Standing in night prayer: its description, time, and virtue
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
A message from one of our brother listeners. His name is Saleh Ahmad Ali al-Ghamidi. Our brother has a collection of questions. In his first question, he asks: How many rak'ahs are there in the night prayer? Is it performed quietly or aloud? Is it valid in congregation? And what is its time? I pray it after midnight, and at times before that, and I pray four rak'ahs, then I complete with one rak'ah of witr. I ask for clarification and guidance. May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
The night prayer has no fixed number of units. If one prays one hundred units and concludes with witr, or prays more than that, there is nothing wrong with it. It has no fixed number. Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) encouraged the night prayer and urged people to perform it in His great Book. He (Exalted and Majestic is He) said: [Surat al-Muzzammil: 1-4]. And He said in describing His pious servants: [Surat al-Dhariyat: 17-18]. And He said regarding the servants of the Merciful: [Surat al-Furqan: 64].
But the best is to complete with what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did: eleven or thirteen rak'ahs, saying the closing salam after every two, and completing with one. This is the best.
And if one completes with more than that, with twenty or forty or more, and ends with one, there is no harm in that. This is based on his saying (peace and blessings be upon him) in the authentic hadith:Sunan Abi Dawud 1326Sahih (Al-Albani) This indicates that the night prayer has no limit. Therefore, he said: Sunan Ibn Majah 1319Sahih (Darussalam) and did not limit it to ten or more or less. He said: Sunan ad-Darimi 2:272 This is what is prescribed in this matter.
Then its time is from the 'Isha' prayer until the dawn breaks. After the 'Isha' prayer and its regular voluntary prayer, until the dawn breaks, the whole time is a place for tahajjud at night.
And the best of that is the last part of the night, the last third. This is the best. And if one completes in the first part of the night or the middle, there is no harm. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did all of this. He completed in the first part of the night, peace and blessings be upon him, and completed in the middle, and completed in the last part, as Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said. Then his completion settled in the late night, peace and blessings be upon him.
There is no objection to praying it in congregation at times with his family, or with his visitors, provided he does not make it a habit. However, if it happens that some of his brothers visit him and they pray in congregation, there is no harm. Salman (may Allah be pleased with him) visited Abu al-Darda on some nights and they prayed in congregation at night. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) visited the place of Anas and prayed the Duha prayer with them in congregation, peace and blessings be upon him.
So the point is that if one prays the voluntary prayer in congregation at times, without making it a regular habit, there is no harm in that, and there is no blame on him.
And the minimum for witr is one, and there is no limit to the maximum. But the best is eleven or thirteen. This is the best, based on the action of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
The presenter: From his questions, Your Eminence the Shaykh: Is it performed quietly or aloud?
The Shaykh: It is both quiet and aloud. It is permissible to recite aloud and it is permissible to recite quietly. Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said: "The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did all of that." Sometimes he recited aloud and sometimes he recited quietly, peace and blessings be upon him.
So the believer does what is better for his heart, and what is more humble for him. If his recitation aloud is more humble for his heart, he recites aloud. And if reciting quietly is more humble for his heart and easier for him, he does it quietly. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good. The program has some questions about standing in night prayer, Shaykh Abdul Aziz.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The presenter: What is your opinion regarding the things that prevent standing in night prayer, and they are many in this time?
The Shaykh: The believer should strive to do his best in standing in night prayer. If he 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 of the night, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said in the hadith of Jabir in Muslim:Sahih Muslim 755a Imam Muslim narrated it in his Sahih from Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) . And because the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed witr in the first part of the night, in the middle of it, and in the last part of it, the matter is broad. He (peace and blessings be upon him) advised Abu al-Darda and Abu Hurayrah to pray witr in the first part of the night. The reason for that, and Allah knows best, is that they were studying hadith, so it might have been difficult for them to get up in the last part of the night, so he advised them to pray witr before sleeping.
So the believer strives against his self in this, and praise be to Allah, it is not an obligation, but it is a sunnah, a confirmed sunnah. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to do it in travel and residence, peace and blessings be upon him. He used to complete and perform tahajjud at night in travel and residence, peace and blessings be upon him.
So whoever does this has done well and has a great reward. And whoever leaves it, there is no blame on him, but he has left a great matter and a great sunnah. Yes.
The presenter: A man praying with his family, how is the guidance regarding that, Shaykh Abdul Aziz?
The Shaykh: If he wishes, he does it, and if he wishes, he leaves it. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to pray alone. He did not pray with his family. He used to pray alone, peace and blessings be upon him. When the witr came, he would wake Aisha to complete.
So the point is that he, peace and blessings be upon him, used to pray alone in his tahajjud at night, as far as we know. So if a person performs tahajjud at night alone, there is no harm. And if he prays with his family or with a group that visited him, there is no harm. Yes.
The presenter: Shaykh Abdul Aziz, the encouragements in our religion are many. It would be desirable if you would mention some of them, especially regarding the night prayer?
The Shaykh: As mentioned earlier, the night prayer is a great act of worship, it is from the Sunnah of the Prophets and the practice of the righteous, and as in the hadith, it expiates sins, and it is a means of drawing near to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) , and it is the practice of the righteous before us.
Therefore, the believer should make it a habit and do it following the example of the Prophets and the righteous, as He (Glorified and Exalted is He) said regarding the servants of Ar-Rahman: [Al-Furqan:64], and He said regarding the pious: [Adh-Dhariyat:17-18], and He (Glorified and Exalted is He) said regarding the people of righteousness and goodness: [As-Sajdah:16-17].
And Allah, Mighty and Majestic, in His great Book, encouraged it greatly. And so did His Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. The believer should do much of that and make it a habit, and not leave it, whether in travel or residence. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good. I return once again to the things that prevent standing in night prayer?
The Shaykh: Among the preventers is staying up late, meaning staying up late in idle talk, and stories that have no benefit, or in the concerns of this world, like craftsmanship, greed, and striving for money. He works night and day to gather money and strive for money. So when he falls into the bed, he falls like a dead person. He cannot get up for worship. And perhaps he leaves the Fajr prayer, and there is no power and no strength except with Allah.
So the believer should sleep early and strive in that, so that he can get up in the last part of the night, or pray what is easy from the night before he sleeps, then sleep early, so that he can get up for the Fajr prayer and pray it in congregation. So whoever does this has done well. And whoever is negligent falls into what the hypocrites fell into, of missing good and obtaining evil and regret. He, Exalted is He, said: [Surah al-Nisa: 142]. So the believer should be far from imitating them in all circumstances. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good. I hope we return to the research and discussion of this issue in future episodes, Shaykh Abdul Aziz.
The Shaykh: We hope for that. Yes.
The presenter: If Allah wills.
A message from one of our brother listeners. His name is Saleh Ahmad Ali al-Ghamidi. Our brother has a collection of questions. In his first question, he asks: How many rak'ahs are there in the night prayer? Is it performed quietly or aloud? Is it valid in congregation? And what is its time? I pray it after midnight, and at times before that, and I pray four rak'ahs, then I complete with one rak'ah of witr. I ask for clarification and guidance. May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
The night prayer has no fixed number of units. If one prays one hundred units and concludes with witr, or prays more than that, there is nothing wrong with it. It has no fixed number. Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) encouraged the night prayer and urged people to perform it in His great Book. He (Exalted and Majestic is He) said:
O you who wraps himself in his garment
يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُزَّمِّلُ They used to sleep but little of the night,
كَانُوا قَلِيلًا مِنَ اللَّيْلِ مَا يَهْجَعُونَ And those who spend [part of] the night to their Lord prostrating and standing [in prayer]
وَالَّذِينَ يَبِيتُونَ لِرَبِّهِمْ سُجَّدًا وَقِيَامًاBut the best is to complete with what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did: eleven or thirteen rak'ahs, saying the closing salam after every two, and completing with one. This is the best.
And if one completes with more than that, with twenty or forty or more, and ends with one, there is no harm in that. This is based on his saying (peace and blessings be upon him) in the authentic hadith:
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 فليوتر بواحدةThe night prayer is (to be offered) two by two.
صلاة الليل مثنى مثنىSo if one of you fears the dawn, let him pray one rak'ah to complete for him what he has prayed.
فإذا خشي أحدكم الصبح فليصل ركعة واحدة توتر له ما قد صلىThen its time is from the 'Isha' prayer until the dawn breaks. After the 'Isha' prayer and its regular voluntary prayer, until the dawn breaks, the whole time is a place for tahajjud at night.
And the best of that is the last part of the night, the last third. This is the best. And if one completes in the first part of the night or the middle, there is no harm. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did all of this. He completed in the first part of the night, peace and blessings be upon him, and completed in the middle, and completed in the last part, as Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said. Then his completion settled in the late night, peace and blessings be upon him.
There is no objection to praying it in congregation at times with his family, or with his visitors, provided he does not make it a habit. However, if it happens that some of his brothers visit him and they pray in congregation, there is no harm. Salman (may Allah be pleased with him) visited Abu al-Darda on some nights and they prayed in congregation at night. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) visited the place of Anas and prayed the Duha prayer with them in congregation, peace and blessings be upon him.
So the point is that if one prays the voluntary prayer in congregation at times, without making it a regular habit, there is no harm in that, and there is no blame on him.
And the minimum for witr is one, and there is no limit to the maximum. But the best is eleven or thirteen. This is the best, based on the action of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
The presenter: From his questions, Your Eminence the Shaykh: Is it performed quietly or aloud?
The Shaykh: It is both quiet and aloud. It is permissible to recite aloud and it is permissible to recite quietly. Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said: "The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did all of that." Sometimes he recited aloud and sometimes he recited quietly, peace and blessings be upon him.
So the believer does what is better for his heart, and what is more humble for him. If his recitation aloud is more humble for his heart, he recites aloud. And if reciting quietly is more humble for his heart and easier for him, he does it quietly. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good. The program has some questions about standing in night prayer, Shaykh Abdul Aziz.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The presenter: What is your opinion regarding the things that prevent standing in night prayer, and they are many in this time?
The Shaykh: The believer should strive to do his best in standing in night prayer. If he 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 of the night, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said in the hadith of Jabir in Muslim:
If anyone is afraid that he may not get up in the latter part of the night, he should observe Witr in the first part of it; and if anyone is eager to get up in the last part of it, he should observe Witr at the end of the night, for prayer at the end of the night is witnessed (by the angels) and that is preferable.
من خاف أن لا يقوم من آخر الليل فليوتر أوله، ومن طمع أن يقوم آخر الليل فليوتر آخر الليل، فإن صلاة آخر الليل مشهودة وذلك أفضلSo the believer strives against his self in this, and praise be to Allah, it is not an obligation, but it is a sunnah, a confirmed sunnah. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to do it in travel and residence, peace and blessings be upon him. He used to complete and perform tahajjud at night in travel and residence, peace and blessings be upon him.
So whoever does this has done well and has a great reward. And whoever leaves it, there is no blame on him, but he has left a great matter and a great sunnah. Yes.
The presenter: A man praying with his family, how is the guidance regarding that, Shaykh Abdul Aziz?
The Shaykh: If he wishes, he does it, and if he wishes, he leaves it. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to pray alone. He did not pray with his family. He used to pray alone, peace and blessings be upon him. When the witr came, he would wake Aisha to complete.
So the point is that he, peace and blessings be upon him, used to pray alone in his tahajjud at night, as far as we know. So if a person performs tahajjud at night alone, there is no harm. And if he prays with his family or with a group that visited him, there is no harm. Yes.
The presenter: Shaykh Abdul Aziz, the encouragements in our religion are many. It would be desirable if you would mention some of them, especially regarding the night prayer?
The Shaykh: As mentioned earlier, the night prayer is a great act of worship, it is from the Sunnah of the Prophets and the practice of the righteous, and as in the hadith, it expiates sins, and it is a means of drawing near to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) , and it is the practice of the righteous before us.
Therefore, the believer should make it a habit and do it following the example of the Prophets and the righteous, as He (Glorified and Exalted is He) said regarding the servants of Ar-Rahman:
And those who spend [part of] the night to their Lord prostrating and standing [in prayer]
وَالَّذِينَ يَبِيتُونَ لِرَبِّهِمْ سُجَّدًا وَقِيَامًاThey used to sleep but little of the night,
كَانُوا قَلِيلًا مِنَ اللَّيْلِ مَا يَهْجَعُونَ They arise from [their] beds; they supplicate their Lord in fear and aspiration, and from what We have provided them, they spend.
تَتَجَافَى جُنُوبُهُمْ عَنِ الْمَضَاجِعِ يَدْعُونَ رَبَّهُمْ خَوْفًا وَطَمَعًا وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ يُنفِقُونَ And Allah, Mighty and Majestic, in His great Book, encouraged it greatly. And so did His Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. The believer should do much of that and make it a habit, and not leave it, whether in travel or residence. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good. I return once again to the things that prevent standing in night prayer?
The Shaykh: Among the preventers is staying up late, meaning staying up late in idle talk, and stories that have no benefit, or in the concerns of this world, like craftsmanship, greed, and striving for money. He works night and day to gather money and strive for money. So when he falls into the bed, he falls like a dead person. He cannot get up for worship. And perhaps he leaves the Fajr prayer, and there is no power and no strength except with Allah.
So the believer should sleep early and strive in that, so that he can get up in the last part of the night, or pray what is easy from the night before he sleeps, then sleep early, so that he can get up for the Fajr prayer and pray it in congregation. So whoever does this has done well. And whoever is negligent falls into what the hypocrites fell into, of missing good and obtaining evil and regret. He, Exalted is He, said:
Indeed, the hypocrites [think to] deceive Allah, but He is deceiving them. And when they stand for prayer, they stand lazily, showing [themselves to] the people and not remembering Allah except a little,
إِنَّ الْمُنَافِقِينَ يُخَادِعُونَ اللَّهَ وَهُوَ خَادِعُهُمْ وَإِذَا قَامُوا إِلَى الصَّلاةِ قَامُوا كُسَالَى يُرَاءُونَ النَّاسَ وَلا يَذْكُرُونَ اللَّهَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًاThe presenter: May Allah reward you with good. I hope we return to the research and discussion of this issue in future episodes, Shaykh Abdul Aziz.
The Shaykh: We hope for that. Yes.
The presenter: If Allah wills.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.