Some (last) Hours (parts) of the Night

ٱلَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَآ إِنَّنَآ ءَامَنَّا فَٱغۡفِرۡ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا وَقِنَا عَذَابَ ٱلنَّارِ ١٦ ٱلصَّٰبِرِينَ وَٱلصَّٰدِقِينَ وَٱلۡقَٰنِتِينَ وَٱلۡمُنفِقِينَ وَٱلۡمُسۡتَغۡفِرِينَ بِٱلۡأَسۡحَارِ ١٧

Those who say: ‘Our Lord! We have indeed believed, so forgive us our sins and save us from the punishment of the Fire’. (They are) those who are patient, those who are true, and obedient with sincere devotion in worship to Allah; Those who spend and those who pray and beg Allah’s pardon in the last hours of the night.

Surah 3 Al-Imran Verses 16-17

• The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: ‘Every night when the last third of it remains, our Lord, the Blessed, the Superior descends to the lowest heaven saying, “Is there anyone to ask Me, so that I may grant his request? Is there anyone to invoke Me, so that I may respond to his invocation? Is there anyone seeking My forgiveness, so that I may forgive him?”’

وَأَقِمِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ طَرَفَيِ ٱلنَّهَارِ وَزُلَفٗا مِّنَ ٱلَّيۡلِۚ إِنَّ ٱلۡحَسَنَٰتِ يُذۡهِبۡنَ ٱلسَّيِّ‍َٔاتِۚ ذَٰلِكَ ذِكۡرَىٰ لِلذَّٰكِرِينَ ١١٤ وَٱصۡبِرۡ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُضِيعُ أَجۡرَ ٱلۡمُحۡسِنِينَ ١١٥

And perform As-Salat at the two ends of the day and in some hours of the night. Verily, the good deeds remove the evil deeds. That is a reminder for the mindful. And be patient; verily Allah wastes not the reward of the good doers.

Surah 11 Hud Verses 114-115

• Narrated Abu Harayarah that the Prophet (pbuh) said: ‘Do you think that if there was a flowing river at the door of anyone and he bathed in it five times every day, would there be any dirt left on him?’ They said “No, O Messenger of Allah(pbuh)” He said: ‘This is like the five daily prayers, for Allah uses them to wipe away the sins and wrongdoings’
• Narrated Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (pbuh) said: ‘The five daily prayers, Jumuah (Friday Prayer) to Jumuah and (the fast of) Ramadan to Ramadan are expiations for whatever sins were committed between them, as long as you stay away from major sins’
• Narrated Uthman bin Affan that the Prophet (pbuh) said: ‘Whoever makes Wadu like this Wadu of mine, then he prays two units of prayer in which he does not speak to himself, he will be forgiven for his previous sins’

أَقِمِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ لِدُلُوكِ ٱلشَّمۡسِ إِلَىٰ غَسَقِ ٱلَّيۡلِ وَقُرۡءَانَ ٱلۡفَجۡرِۖ إِنَّ قُرۡءَانَ ٱلۡفَجۡرِ كَانَ مَشۡهُودٗا ٧٨ وَمِنَ ٱلَّيۡلِ فَتَهَجَّدۡ بِهِۦ نَافِلَةٗ لَّكَ عَسَىٰٓ أَن يَبۡعَثَكَ رَبُّكَ مَقَامٗا مَّحۡمُودٗا ٧٩

Perform As-Salat from mid-day till the darkness of the night and recite the Quran in the early dawn. Verily, the recitation of the Quran in the early dawn is ever witnessed. And in some parts of the night (also) offer the Salat with it as an additional prayer for you. It may be that your Lord will raise you to Maqam Mahmud.

Surah 17 Al-Isra Verses 78-79

• ‘mid day till darkness’ – understood to refer to the times of the prayers Zuhr, Asr, Maghrib and Isha.
• ‘early dawn’ – meaning Salat Al-Fajr
• Narrated Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (pbuh) said about the Ayah (regarding recitation of Quran in early dawn): ‘It is witnessed by the angels of the night and the angels of the day’
• Narrated Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (pbuh) said: ‘The prayer offered in congregation is twenty five degrees better than the prayer offered individually, and the angels of the night and the angels of the day meet at Salat Al- Fajr’
• ‘additional prayer (Nawafil)’ means the Night Prayer (Tahajjud); it has been made an extra prayer specifically for the Prophet (pbuh). But for other members of his Ummah, offering optional prayers may expiate for whatever sins they commit. The term ‘Tahajjud’ refers to prayer that is offered after sleeping.
• Maqam Mahmud (position of praise and honour) - is the position of intercession

فَٱصۡبِرۡ عَلَىٰ مَا يَقُولُونَ وَسَبِّحۡ بِحَمۡدِ رَبِّكَ قَبۡلَ طُلُوعِ ٱلشَّمۡسِ وَقَبۡلَ غُرُوبِهَاۖ وَمِنۡ ءَانَآيِٕ ٱلَّيۡلِ فَسَبِّحۡ وَأَطۡرَافَ ٱلنَّهَارِ لَعَلَّكَ تَرۡضَىٰ ١٣٠

So, bear patiently (O Muhammad, pbuh) what they say, and glorify the praises of your Lord before the rising of the sun, and before its setting, and during some hours of the night, and at the ends of the day, that you may become pleased.

Surah 20 Ta-Ha Verse 130

• The Verse is an indication of the five compulsory prayers
• ‘become pleased’ – refers to the reward which Allah shall give. In Sahih, it is recorded that the Prophet (pbuh) said: ‘Allah the Exalted, says, “O People of Paradise” They will reply, “We are at Your service and Your Pleasure our Lord”, He will then say “Are you pleased?” They will reply “Why should we not be pleased our Lord, when You have given us what You have not given to any others of Your creation?” Allah will then say. “Verily, I am going to give you something better than that” They will say “And what thing could be better than that?” Allah will say “I have allowed for you My Pleasure, so I will never be angry with you again after this”

تَتَجَافَىٰ جُنُوبُهُمۡ عَنِ ٱلۡمَضَاجِعِ يَدۡعُونَ رَبَّهُمۡ خَوۡفٗا وَطَمَعٗا وَمِمَّا رَزَقۡنَٰهُمۡ يُنفِقُونَ ١٦

فَلَا تَعۡلَمُ نَفۡسٞ مَّآ أُخۡفِيَ لَهُم مِّن قُرَّةِ أَعۡيُنٖ جَزَآءَۢ بِمَا كَانُواْ يَعۡمَلُونَ ١٧ أَفَمَن كَانَ مُؤۡمِنٗا كَمَن كَانَ فَاسِقٗاۚ لَّا يَسۡتَوُۥنَ ١٨

Their sides forsake their beds, to invoke their Lord in fear and hope, and they spend out of what We have bestowed on them. No person knows what is kept hidden for them of joy as a reward for what they used to do. Is then he who is a believer like him who is a Fasiq (disobedient)? Not equal are they.

Surah 32 Al-Sajdah Verses 16-18

• ‘Their sides forsake their beds’ – refers to:

• They pray the voluntary night prayer and forgo sleep
• Salat-Al-Isha in congregation and Salat-Al-Fajr in congregation

It means devoting a good portion of the night to worshipping Allah. Narrated Muadh bin Jabal that the Prophet (pbuh) said: ‘May I show you the gates of goodness? (They are): Fasting is a screen from Hell; As-Sadaqah (charity) extinguishes (removes) the sins as the water extinguishes fire; Standing in Salat by a person during the middle (or the last third) part of the night’

• The word ‘bestowed’ in this context obviously means lawful wholesome sustenance. Unlawfully earned sustenance is not reckoned in the Quran as sustenance bestowed by Allah.
• Kept hidden as a reward refers to the everlasting joy in Paradise and delights such as no one has ever seen. Narrated Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (pbuh) said: ‘Allah says: “I have prepared for My righteous servants what no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and it has never crossed the mind of man”’

أَمَّنۡ هُوَ قَٰنِتٌ ءَانَآءَ ٱلَّيۡلِ سَاجِدٗا وَقَآئِمٗا يَحۡذَرُ ٱلۡأٓخِرَةَ وَيَرۡجُواْ رَحۡمَةَ رَبِّهِۦۗ قُلۡ هَلۡ يَسۡتَوِي ٱلَّذِينَ يَعۡلَمُونَ وَٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَعۡلَمُونَۗ إِنَّمَا يَتَذَكَّرُ أُوْلُواْ ٱلۡأَلۡبَٰبِ ٩

Is one who is obedient to Allah, prostrating himself or standing during the hours of the night, fearing the Hereafter and hoping for the Mercy of his Lord (like the one who disbelieves)? Say: ‘Are those who know equal to those who know not?’ It is only men of understanding who will remember.

Surah 39 Az-Zumar Verse 9

• Narrated Anas: The Prophet (pbuh) entered upon a man who was dying, and said to him, ‘How do you feel?’ He said, “I am both afraid and hopeful” The Prophet (pbuh) said: ‘These (fear& hope) do not co exist in a person’s heart at times such as this, but Allah will give him what he hopes for and protect him from that which he fears’
• Narrated Tamim Ad-Dari that the Prophet (pbuh) said: ‘Whoever recites one hundred Ayat in one night, it will be recorded as if he prayed all night’

إِنَّ ٱلۡمُتَّقِينَ فِي جَنَّٰتٖ وَعُيُونٍ ١٥ ءَاخِذِينَ مَآ ءَاتَىٰهُمۡ رَبُّهُمۡۚ إِنَّهُمۡ كَانُواْ قَبۡلَ ذَٰلِكَ مُحۡسِنِينَ ١٦ كَانُواْ قَلِيلٗا مِّنَ ٱلَّيۡلِ مَا يَهۡجَعُونَ ١٧ وَبِٱلۡأَسۡحَارِ هُمۡ يَسۡتَغۡفِرُونَ ١٨ وَفِيٓ أَمۡوَٰلِهِمۡ حَقّٞ لِّلسَّآئِلِ وَٱلۡمَحۡرُومِ ١٩

Verily, the Muttaqun will be in the midst of Gardens and Springs (in the Paradise), taking joy in the things which their lord has given them. Verily, they were before this Muhsinun. They used to sleep but little by night (invoking their Lord and praying, with fear and hope). And in the hours before dawn, they were (found) asking (Allah) for forgiveness. And in their properties, there was the right of the Sa’il (the beggar who asked) and the Mahrum.

Surah 51 Al-Dhariyat Verses 15-19

• ‘they used to sleep but little at night’ – The scholars of tafseer have two opinions about this:

1. They used to spend a little part of every night awake.

• Every night, they would worship Allah even during a little part of the night (Ibn Abbas)
• Hardly a night would pass by them that they did not pray to Allah either in the beginning or the middle of it (Mutarrif bin Abdullah)
• Only a few nights, if any, would they sleep through the night until the morning without praying Tahajjud (Mujahid)
• They used to pray between Al-Maghrib and Al-Isha (Anas bin Malik and Abu Al Aliyah)

2. They used to spend a little part of the night in sleep.

• They performed voluntary night prayer and would not sleep during the night except a little. They were active and would continue until they were seeking forgiveness right before dawn (Al Hasan Al Basri)

• Narrated Abdullah bin Salam that the Prophet (pbuh) said: ‘O People! Feed with food, keep relations to kith and kin, spread the Salam, pray at night while people are asleep, and you will enter Paradise in peace’
• Narrated Abdullah bin Umar that the Prophet (pbuh) said: ‘Verily, there are lofty rooms in Paradise in which their outside can be seen from the inside and their inside can be seen from the outside’ Abu Musa Al Ashari said “Who are they for, O Allah’s Messenger?” He said: ‘For those who use soft speech, feed food and spend the night in voluntary prayer while people are asleep’
• ‘and in the hours before dawn’ – they would stand in prayer during the night and delayed asking Allah for forgiveness until latter hours before dawn. The Prophet (pbuh) said: ‘Allah, the Most High, descends each night to the lowest heavens when the last third of the night remains. He says “Is there anyone who is repenting so that I may accept his repentance? Is there anyone seeking forgiveness, so that I may forgive him? Is there anyone asking of Me, so that I may grant him request?” until Fajr begins’
• Mahrum refers to:

• The poor, who does not receive stipend from the Muslim treasury, nor does he have a means of income, nor a profession (Ibn Abbas and Mujahid)

• The displaced, who does not have a profession to easily earn an income (Aishah)

• The one who does not ask the people for anything (Qatadah and Az Zuhri)

وَٱصۡبِرۡ لِحُكۡمِ رَبِّكَ فَإِنَّكَ بِأَعۡيُنِنَاۖ وَسَبِّحۡ بِحَمۡدِ رَبِّكَ حِينَ تَقُومُ ٤٨ وَمِنَ ٱلَّيۡلِ فَسَبِّحۡهُ وَإِدۡبَٰرَ ٱلنُّجُومِ ٤٩

So, wait patiently (O Muhammad, pbuh) for the decision of your Lord, for verily, you are under Our Eyes; and glorify the praises of your Lord when you get up from sleep. And in the night time also glorify His praises – and at the setting of the stars.

Surah 52 At-Tur Verses 48-49

• ‘night time’ – means remember and worship Allah by reciting the Quran and praying at night.
• ‘at the setting of the stars’ – refers to the two voluntary Rakahs before the Dawn prayer. Aishah said: “The prophet (pbuh) was never more regular and particular in offering any voluntary prayer than the two (Sunnah) Rakahs of the Fajr prayer”. In Sahih, the Prophet (pbuh) said: ‘Two Rakahs before Fajr are better than this life and all that is in it’

إِنَّ نَاشِئَةَ ٱلَّيۡلِ هِيَ أَشَدُّ وَطۡ‍ٔٗا وَأَقۡوَمُ قِيلًا ٦ إِنَّ لَكَ فِي ٱلنَّهَارِ سَبۡحٗا طَوِيلٗا ٧ وَٱذۡكُرِ ٱسۡمَ رَبِّكَ وَتَبَتَّلۡ إِلَيۡهِ تَبۡتِيلٗا ٨

Verily, the rising by night is very hard and most potent and good for governing oneself, and most suitable for the Word of Allah. Verily, there is for you by day prolonged occupation with ordinary duties. And remember the Name of your Lord and devote yourself to Him with a complete devotion.

Surah 73 Al-Muzammil Verses 6-8

• ‘rising by the night’ – About the meaning of the word nashiat allail, as used in the original, the commentators and lexicographers have expressed four different viewpoints:

That nashiat implies the person himself who rises at night.

That it implies the hours of night.

That it means the rising by night.

That it does not only apply to the rising in the night but rising after having had some sleep.

Aishah and Mujahid have adopted this fourth viewpoint.

Quranic exegetes maintain that the verse refers to waking up for Tahajjud Prayer and for recitation of the Quran.

• …most portent and good… - The word ashaddu wat-an as used in the text is so vast in meaning that it cannot be explained in any one sentence. Its one meaning is: As the rising for worship by night and standing up for a long time in the Prayer is against human nature and the self of man seeks ease and comfort at that time, this act is an exercise which is most effective in controlling and disciplining the self. The person who governs himself by this method and gains dominance over his body and mind becomes able to use his power in the way of Allah, can work more efficiently and firmly to make the message of true faith prevail in the world. The second meaning is: This is a very effective means of producing harmony and concord between the heart and the tongue, for during these hours of the night none else intervenes between the servant and Allah, and whatever man utters with his tongue in this state, is the very voice of his heart. The third meaning is: This is a very efficacious means of bringing about conformity between the exterior and the interior of man, for the person who in the solitude of the night would abandon his comfort and ease and arise for worship, would do so only out of sincerity: there can be no tinge of display and hypocrisy in this. The fourth meaning is: As this worship is harder on man than the worship of the daytime, it develops steadfastness in him: he is enabled to walk in the path of Allah more firmly and can face and endure the hardships of that way with greater constancy and determination.

وَٱذۡكُرِ ٱسۡمَ رَبِّكَ بُكۡرَةٗ وَأَصِيلٗا ٢٥ وَمِنَ ٱلَّيۡلِ فَٱسۡجُدۡ لَهُۥ وَسَبِّحۡهُ لَيۡلٗا طَوِيلًا ٢٦

And remember the name of your Lord every morning and afternoon. And during the night prostate yourself to Him and glorify Him a long night through (i.e., Tahajjud Prayer).

Surah 76 Al-Insan Verse 25-26

END OF CHAPTER