The Virtue of Prostration

This message was received for the program from our brother Ahmad Muhammad al-Sadiq from Jeddah al-'Amariyyah. He says: What is the ruling on the prayer of prostration at night? We ask for your guidance on this matter?
Answer: In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, and blessings and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow his guidance.
To proceed: This question is ambiguous. It asks: What is the ruling on the prayer of prostration at night?
It is possible that by this he means: What is the ruling on the prayer in which prostration is frequent and the recitation is not long? It is also possible that he intended another meaning that I did not understand. If he is asking about the first, then it has been reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) what indicates the prescription of increasing prayers, that they are among the causes of entering Paradise, and that the servant does not prostrate in a prostration except that Allah raises him thereby a degree. In the hadith of Rabi'ah ibn Ka'b al-Aslami, he said: meaning: by increasing prayer.
Increasing prayer necessitates increasing prostration, and prostration contains humility before Allah and magnification of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). It is among the causes of raising degrees and removing sins, and among the causes of entering Paradise and being saved from the Fire, and among the causes of obtaining the intercession of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) for its doer if he is a monotheist and a Muslim. It is authentic from him (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: meaning: It is likely that it will be answered for you. Muslim narrated it in his Sahih. He also said (peace and blessings be upon him): , so this indicates that prostration has a status, and that the servant is closest to his Lord when he is in prostration; because prostration is a state of submission, a state of humility before Allah and breaking of the heart before Him (Glorified and Exalted is He). He places his face, which is the most noble of his apparent limbs, on the ground, submissive to his Lord, tranquil and humble, hoping for His reward and fearing His punishment. So in this state, he is at the peak of humility and brokenness, so he is closest to Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He). For this reason, he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: , so this indicates that supplication in prostration is a sought-after supplication, and that its doer is likely to be answered. It is authentic from him (peace and blessings be upon him) in the hadith of Thawban: . It is necessary to increase prayers at night, and in the day, such as the Duha, the Dhuhr, and at night between the two Isha's, and after Isha, and in the middle of the night, and in the last part of the night. All these are great times in which it is necessary to increase prayer, especially at night, for the prayer at night is better than the prayer in the day, and closer to humility and the tranquility of the heart, as He (Exalted and Majestic is He) says: [Al-Muzzammil:6]. The prayer at night has a status, and the person is closest to humility and submission before Allah in it, especially in the middle of the night and in the last part of the night. It is necessary to increase prayers at night and in the day, and to conclude them at night with Witr. If he prays what Allah has written for him of prayers, he concludes them with Witr. The best is eleven rak'ahs or thirteen rak'ahs, as the practice of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). If he prays less than that, like five or seven, there is no harm. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) varied in his prayer; sometimes he would conclude with five, sometimes with seven, sometimes with nine, sometimes with eleven, which was the most common, and sometimes with thirteen. So the matter is broad in this. If he prays twenty rak'ahs at night, or thirty rak'ahs, or forty rak'ahs, or one hundred rak'ahs and concludes with Witr, all of this is permissible.
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was asked about the night prayer, so he said: , so he (peace and blessings be upon him) did not set a limit. He did not say ten or twenty, but he left it open. So the person prays at night as much as he wishes, even one hundred rak'ahs, but without hardship on himself, with gentleness to himself, and with tranquility and no haste, then he concludes with Witr. For this reason, he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: . So he prays what Allah has written for him at night, and he does not stay up all night, but he sleeps and prays. This is the Sunnah so that he does not get tired in the day, and so that he can devote himself to his daytime works and his daytime acts of worship. So he prays what Allah has written for him at night, in the first part of the night, or in its middle, or in its last part. The last part is better if it is facilitated. Then he concludes with one rak'ah, one single rak'ah. This is the best. Yes.