Seizing the last ten nights by keeping the entire night awake.
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The Shaykh : Furthermore, in these last ten nights, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) also specifically devoted himself to keeping the night awake, standing in prayer for the entire night.
However, keeping the night awake does not mean remaining in prayer from the night prayer until the dawn breaks. Rather, keeping the night awake is achieved through prayer and preparing for it, such as performing ablution and other things, as the scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) stated.
So, for example, if a person prays the night prayer, then goes to perform ablution and comes to stand in prayer with energy, this is not contrary to what the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) did in keeping the night awake.
And keeping the night awake by standing in prayer was as Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) mentioned when she was asked: How was the prayer of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in Ramadan? She said:Sahih al-Bukhari 3569.
This indicates that the best is to limit ourselves to eleven rak'ahs, following the example of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), because if there had been something better, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would have guided us to it. Indeed, when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed with the Companions on the night of the twenty-third until a third of the night had passed, and then prayed with them on the night of the twenty-fifth until half of the night had passed, they said, O Messenger of Allah:As-Sunan al-Kubra lil-Nasa'i 6:9.
What did he say to them? He said:Jami` at-Tirmidhi 806Sahih (Darussalam) And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not guide them to anything other than that. Rather, he reassured them that if you stand with the imam until he concludes the prayer, Allah will record for you the standing of a whole night, even if you were sleeping on your bed. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not say: Pray in your homes. Nor did he say: Add to that. Rather, he guided them to lighten the burden on themselves and not overburden themselves, and he guided them to the fact that their prayer with the imam until he concludes is like standing a whole night, even though the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not exceed eleven rak'ahs, and sometimes he prayed thirteen rak'ahs.
However, keeping the night awake does not mean remaining in prayer from the night prayer until the dawn breaks. Rather, keeping the night awake is achieved through prayer and preparing for it, such as performing ablution and other things, as the scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) stated.
So, for example, if a person prays the night prayer, then goes to perform ablution and comes to stand in prayer with energy, this is not contrary to what the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) did in keeping the night awake.
And keeping the night awake by standing in prayer was as Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) mentioned when she was asked: How was the prayer of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in Ramadan? She said:
He used not to pray more than eleven rak`at whether in Ramadan or in any other month
كان لا يزيد في رمضان ولا غيره على إحدى عشرة ركعةThis indicates that the best is to limit ourselves to eleven rak'ahs, following the example of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), because if there had been something better, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would have guided us to it. Indeed, when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed with the Companions on the night of the twenty-third until a third of the night had passed, and then prayed with them on the night of the twenty-fifth until half of the night had passed, they said, O Messenger of Allah:
Will you not grant us the rest of our night?
لو نفلتنا بقية ليلتنا؟What did he say to them? He said: