Night Prayer at Muzdalifah and the Prophet’s Practice
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner:
The questioner says in his second question: We saw Your Eminence praying the night prayer at Muzdalifah, and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed Maghrib and Isha, then slept until he prayed Fajr. Does this indicate that the night prayer is dropped during Hajj? Please inform us, may Allah reward you.
The Shaykh:
What is known from his legislation is that he would perform Tahajjud at night during all his travels, and he would pray Witr at night during all his travels, (peace and blessings be upon him). Jabir’s statement that when he prayed the combined prayer he lay down indicates that he did not get up to pray. It is possible that he did get up and pray, but Jabir did not know, because the default is continuity. So the legislation of Witr continues on the night of the Day of Sacrifice and other nights. This is what we understood from the scriptural evidence. Yes.
The questioner:
May Allah reward you. The questioner says: Your Eminence, a man died in a traffic accident, and many of the people of the tent donated.
The Shaykh:
It is possible that he was tired, (peace and blessings be upon him), and sleep overtook him so he did not get up, because they did not make up the prayer for him, (peace and blessings be upon him). They did not make it up.
They might leave it until he wakes up, because they felt that he might be receiving revelation, (peace and blessings be upon him). It is possible that sleep overtook him, so sleep would overcome him and he would not get up until late in the Fajr time, (peace and blessings be upon him). Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), if he did not complete his night prayer due to pain or sleep, would pray six rak'ahs during the day. This indicates that sleep might overcome him, and he did not complete his night prayer. It is possible that on that night he was tired from standing at 'Arafah on his mount in the extreme heat, and from continuing until the sun set. He may have been very tired, (peace and blessings be upon him). So when he lay down after the combined prayer, he did not get up; sleep overtook him. This is possible. It is also possible that he got up and prayed Witr, but Jabir did not witness it. Jabir may have slept as people sleep; he did not witness that he got up. There is no indication that Jabir watched or stayed up watching until he did not get up, so that it could be said this. Jabir may have slept with the people as well; the people slept. Yes. May Allah reward you with good.
The questioner says in his second question: We saw Your Eminence praying the night prayer at Muzdalifah, and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed Maghrib and Isha, then slept until he prayed Fajr. Does this indicate that the night prayer is dropped during Hajj? Please inform us, may Allah reward you.
The Shaykh:
What is known from his legislation is that he would perform Tahajjud at night during all his travels, and he would pray Witr at night during all his travels, (peace and blessings be upon him). Jabir’s statement that when he prayed the combined prayer he lay down indicates that he did not get up to pray. It is possible that he did get up and pray, but Jabir did not know, because the default is continuity. So the legislation of Witr continues on the night of the Day of Sacrifice and other nights. This is what we understood from the scriptural evidence. Yes.
The questioner:
May Allah reward you. The questioner says: Your Eminence, a man died in a traffic accident, and many of the people of the tent donated.
The Shaykh:
It is possible that he was tired, (peace and blessings be upon him), and sleep overtook him so he did not get up, because they did not make up the prayer for him, (peace and blessings be upon him). They did not make it up.
They might leave it until he wakes up, because they felt that he might be receiving revelation, (peace and blessings be upon him). It is possible that sleep overtook him, so sleep would overcome him and he would not get up until late in the Fajr time, (peace and blessings be upon him). Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), if he did not complete his night prayer due to pain or sleep, would pray six rak'ahs during the day. This indicates that sleep might overcome him, and he did not complete his night prayer. It is possible that on that night he was tired from standing at 'Arafah on his mount in the extreme heat, and from continuing until the sun set. He may have been very tired, (peace and blessings be upon him). So when he lay down after the combined prayer, he did not get up; sleep overtook him. This is possible. It is also possible that he got up and prayed Witr, but Jabir did not witness it. Jabir may have slept as people sleep; he did not witness that he got up. There is no indication that Jabir watched or stayed up watching until he did not get up, so that it could be said this. Jabir may have slept with the people as well; the people slept. Yes. May Allah reward you with good.
Source
فتاوى الحج 1410 هـ - 7 — archive.org (15:29)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.