The Legitimacy of Standing in Prayer Other Than in Ramadan
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As for standing in prayer; likewise, it remains prescribed, and praise be to Allah, for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) informed us in what is well-known or mass-transmitted from him: (That our Lord, Mighty and Majestic, descends every night to the lowest heaven when the last third of the night remains) He descends to the lowest heaven in reality, as the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), the truthful and veracious, stated it. However, His descent is not like the descent of a created being, but it is a descent befitting His Majesty and Greatness, which never contradicts His Perfection. Therefore, it does not follow from His descent to the lowest heaven that the second heaven and what is above it are above Him; this is impossible. For Allah the Exalted has absolute elevation in every state, and because He, Glorified and Exalted is He, is established above His Throne. But we believe that it is a real descent attributed to Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, without inquiring into the manner. He, Glorified and Exalted is He, descends every night when the last third of the night remains, and in every place according to its condition. The last third of the night may be here in the Kingdom, while the last third of the day is in another land.But every country has its ruling, He, Mighty and Majestic, descends and says: (Who calls upon Me that I may respond to him? Who asks Me that I may give him? Who seeks My forgiveness that I may forgive him?) If this nearness of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, is combined with the nearness of the servant to his Lord while he is prostrating, as he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: (The closest a servant is to his Lord is when he is prostrating) then a nearness is achieved: the nearness of the Lord, Mighty and Majestic, and the nearness of the prostrator. Therefore, one should increase supplication in the state of prostration during the last third of the night; for that is undoubtedly closer to being answered.
I say: Standing in prayer remains prescribed, and praise be to Allah. Standing in prayer does not end with Ramadan, but is in every night.
And there are other acts of worship that are a cause for the expiation of sins and the raising of ranks, which are not specific to fasting or standing in prayer in Ramadan. Therefore, I ask Allah the Exalted to help me and you in His remembrance, His gratitude, and the excellence of His worship.
We should seize these opportunities before the time passes, for a person does not know when his time will pass. How many people are walking and then fall dead? How many people are in their beds and are not woken up except dead? How many people are at their food and do not finish eating until they die? And a person does not have a document guaranteeing that he will not die except at a specific time.
So it is upon us, O brothers, to seize the opportunities as long as we are in the time of possibility, and the matter is easy, and praise be to Allah. All of Islam, from its beginning to its end, is easy and facilitated.Allah the Exalted said: [al-Baqarah: 185] And Allah the Exalted said: [al-Ma'idah: 6] And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: (Indeed, this religion is easy, and no one has ever been harsh with it except that it overcame him) And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said while sending people out: (Make things easy and do not make them difficult, and give glad tidings and do not drive people away, for you have been sent as facilitators, not as those who make things difficult) It is all easy. But because good has obstacles from the self and from Satan; the Satan of mankind and the Satan of the jinn, it becomes heavy upon the souls.But read the saying of Allah the Exalted: [al-Layl: 6-7] And ask Allah the Exalted to make things easy for you, for Allah the Exalted is near and responsive.
And here ends this brief statement, which I ask Allah the Exalted to benefit me and you with, and we move on to the questions.
I say: Standing in prayer remains prescribed, and praise be to Allah. Standing in prayer does not end with Ramadan, but is in every night.
And there are other acts of worship that are a cause for the expiation of sins and the raising of ranks, which are not specific to fasting or standing in prayer in Ramadan. Therefore, I ask Allah the Exalted to help me and you in His remembrance, His gratitude, and the excellence of His worship.
We should seize these opportunities before the time passes, for a person does not know when his time will pass. How many people are walking and then fall dead? How many people are in their beds and are not woken up except dead? How many people are at their food and do not finish eating until they die? And a person does not have a document guaranteeing that he will not die except at a specific time.
So it is upon us, O brothers, to seize the opportunities as long as we are in the time of possibility, and the matter is easy, and praise be to Allah. All of Islam, from its beginning to its end, is easy and facilitated.Allah the Exalted said:
Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship
يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ بِكُمُ الْيُسْرَ وَلا يُرِيدُ بِكُمُ الْعُسْرَAllah does not intend to make difficulty for you
مَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيَجْعَلَ عَلَيْكُمْ مِنْ حَرَجٍBut as for he who gives and fears Allah, and believes in the best, We will make easy for him the path of ease
فَأَمَّا مَنْ أَعْطَى وَاتَّقَى * وَصَدَّقَ بِالْحُسْنَى * فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُ لِلْيُسْرَىAnd here ends this brief statement, which I ask Allah the Exalted to benefit me and you with, and we move on to the questions.
