3749Ways to help
oneself pray Qiyaam al-Layl
Praise be to Allaah. There are many things that one can do to help oneself pray qiyaam al-layl, among which are the following: 1 – Being sincere towards Allaah, as He has commanded us to be
sincere towards Him and none other in our deeds. He tells us (interpretation of the
meaning): “And they were commanded not, but that they should worship Allaah, and
worship none but Him Alone…” [al-Bayyinah 98:5]. The more sincere a person
is towards Allaah, the more he will be guided and helped to obey Allaah and draw closer to
Him. Ubayy ibn Ka’b (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet Therefore the salaf were very keen to conceal their acts of worship such as qiyaam al-layl. A man asked Tameem ibn Aws al-Daari (may Allaah be pleased with him), ‘How do you pray at night?’ He got very angry and said, ‘By Allaah, one rak’ah that I pray in secret in the small hours of the night is more beloved to me than praying the whole night long and then telling people about it.’ Ayyoob al-Sakhtiyaani used to spend the entire night in prayer, then when dawn approached, he would go back to bed and lie down, and when dawn came, he would raise his voice as if he had just woken up. 2 – The person who wants to pray qiyaam al-layl should realize that Allaah is calling him to qiyaam. When the slave realizes that his Master, Who has no need of people’s worship, is calling him to do this, he will respond. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “O you wrapped in your garments (i.e., Prophet Muhammad)! Stand (to pray) all night, except a little. Half of it, or a little less than that, or a little more; and recite the Qur’aan (aloud) in a slow, (pleasant tone and) style.” [al-Muzzammil 73:1-4]. Sa’d ibn Hishaam ibn ‘Aamir said to ‘Aa’ishah (may
Allaah be pleased with her): “Tell me about how the Messenger of Allaah 3 – Knowing the virtues of qiyaam al-layl. Whoever
knows the virtues of this act of worship will be keen to talk to Allaah, may He be
exalted, and to stand before Him at that time. Among the reports that describe the virtues
of this act of worship is the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him), in
which the Prophet ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Amr (may Allaah be pleased with them both)
reported that the Prophet ‘Amr ibn ‘Absah reported that the Prophet According to a hadeeth narrated by Ibn Mas’ood (may Allaah be
pleased with him), the Prophet Qiyaam al-Layl expels forgetfulness from the heart, as
is stated in the hadeeth narrated by ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘Aas (may
Allaah be pleased with them both), in which the Prophet Yahyaa ibn Mu’aadh said: “The medicine of the heart is five things: reading Qur’aan and pondering the meaning, having an empty stomach, praying at night (qiyaam al-layl), beseeching Allaah at the time of suhoor, and keeping company with righteous people.” 4 – Studying how the salaf and righteous people practised qiyaam al-layl and adhered to it. The salaf used to enjoy qiyaam al-layl and rejoice greatly in doing it. ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Wahb said: “Every type of pleasure is enjoyed only once, except for acts of worship, which are enjoyed three times: when you do it, when you remember it, and when you are given the reward for it.” Muhammad ibn al-Munkadir said: “There is nothing left of the joys of this life except three: qiyaam al-layl, meeting one’s brothers in faith, and praying in congregation.” Thaabit al-Banaani said: “There is nothing I enjoy more than qiyaam al-layl.” Yazeed al-Riqaashi said: “A lot of tahajjud brings delight to the worshippers, and a lot of thirst (i.e., fasting), brings joy when they meet Allaah.” Mukhallad ibn Husayn said: “I never woke up at night except I saw Ibraaheem ibn Adham remembering Allaah and praying, and this made me depressed, so I consoled myself with this aayah (interpretation of the meaning): ‘…That is the Grace of Allaahm which He bestows on whom He pleases. And Allaah is the Owner of Great Bounty’ [al-Hadeed 54:21].” Abu ‘Aasim al-Nabeel said: “Abu Haneefah used to be called al-Watad (pole or pillar) because he prayed so much.” Al-Qaasim ibn Ma’een said: “Abu Haneefah spent an entire night in qiyaam reciting this aayah (interpretation of the meaning): ‘Nay, but the Hour is their appointed time (for their full recompense), and the Hour will be more grievous and more bitter’ [al-Qamar 54:46], repeating it and weeping, beseeching Allaah until morning came.” Ibraaheem ibn Shammaas said: “I used to see Ahmad ibn Hanbal staying up at night to pray when he was a young man.” Abu Bakr al-Marwadhi said: “I was with Imaam Ahmad for nearly four months in the army, and he never stopped praying qiyaam at night or reading Qur’aan during the day, and I never knew when he completed the Qur’aan, because he kept that secret.” Imaam al-Bukhaari used to pray qiyaam and tahajjud at night until the time of suhoor, and he would read between a half and a third of the Qur’aan, and complete it at suhoor every third night. Al-‘Allaamah Ibn ‘Abd al-Haadi said, describing the qiyaam of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah: “At night he would keep away from people, and spend that time only with his Lord, beseeching Him continually and reciting Qur’aan, repeating different kinds of acts of worship by night and by day. When he began to pray, his body would start to tremble, leaning to the left and right.” Ibn Rajab said concerning his shaykh Imaam Ibn al-Qayyim: “He was a man of worship, tahajjud and lengthy prayers. I have never seen his equal in worship and knowledge of the Qur’aan, hadeeth and principles of faith.” Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar said, describing his shaykh al-Haafiz al-‘Iraaqi: “I stayed with him, and I never saw him forsake qiyaam al-layl: it was like a habit for him.” 5 – Sleeping on one’s right side. The Prophet Al-Baraa’ ibn ‘Aazib (may Allaah be pleased
with him) reported that the Prophet Hafsah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: “When
the Prophet Imaam Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “There is a reason for his lying on his right side, which is that the heart is located on the left, so if a person lays on his left side, he will sleep too deeply, because the heart’s position will be too comfortable, but if he sleeps on his right side, he will not be too settled, so he won’t sleep deeply.” 6 – Sleeping in a state of tahaarah (purity). We have already
quoted the hadeeth of al-Baraa’ ibn ‘Aazib (may Allaah be pleased with him), in
which the Prophet Mu’aad ibn Jabal (may Allaah be pleased with him)
reported that the Prophet Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with them both)
reported that the Prophet 7 – Going to sleep early. Sleeping straight after
‘Ishaa’ is the advice of the Prophet Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar reported that al-Qaadi ‘Ayaad said, concerning the phrase “He did not like to sleep before it”: “Because that could lead to one praying it too late, or delaying it until after the preferred time, and talking after it could lead to one sleeping before Fajr and missing it, or missing qiyaam al-layl.” Ibn Raafi’ said: “ ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allaah be pleased with him) used to wave his stick at the people when darkness fell, and would say, ‘Get up and go, may Allaah help you to pray qiyaam at night!’” Another matter that has to do with sleep is choosing a suitable bed,
not one that is excessively luxurious or soft, because that makes a person sleep too much
and become negligent, and causes laziness and carelessness. ‘Aa’ishah (may
Allaah be pleased with her) said: “The pillow of the Prophet Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him)
reported that ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab entered upon the Messenger of Allaah ‘Ali ibn Bakkaar (may Allaah have mercy on him) used to have a slave-woman who would spread out his bed for him, and he would touch it with his hand and say: “By Allaah, you are good, and by Allaah you are cool, but by Allaah I will not rest on you tonight.” Then he would get up and pray qiyaam until Fajr. Also, one should not sleep too much or too deeply. Ibraaheem ibn Adham said: “If you are sleeping at night, and running about during the day, and always committing sin, how can you earn the pleasure of the One Who is directing your affairs?” 8 – Having the habit of reciting adhkaar prescribed by
sharee’ah before going to sleep, because these adhkaar are like a fortress which
protects a person from the Shaytaan, by the permission of Allaah, and helps him to get up
for qiyaam. Among these adhkaar is that mentioned in the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah (may
Allaah be pleased with him), who said that the Prophet ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her)
reported that when the Prophet Ibn Mas’ood (may Allaah be pleased with him)
reported that the Prophet Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that when the
Prophet According to the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah in which he tells the story of
how he captured the Shaytaan, the Shaytaan said to him: “When you go to bed, recite
Aayat al-Kursi, ‘Allaah! None has the right to be worshipped but He, the
Ever-Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists…’ [al-Baqarah
2:255 – interpretation of the meaning] until the end of it, because it will bring
Allaah’s protection for you, and no shaytaan will approach you until morning
comes.” Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) mentioned this to the Prophet ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib (may Allaah be pleased with
him) reported that when the Prophet’s daughter Faatimah (may Allaah be pleased with
her) came to him and asked him for a servant, he Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him)
reported that the Prophet Hafsah (may Allaah be pleased with her) reported that
when the Prophet Al-Baraa’ ibn ‘Aazib (may Allaah be pleased
with him) reported that the Prophet Similarly, the Muslim should have the habit of reciting
adhkaar prescribed by sharee’ah when waking up, such as that reported by Abu
Hurayrah, who said that the Prophet ‘Ubaadah ibn al-Saamit (may Allaah be pleased with
him) reported that the Prophet Imaam Ibn Battaal said: “Allaah has promised
through His Prophet Al-Baraa’ ibn ‘Aazib (may Allaah be pleased with them both)
said: “When the Prophet Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with them both)
reported that when the Prophet Imaam al-Nawawi said: “This indicates that it is mustahabb to wipe away the traces of sleep from one’s face, and to recite these aayaat when getting up from sleep.” 9 – Being keen to take a nap or siesta during the day, whether
before zuhr or after. Anas (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet Ishaaq ibn ‘Abd-Allaah said: “Taking a nap is one of the deeds of good people. It revitalizes the heart and helps one to pray qiyaam al-layl.” Al-Hasan al-Basri passed by a group of people in the marketplace in the middle of the day, and heard the racket they were making. He said, “Do these people take a nap?” It was said to him, “No.” He said, “I think their nights must be bad.” 10 – Avoiding eating or drinking too much. Eating and drinking too
much are two of the main obstacles that prevent people from praying qiyaam al-layl.
Al-Miqdaam ibn Ma’d Yakrib (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet
Abu Juhayfah (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported
that the Prophet Sufyaan al-Thawri said: “You should eat little, so that you will be able to pray qiyaam al-layl.” Ma’qal ibn Habeeb saw some people eating a lot, and said, ‘I do not think that our companions want to pray qiyaam al-layl.” Wahb ibn Munbih said: “There is no son of Adam dearer to his shaytaan than the one who eats and sleeps a lot.” 11 – Striving against oneself to pray qiyaam al-layl. This is one of the best means of helping oneself to pray qiyaam, because human nature is inclined towards wrongdoing, so the one who follows his own inclinations will be led to doom and destruction. Allaah has commanded us to strive against our own selves, as He says (interpretation of the meanings): “And strive hard in Allaah’s Cause as you ought to strive…” [al-Hajj 22:78] “And as for those who strive hard in Our Cause, We will surely guide them to Our Paths. And verily, Allaah is with the muhsinoon (good-doers).” [al-‘Ankaboot 29:69] “Their sides forsake their beds, to invoke their Lord in fear and hope, and they spend (charity in Allaah’s Cause) out of what We have bestowed on them” [al-Sajdah 32:16] Fadaalah ibn ‘Ubayd (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that
the Prophet According to the hadeeth of ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Aamir
(may Allaah be pleased with him), the Prophet Muhammad ibn al-Munkadir said: “I struggled against my own self for forty years until it became right.” Thaabit al-Banaani said: “I struggled for twenty years to make myself pray qiyaam al-layl, and I enjoyed it (qiyaam al-layl) for twenty years.” ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Azeez said: “The best of deeds are those which we force ourselves to do.” ‘Abd-Allaah ibn al-Mubaarak said: “The souls of righteous people in the past used to push them to do good deeds, but our souls do not do what we want them to do except by force, so we have to force them.” Qutaadah said: “O son of Adam, if you do not want to do any good except when you have the energy for it, then your nature is more inclined towards boredom and laziness. The true believer is the one who pushes himself.” 12 – Avoiding sin. If the Muslim wants to be one of those who earn the honour of speaking to Allaah in the depths of the night, let him beware of sin, for the one who is contaminated with the stain of sin will not be helped to pray qiyaam al-layl. A man said to Ibraaheem ibn Adham, “I cannot pray qiyaam al-layl, so tell me the cure for this.” He said, “Do not commit sin during the day, and He will help you to stand before Him at night, for your standing before Him at night is one of the greatest honours, and the sinner does not deserve that honour.” A man said to al-Hasan al-Basri: “”O Abu Sa’eed, I sleep in good health, and I love to pray qiyaam al-layl, and I prepare water with which to purify myself, so why can I not get up?” Al-Hasan said: “Your sins are restricting you.” He said, may Allaah have mercy on him, “The slave who commits a sin will be denied the opportunity to pray qiyaam at night and to fast during the day.” Al-Fudayl ibn ‘Ayaad said: “If you cannot pray qiyaam al-layl, or fast during the day, know that you are indeed deprived and restricted, chained by your sins.” 13 – Checking oneself and rebuking oneself for not praying qiyaam al-layl. Checking oneself is one of the signs of the righteous and truthful. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “O you who believe! Fear Allaah and keep your duty to Him. And let every person look to what he has sent forth for the morrow, and fear Allaah. Verily, Allaah is All-Aware of what you do.” [al-Hashr 59:18]. Imaam Ibn al-Qayyim said: “If the slave is responsible and accountable for everything, even his hearing, sight and innermost thoughts, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning), ‘…Verily, the hearing, and the sight, and the heart of each of you will be questioned by Allaah’ [al-Isra’ 17:36], then he should check on himself before he is brought to account.” Qiyaam al-layl is an act of worship that connects the heart to Allaah, may He be exalted, and enables it to overcome the temptations of life and to strive against one’s own self, at the time when voices are stilled, eyes are closed in sleep, and sleepers are tossing and turning in their beds. Therefore qiyaam al-layl is one of the measures of sincere determination and one of the qualities of those who have great ambitions. Allaah has praised them and distinguished them from others in the Qur’aan, where He says (interpretation of the meaning): “Is one who is obedient to Allaah, prostrating himself or standing (in prayer) during the hours of the night, fearing the Hereafter and hoping for the Mercy of his Lord (like one who disbelieves)? Say: ‘Are those who know equal to those who know not?’ It is only men of understanding who will remember.” [al-Zumar 39:9] Qiyaam al-layl is “sunnah mu’akkadah” (confirmed
Sunnah), which the Prophet According to a hadeeth, the Prophet This is how the noble salaf were, may Allaah have mercy upon them. Abu’l-Darda’ (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “Pray two rak’ahs in the darkness of the night for the darkness of the grave.” Ahmad ibn Harb said: “I am astonished at people who know that the delights of Paradise lie above them and the horrors of Hell lie beneath them. How can they sleep in between them?” When ‘Umar ibn Dharr saw that night had come, he would say: “Night has come, and night has dignity, and Allaah is most deserving of reverence.” For this reason, al-Fudayl ibn ‘Ayaad said: “I met some people who feel ashamed before Allaah to sleep for too long in the depths of the night. Such a person may be resting on his side, and when he moves, he says to himself, ‘This is not your right. Get up and take your share of the Hereafter.’” Al-Hasan said: “We do not know of any deed more difficult than the struggle to stay up at night or to spend money.” It was said to him, “Why do the mutahajjadeen (those who pray Tahajjud at night) have the most beautiful faces?” He said, “Because they spend time alone with the Most Merciful, so He adorns them with some of His light.” The women of the salaf also used to strive to pray qiyaam al-layl with energy and determination. Where are the women of our own age when it comes to such great deeds? ‘Urwah ibn al-Zubayr said: “I came to ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) one day to greet her, and I found her praying and reciting the aayah (interpretation of the meaning), ‘But Allaah has been gracious to us, and has saved us from the torment of the Fire’ [al-Toor 52:27], repeating it and weeping. I waited for her, but I got bored of waiting, so I went to the market for some things I needed, then I came back to ‘Aa’ishah, and she was still praying and reciting this aayah and weeping.” Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that the
Prophet Mu’aadhah al-‘Adawiyyah, one of the righteous Taabi’aat spent her wedding night, along with her husband Silah ibn Ashyam, praying until Fajr. When her husband and son were killed in the land of jihaad, she would spend the whole night in prayer, worshipping and beseeching Allaah, and she would sleep during the day. If she felt sleepy whilst she was praying at night, she would tell herself: “O soul, there is plenty of sleep ahead of you.” When Habeebah al-‘Adawiyyah prayed ‘Ishaa’, she would stand on the roof of her house, wearing her chemise and khimaar (i.e., covered in proper Islamic dress), then she would say, “O my God, the stars have come out, people have gone to sleep, and kings have closed their doors, but Your door is open. Every lover is alone with his lover, but here I am standing before You.” Then she would start to pray and talk to her Lord until the time of suhoor. When the time of suhoor came, she would say, “O Allaah, this night is ending, the day is coming, and I wish I knew whether you have accepted this night (of worship) from me, so that I could congratulate myself, or if it has been rejected, so that I might console myself.” ‘Amrah, the wife of Habeeb al-‘Ajami, prayed qiyaam al-layl one night whilst her husband was asleep. When the time for suhoor came, and her husband was still asleep, she woke him up and said to him, “Get up, my master, for the night has gone, the day has come and ahead of you lies a long road with little provision, and a small group of righteous people who have gone before us, and we are still here.” We ask Allaah to help us to remember Him, to thank Him and to worship Him properly. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad. |
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Give glad tidings to this ummah of
splendour, religion, high rank, victory and prevalence on earth. Whoever does the deeds of
the Hereafter to gain some worldly benefit, will have no share of the Hereafter.”