The Ruling on Night Prayer and Its Manner
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Q: What is the ruling on night prayer? And what is its manner?
A: Night prayer is a confirmed recommended practice (sunnah muakkadah) based on the saying of Allah, the Exalted, in describing the servants of the Merciful: [Al-Furqan: 64]. And in Surat al-Dhariyat, in describing the righteous: [Al-Dhariyat: 17-18]. And based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): Sahih Muslim 1163a Narrated by Muslim in his Sahih. Night prayer has a great status, as Allah, Mighty and Majestic, said in describing the servants of the Merciful: [Al-Furqan: 64].
And He, the Exalted, said in describing the righteous: [Surat al-Dhariyat: 17-18]. And Allah said to His Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): [Surat al-Muzzammil: 1-4]. And He said: [Surat al-Sajdah: 16-17].
So night prayer has a great status, and what is prescribed in it is that it be prayed in pairs, two by two, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):Sunan Abi Dawud 1326Sahih (Al-Albani) Agreed upon as authentic from the hadith of Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both). Its best time is the last part of the night, except for one who fears he will not be able to get up in the last part; for him, it is better to pray it in the first part of the night before he sleeps, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): Narrated by Muslim in his Sahih. Its minimum is one rak'ah, and there is no limit to its maximum.
If he prays witr with three, it is better for him to conclude the prayer (taslim) after two and pray witr with one. Likewise, if he prays five, he concludes the prayer after every two, then prays witr with one. If he prays the three or five continuously with one taslim and does not sit except at the end, there is no blame on him; in fact, that is a type of sunnah, because it is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he did that in some of his tahajjud. It is also established from him (peace and blessings be upon him) that he prayed seven continuously and did not sit except at the end. It is also established from him (peace and blessings be upon him) that at times he sat after the sixth, completed the first tashahhud, then stood up before concluding the prayer and prayed the seventh. It is also established from him (peace and blessings be upon him) that he prayed nine continuously, sat after the eighth, and completed the first tashahhud, then stood up before concluding the prayer and prayed the ninth.
But the best, and the most common of his practice (peace and blessings be upon him), is to conclude the prayer after every two, then pray witr with one, as mentioned previously from the hadith of Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both).
The most common of his practice (peace and blessings be upon him) is that he would pray witr with eleven rak'ahs and conclude the prayer after every two. Sometimes he would pray witr with thirteen, as established in the two Sahihs from the hadith of 'Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her). It is also established that he prayed witr with thirteen from a hadith other than that of 'Aishah, concluding the prayer after every two. Upon him be the best of prayers and blessings. And whoever prays more than that, there is no blame on him, based on his saying (peace and blessings be upon him):Sunan Abi Dawud 1326Sahih (Al-Albani) He did not set a limit to the number of rak'ahs the one praying performs before witr, which indicates leniency. So whoever prays twenty and prays witr in Ramadan or otherwise, or prays more than that, there is no blame on him.
The night prayer of the righteous Salaf varied; some would increase the number of rak'ahs and shorten the recitation, and some would decrease the number of rak'ahs and lengthen the recitation. All of this is broad, praise be to Allah, and there is no blame in it, provided one observes humility and tranquility.
And it is established from him (peace and blessings be upon him) from the hadith of 'Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her): Narrated by Muslim in his Sahih.
So, based on this, if one's habit in the night is three rak'ahs and he sleeps through them or is prevented from them by illness, he prays four from the day with two taslims. Likewise, if one's habit is more, he prays that much from the day, but he adds to it so that he concludes the prayer after every two, following the example of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) as mentioned by 'Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) in the aforementioned hadith. And Allah is the guarantor of success.
A: Night prayer is a confirmed recommended practice (sunnah muakkadah) based on the saying of Allah, the Exalted, in describing the servants of the Merciful:
And those who spend [part of] the night to their Lord prostrating and standing [in prayer]
وَالَّذِينَ يَبِيتُونَ لِرَبِّهِمْ سُجَّدًا وَقِيَامًا(17) They used to sleep but little of the night, (18) And in the hours before dawn they would ask forgiveness,
كَانُوا قَلِيلًا مِنَ اللَّيْلِ مَا يَهْجَعُونَ وَبِالْأَسْحَارِ هُمْ يَسْتَغْفِرُونَ The most excellent fast after Ramadan is God's month. al-Muharram, and the most excellent prayer after what is prescribed is prayer during the night.
أفضل الصيام بعد رمضان شهر الله المحرم، وأفضل الصلاة بعد الفريضة صلاة الليلAnd those who spend [part of] the night to their Lord prostrating and standing [in prayer]
وَالَّذِينَ يَبِيتُونَ لِرَبِّهِمْ سُجَّدًا وَقِيَامًاAnd He, the Exalted, said in describing the righteous:
(17) They used to sleep but little of the night, (18) And in the hours before dawn they would ask forgiveness,
كَانُوا قَلِيلًا مِنَ اللَّيْلِ مَا يَهْجَعُونَ وَبِالْأَسْحَارِ هُمْ يَسْتَغْفِرُونَ(1) O you who wraps himself [in clothing], (2) Arise [to pray] the night, except for a little - (3) Half of it - or subtract from it a little (4) Or add to it, and recite the Qur'an with measured recitation.
يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُزَّمِّلُ قُمِ اللَّيْلَ إِلا قَلِيلًا نِصْفَهُ أَوِ انْقُصْ مِنْهُ قَلِيلًا أَوْ زِدْ عَلَيْهِ وَرَتِّلِ الْقُرْآنَ تَرْتِيلًا(16) They arise from [their] beds; they supplicate their Lord in fear and aspiration, and from what We have provided them, they spend. (17) And no soul knows what has been hidden for them of comfort for eyes as reward for what they used to do.
تَتَجَافَى جُنُوبُهُمْ عَنِ الْمَضَاجِعِ يَدْعُونَ رَبَّهُمْ خَوْفًا وَطَمَعًا وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ يُنْفِقُونَ فَلا تَعْلَمُ نَفْسٌ مَا أُخْفِيَ لَهُمْ مِنْ قُرَّةِ أَعْيُنٍ جَزَاءً بِمَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَSo night prayer has a great status, and what is prescribed in it is that it be prayed in pairs, two by two, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
Prayer during the night should consist of pairs of rak'ahs, but if one of you fears the morning is near he should pray one rak'ah which will make his prayer an odd number for him.
صلاة الليل مثنى مثنى، فإذا خشي أحدكم الصبح صلى ركعة واحدة توتر له ما قد صلىWhoever fears that he will not be able to get up in the last part of the night, let him pray witr in the first part, and whoever hopes to get up in the last part of the night, let him pray witr in the last part, for the prayer of the last part of the night is witnessed, and that is better.
من خاف ألا يقوم من آخر الليل فليوتر أوله، ومن طمع أن يقوم في آخر الليل فليوتر آخر الليل، فإن صلاة آخر الليل مشهودة، وذلك أفضلIf he prays witr with three, it is better for him to conclude the prayer (taslim) after two and pray witr with one. Likewise, if he prays five, he concludes the prayer after every two, then prays witr with one. If he prays the three or five continuously with one taslim and does not sit except at the end, there is no blame on him; in fact, that is a type of sunnah, because it is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he did that in some of his tahajjud. It is also established from him (peace and blessings be upon him) that he prayed seven continuously and did not sit except at the end. It is also established from him (peace and blessings be upon him) that at times he sat after the sixth, completed the first tashahhud, then stood up before concluding the prayer and prayed the seventh. It is also established from him (peace and blessings be upon him) that he prayed nine continuously, sat after the eighth, and completed the first tashahhud, then stood up before concluding the prayer and prayed the ninth.
But the best, and the most common of his practice (peace and blessings be upon him), is to conclude the prayer after every two, then pray witr with one, as mentioned previously from the hadith of Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both).
The most common of his practice (peace and blessings be upon him) is that he would pray witr with eleven rak'ahs and conclude the prayer after every two. Sometimes he would pray witr with thirteen, as established in the two Sahihs from the hadith of 'Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her). It is also established that he prayed witr with thirteen from a hadith other than that of 'Aishah, concluding the prayer after every two. Upon him be the best of prayers and blessings. And whoever prays more than that, there is no blame on him, based on his saying (peace and blessings be upon him):
Prayer during the night should consist of pairs of rak'ahs, but if one of you fears the morning is near he should pray one rak'ah which will make his prayer an odd number for him.
صلاة الليل مثنى مثنى، فإذا خشي أحدكم الصبح صلى ركعة واحدة توتر له ما قد صلىThe night prayer of the righteous Salaf varied; some would increase the number of rak'ahs and shorten the recitation, and some would decrease the number of rak'ahs and lengthen the recitation. All of this is broad, praise be to Allah, and there is no blame in it, provided one observes humility and tranquility.
And it is established from him (peace and blessings be upon him) from the hadith of 'Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her):
That he used to, if sleep or illness prevented him from night prayer, pray twelve rak'ahs from the day.
أنه كان إذا شغله نوم أو مرض عن صلاة الليل صلى من النهار ثنتي عشرة ركعةSo, based on this, if one's habit in the night is three rak'ahs and he sleeps through them or is prevented from them by illness, he prays four from the day with two taslims. Likewise, if one's habit is more, he prays that much from the day, but he adds to it so that he concludes the prayer after every two, following the example of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) as mentioned by 'Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) in the aforementioned hadith. And Allah is the guarantor of success.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.