is related by al-Hakim who grades it sahih
according to Muslim's standards, and at-Tirmizhi calls it hasan sahih. AnNasa'i
and Ibn Khuzaimah also recorded it.
Abu Muslim asked Abu Zharr: "Which late-night prayer is the
best?" He said: "I asked the Messenger of Allah the same that you
asked me and he said, 'The (one done during) middle of the latter half of the
night, and very few do it.'" This is related by Ahmad with a good chain.
'Abdullah
ibn 'Amr reports that the Prophet said: "The most beloved fast to Allah is
the fast of David. And the most beloved prayer to Allah is the prayer of David.
He would sleep half of the night and then pray during the next third of the
night and then sleep during the last sixth of the night. And he would fast one
day and not fast the next." This is related by the group except
at-Tirmizhi.
The number of rak'at to be performed during tahajjud: The
tahajjud prayer does not entail a specific number of rak'at which must be
performed nor is there any maximum limit which has to be performed. It would be
fulfilled even if one just prayed one rak'ah of witr after the obligatory night
prayer.
Samurah ibn Jundub says: "The Messenger of Allah ordered us
to pray during the night, a little or a lot, and to make the last of the prayer
the witr prayer." This is related by at-Tabarani and al-Bazzar.
Anas relates that the Messenger of Allah said: "Prayer in
my mosque is equal to ten thousand prayers [elsewhere]. And prayer in the
inviolable mosque is equivalent to one hundred thousand prayers [elsewhere].
And prayer in the battlefield is equivalent to one million prayers [elsewhere].
And what is more than all of that is two rak'at by a slave [of Allah] during
the middle of the night." This is reported by Abu ash-Shaikh, Ibn Hibban
in his work ath-Thawab, and al-Munzhiri, in his book at-Targhib watTarhib, is
silent about it.
Iyas ibn Mu'awiyyah al-Mazni reports that the Prophet sallallahu
alehi wasallam said: "The night prayer should certainly be performed even
if it is for the length of time that it takes one to milk a sheep. And whatever
is after the obligatory 'isha is of the tahajjud." This is related by at-Tabarani,
and all of its narrators are trustworthy save Muhammad ibn Ishaq.
Ibn 'Abbas relates: "I mentioned the tahajjud prayer and
some of the people said that the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam said: 'It
may be half of the night, a third of the night, a fourth of the night or a
fraction of the time for milking a camel or a sheep.""
Ibn 'Abbas also narrates that the Prophet ordered them and
encouraged them to make the tahajjud prayer to the extent that he said:
"You should perform salatul layil even if it is just one rak'ah."
This is related by atTabarani in al-Kabir and al-Awsat.
Volume
2, Page 26: It is preferable to pray eleven or thirteen rak'at for tahajjud
One may choose between praying them all together or to separate
them. 'Aishah says: "The Messenger of Allah never prayed more than eleven
rak'at, during Ramadan or otherwise. He would pray four rak'at, and don't ask
about how excellent they were or how lengthy they were. Then, he would pray
four rak'at, and don't ask about how excellent they were or how lengthy they
were. Then, he would pray three rak'at. I asked: 'O Messenger of Allah, do you
sleep before praying witr?' he replied: 'O 'Aishah, my eyes sleep but my heart
does not sleep."' This is recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim who also
record that al-Qasim ibn Muhammad said that he heard 'Aishah say: "The
Messenger of Allah's prayer during the night would be ten rak'at and then he
would make witr with one rak'ah."
Volume
2, Page 26a: Making qada' for the missed tahajjud
Muslim records that 'Aishah said: "If the Prophet
sallallahu alehi wasallam missed the late-night prayers due to pain or anything
else, he would pray twelve rak'at during the day."
'Umar
reports that the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam said: "Whoever sleeps
past his full portion [of the late-night prayers] or part of them, he should
pray between the dawn and noon prayers and it would be recorded for him as if
he had prayed during the night." This is related by the group except for
al-Bukhari.
