Late Night Prayer
“And some part of the night awake for prayer, a largess fro thee. It may be that thy Lord will raise three to a praised position.{Surah:al-lsraa, 79}
When we follow Islam with all our heart and soul, we tend to follow the directions our Allah commands to us. In Islam five obligatory night prayers are not only mandatory, but highly valued. If a Muslim indulges himself on Islamic rituals and belief, then he is regarded as a believer, by which, he holds greater responsibility to follow God’s commands and our Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) path.
Salaat AL Lail (Tahajjud prayer)
Islam is a complete way of life, where it consists of 5 basic pillars which have to be followed by all Muslims regardless of their caste, creed or color. Among these pillars is Salah (Salat prayer), sanctioned by Almighty Allah.
In addition to the mandatory 5 prayers in a day, there is another Salah, which accompanies greater significance but it’s not obligatory. Salat al lail (tahajjud prayer) comes in the category of Nafl (supererogatory prayer) which is optional, yet holds great rewards.
The timings for Salat al Lail
Tahajjud is a prayer that is before Fajr, late night prayer to the last third portion of the night. It holds massive importance in itself as Amr ibn Abasah reports that he heard the Prophet PBUH 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.” Related by al-Hakim, at-Tirmidhi, Nasa’i and Ibn Khuzaimah.
Significance of Tahajjud prayer
Reported by Salman al-Farsi RZ, the Allah Apostle PBUH stated:
“Observe the night prayer, it was the practice of the righteous before you and it brings you closer to your Lord and it is penance for evil deed and erases the sins and repels disease from the body.”
Almighty Allah said in a Quranic verse that
“And (during part) of the night, abandon sleep and keep vigil to pray Salat, in addition to the regular obligatory prayer. Your Rabb (the Sustainer) may (as a reward) elevate you to the position of High Distinction, Glory and Praise.”
Tips for Salaat AL Lail
- Make niyat (intention) of performing night prayer for happiness and success, adjust yourself to wake up on that piece of the night by utilizing an alarm clock.
- Maintain complete condition of cleanliness and do mandatory ablution (Wudu-thorough cleansing) as performed before other prayers.
- Proceed to calm and clean place in the house being away from all the diversions.
- Eat light food for dinner, so that you don’t feel heavy or dizzy during prayer.
- Abolish from all kinds of burdens, stresses as well as common matters from one’s heart to focus and meet with Allah SWT and attain His mercy.
- A person can offer at least two raka`ts up to 12 raka’ts, depending on one`s willpower.
Salaat AL Lail in Ramadan
The night prayer in Ramadan is salah at-Taraweeh. It is one of the greatest acts of worship in this holy month by which the worshippers tend to come closer to Allah. However Taraweeh doesn’t replace the Tahajjud, both the prayers have their own significance and importance and encouraged Sunnah in Ramadan.
The Allah’s Apostle PBUH stated,
“Anyone who stands for night prayer in a Ramadan, and hoping for a reward from Allah, all his previous sins would be forgiven.”
This hadith came in two different contexts of night prayer, where scholars define it for night prayers that are traweeh and tahajjud both.
Tahajjud prayer not only purifies a man’s heart and soul, but give the inner peace of acceptance by his Lord. Allah praises those who are devout and have faith for their righteous characteristics and good deeds, one of the most special of which is qiyaam al-layl.
