Night Prayers
Standing in #prayers for long hours at #night comes fifth in our list of priorities.
Standing in prayers at night and recitation of Qur’an, self-accountability and
repentance, is an essential and very effective prescription for the achievement of
piety. This is the distinctive feature and hallmark of the pious: “They sleep but little
by night, and would ask for forgiveness at dawn.”32
#Tarawih prayers during #Ramadhan are meant for standing awake at #night. Usually
people hear# Qur’an in Tarawih at the beginning of night. But another time for this
begins after the first half or lies in the last one-third of the night. This is the time of
dawn – the time that is best for seeking Allah’s forgiveness, as #Qur’an tells.
With little effort, you can attain the blessings and benefit of standing before #Allah
at #night, and may be counted among “those who implore #Allah’s forgiveness
before daybreak.”33 It is quite easy. You already wake up for #suhoor (meals before
starting the #fast early in the morning). Wake up 20 minutes or half an hour earlier,
make #ablution, and offer two rakah #prayers.
It is this part of the night about which the Holy #Prophet (pbuh) has told us that
Allah Almighty comes closest to the world and declares, ‘Is there anyone who asks
Me to fulfil his need, and I will give to him whatever he asks for? Is there anyone
who asks for My forgiveness, and I will forgive him?’34 In another Hadith, there are
rather moving words. #Allah Almighty spreads out His Hand and says, ‘Is there
anyone who gives loan to such a Being who is neither poor nor despot?’ and He
continues saying this till morning.35
When #Allah has spread out His Hand of Mercy and you are in any case getting out
of bed to eat and drink, then nothing can be easier than taking out a few extra
minutes to have your sins forgiven and get whatever you ask for.
Still, if it is difficult to pray two rakah, then you can at least place your forehead on
the ground before your Lord and plead with Him, weep and wail, seek forgiveness
for your sins, request for all that is good along with perseverance in the path of
truth. This can easily be done in five to ten minutes. Yet once you have tasted the
pleasure of supplications at dawn, you will take out more and more time and will
continue even after #Ramadhan.
32 Al-Qur’an 51:17-18
33 Al-Qur’an 3:17
34 Al-Bukhari and Al-Muslim, narrated by Abu Hurairah
35 Al-Muslim, narrated by Abu Hurairah
end of article : Night Prayers
