The Virtue of Standing in Night Prayer
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
You say: Tell us, O Shaykh, about the virtue of standing in night prayer, and at what time does Allah descend to the lowest heaven, approximately?
Answer:
The Shaykh: The late-night voluntary prayer is a recommended practice and an act of devotion. Its best time is the last part of the night, specifically the fourth and fifth sixths. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sahih al-Bukhari 3420 And he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Sunan Abi Dawud 4733Sahih (Al-Albani).
The Shaykh: So it is the recommended practice for the believer to target these two times: the fifth and sixth quarters, in the fourth quarter, and the fifth quarter, which is the prayer of Dawud:Sahih al-Bukhari 3420 meaning: the fourth sixth and the fifth sixth, and he sleeps the last sixth to strengthen himself for the works of the day. And if he worships in the last third, the time of descent, meaning: the fifth and sixth sixths, that is also good.
The Shaykh: And the half begins with the hour. Half of the hour that the night reaches passes; the night varies according to the hours of the night. So if the night is twelve hours, the half begins in the first hour of the seventh hour after the setting of the sun. And if the night is eleven hours, it begins after five and a half hours have passed from the setting of the sun, the half begins, and so on.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good, O Shaykh.
You say: Tell us, O Shaykh, about the virtue of standing in night prayer, and at what time does Allah descend to the lowest heaven, approximately?
Answer:
The Shaykh: The late-night voluntary prayer is a recommended practice and an act of devotion. Its best time is the last part of the night, specifically the fourth and fifth sixths. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
And the most beloved prayer to Allah was the prayer of David who used to sleep for (the first) half of the night and pray for 1/3 of it and (again) sleep for a sixth of it.
أفضل الصلاة صلاة داود، كان ينام نصف الليل، ويقوم ثلثه، وينام سدسهOur lord gets down every night to the heaven of this world when a third night remains and says: (Is there anyone) who prays to Me so that I may accept his prayer? (Is there anyone) who asks of Me so that I may give him? (Is there anyone) who asks for my forgiveness so that I may forgive him?
ينزل ربنا إلى السماء الدنيا كل ليلة حين يبقى ثلث الليل الآخر، فيقول: من يدعوني؛ فأستجيب له، من يسألني؛ فأعطيه، من يستغفرني؛ فأغفر لهThe Shaykh: So it is the recommended practice for the believer to target these two times: the fifth and sixth quarters, in the fourth quarter, and the fifth quarter, which is the prayer of Dawud:
sleep for (the first) half of the night and pray for 1/3 of it
ينام نصف الليل، ويقوم ثلثهThe Shaykh: And the half begins with the hour. Half of the hour that the night reaches passes; the night varies according to the hours of the night. So if the night is twelve hours, the half begins in the first hour of the seventh hour after the setting of the sun. And if the night is eleven hours, it begins after five and a half hours have passed from the setting of the sun, the half begins, and so on.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good, O Shaykh.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.