Among its characteristics: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to keep the entire night awake in it.
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The Shaykh : Third: It is distinguished by the fact that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) kept the entire night awake in it, whereas in the first twenty nights he alternated between sleep and prayer, sleeping and praying. But in the last ten nights, he (peace and blessings be upon him) kept the whole of them awake.
But does he keep it awake through tahajjud, or through every act of worship that brings one closer to Allah, including tahajjud and others, though tahajjud is the majority? The answer: The second or the first?
The student: The second.
The Shaykh : The second: Because we know that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) broke his fast in the early part of the night, prayed the obligatory prayers, and had his supper, as it appears. We also know that he had his pre-dawn meal, and we know that he conversed with people, as Safiyyah came to him to converse with him while he was in i'tikaf in the mosque. But every action that brings one closer to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is considered part of keeping the night awake.
But there is no doubt that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) kept the majority of it awake in his standing prayer.
And this, praise be to Allah, is achieved by the Muslim community to this day, for people stand in prayer in the early part of the night with what is easy for them, and they also stand in the last part of the night or the middle of the night with what is easy for them.
But does he keep it awake through tahajjud, or through every act of worship that brings one closer to Allah, including tahajjud and others, though tahajjud is the majority? The answer: The second or the first?
The student: The second.
The Shaykh : The second: Because we know that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) broke his fast in the early part of the night, prayed the obligatory prayers, and had his supper, as it appears. We also know that he had his pre-dawn meal, and we know that he conversed with people, as Safiyyah came to him to converse with him while he was in i'tikaf in the mosque. But every action that brings one closer to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is considered part of keeping the night awake.
But there is no doubt that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) kept the majority of it awake in his standing prayer.
And this, praise be to Allah, is achieved by the Muslim community to this day, for people stand in prayer in the early part of the night with what is easy for them, and they also stand in the last part of the night or the middle of the night with what is easy for them.