Insights on the Virtue of Night Prayer
Allah, the Almighty, has encouraged believers to engage in night prayer, bestowing upon it immense virtue. He states: (And from the night, pray with it as a voluntary act for you; perhaps your Lord will resurrect you to a praiseworthy station). Numerous Hadiths underscore the significance of night prayer, including the following:
- The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: (The best fasting after Ramadan is the month of Allah, Al-Muharram, and the best prayer after the obligatory ones is the night prayer).
- The Prophet (peace be upon him) narrated: (In Paradise, there is a room whose exterior can be seen from the interior, and the interior from the exterior. Abu Musa Al-Ash’ari inquired: To whom is it, O Messenger of Allah? He replied: It is for those who speak gently, feed others, and spend the night in prayer while people are asleep). The ‘room’ refers to high dwelling places.
- The Prophet (peace be upon him) stated: (Whoever prays ten verses will not be recorded among the heedless, and whoever prays a hundred verses will be recorded among the devout, while whoever prays a thousand verses will be recorded among those granted abundant rewards).
Encouraging Hadiths on Night Prayer
There are numerous Hadiths that encourage night prayer and motivate believers to adhere to it, among which are:
- Sahl bin Sa’d (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: (Jibril (Gabriel) came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and said: O Muhammad, live as you wish because you will die, love whom you wish because you will part with them, and act as you wish because you will be compensated for it. Then he said: O Muhammad, the honor of a believer lies in night prayer, and his dignity is in his independence from others).
- Abdullah bin Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) stated when a man was mentioned who slept through the night until dawn: (That man has had the devil urinate in his ears). Imam Nawawi explained that ‘the devil urinating in his ears’ is a metaphor indicating his subjugation to the devil and humiliation by him.
- The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) encouraged: (Engage in night prayer, for it was the practice of the righteous before you. Night prayer is a means of drawing closer to Allah, a deterrent from sin, a means of expiation for misdeeds, and a remedy for ailments).
- He also remarked: (Excellent is the man, Abdullah, if he prayed at night, but he would only sleep a little during the night).
- Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrated: (A man came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) while he was delivering a sermon and asked: How should I pray at night? The Prophet (peace be upon him) replied: Two by two, and when you fear the morning, then pray one unit to conclude what you have prayed).
- The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) urged: (O people, spread peace, feed others, maintain family ties, and pray at night while the people are asleep, and you will enter paradise in peace).
Hadiths on Night Prayer During Ramadan
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) specifically emphasized the importance of night prayers during the nights of Ramadan, supported by numerous Hadiths, including:
- He said: (Whoever stands in prayer during Ramadan out of faith and with the hope of reward, his previous sins will be forgiven).
- Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated: (The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) would not pray more than eleven rak’ahs during Ramadan or at any other time; he would pray four, and do not ask about their beauty and length, then he would pray four more, and again do not ask about their beauty and length, and then he would conclude with three rak’ahs).
Hadiths Regarding the Prophet’s Night Prayer
Numerous Hadiths illustrate how the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) performed night prayers, including:
- Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: (The Prophet (peace be upon him) would stand in prayer at night until his feet would crack. I asked: Why do you do this, O Messenger of Allah, when Allah has forgiven your past and future sins? He replied: Shouldn’t I wish to be a grateful servant? When he became weary, he would sit, and when he intended to bow, he would stand, reciting before bowing).
- Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) stated: (He would pray at night until the final moments before dawn).
- Hudhaifah bin Al-Yaman (may Allah be pleased with him) shared an account of praying with the Prophet (peace be upon him) during one night, detailing the extended recitation of Surah Al-Baqarah, noting that the Prophet would raise his voice in praise at verses of glorification, questions, and seeking refuge, and that his bowing was nearly as lengthy as his standing, while his prostration was similarly lengthy).
- Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) described: (I spent the night at the house of Maimunah, the Mother of Believers (may Allah be pleased with her) – who was my aunt. I lay down across the width of the bed, while the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his family lay along its length. The Prophet (peace be upon him) slept until the middle of the night or a little before or after. He then awoke, sat up, rubbed sleep from his face, recited ten verses from the concluding part of Surah Al-Imran, and stood to perform ablution. He performed it well and then began to pray. I followed suit and began to pray next to him. He placed his right hand on my head, twisted my right ear with his hand, and prayed two rak’ahs, then two more, then two more, and finally prayed one rak’ah to complete his prayer. Afterward, he lay down until the caller to prayer came, when he rose and prayed two light rak’ahs before the Fajr prayer).