The Sacred Elixir: The Night Prayer And The Ordinary Muslim

‘Amr ibn ‘Abasah reported: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

“The closest the servant is to the Lord is during the last depth of the night. If you can be among those who remember Allah in this moment, then do so.” [Sunan al-Tirmidhī]

Allah , The Sublime and Exalted, not only created and fashioned us in the best form, He constantly sustains us physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. He desires we choose the path that will lead us to Him . As the Ever-Living, Ever-Sustaining Lord, He perpetually oversees the flawless operation of the grand cosmos and the minutest subatomic particles. Possessing All-Hearing and All-Seeing attributes, He remains ever near, prepared to answer when we call upon Him , eagerly awaiting the initiation of our Divine connection and responding promptly. His response is to our soul, fueling an insatiable desire for Divine proximity, propelling us to Him through love, acts of service, and a craving for Divine communion. The elixir for our hungry soul is in the prayer in the depth of the night, when all of creation seems to be asleep, when lovers privately entreat with their beloveds, and when the hungry souls seek out an unadulterated connection with their Lord. 

Tahajjud, the night prayer, is that sacred elixir. 

Guidance from Surah Muzammil

بِسۡمِ اللهِ الرَّحۡمٰنِ الرَّحِيۡمِ

“O you the (sleeping) enwrapped one!” [Surah Al-Muzzammil: 73;1]

“Stand up in Prayer by night, all but a small part of it;” [Surah Al-Muzzammil: 73;2]

“half of it, or reduce it a little;” [Surah Al-Muzzammil: 73;3]

“or add to it a little; and recite the Qur’an slowly and distinctly.” [Surah Al-Muzzammil: 73;4]

In the 73rd chapter of the Qur’an, Allah the Almighty addresses His beloved Prophet Muhammad ﷺ with the title of al-Muzammil, the enwrapped one, commanding him to stand and pray most of the night, at the time of Tahajjud, as a spiritual preparation and fortification for the mighty, onerous task of receiving the last Divine revelation, and calling the creation to worship One God.

“Behold, We shall cast upon you a Weighty Word.” [Surah Al-Muzzammil: 73;5]

It is as though Allah , The Sublime and Exalted, is conveying to His Most Chosen Servant ﷺ, “Prepare yourself, for I have selected you above all creation and will bestow upon your heart a Weighty Revelation. To bear this responsibility, you must cultivate the necessary spiritual strength within by forsaking your comforts and sleep, dedicating half the night to standing in prayer before your Lord. This act will supply you with the essential energy to confront the entire world and initiate a spiritual revolution that will endure until the end of time. It is the most significant task bestowed upon any being, so equip yourself with the power of communion with Me during the sacred time of tahajjud.”

Receiving and enacting the injunctions of the Holy Qur’an, embodying its message, extending its invitation to the entire creation, and catalyzing a revolution in the entire framework of belief, thought, morals, manners, civilization, and social life is undeniably the weightiest task any human being has ever been assigned.

It has also been called a weighty word because bearing the burden of its actual revelation was a difficult and heavy duty. Zaid bin Thabit says: “Once revelation came down upon the Prophet ﷺ in a state when he was resting his head upon my knee. I felt such a pressure of the weight on my knee that I thought it would break.”

Lady Aishah says: “I have seen the state of the Prophet ﷺ receiving revelation during the intense cold; drops of perspiration started falling from his forehead.” [Muslim]

In another tradition, Lady Aishah has stated: “Whenever revelation came down on the Prophet ﷺ while he was riding on his she-camel, the she-camel would be forced to rest her chest on the ground and could not move until the revelation was over.” [Musnad Ahmad, Hakim, Ibn Jarir]

“Surely getting up at night is the best means of subduing the self and is more suitable for uprightness in speech.” [Surah Al-Muzzammil: 73;6]

The Mufassirs (exegists) of the Qur’an explain the meaning of the above verse and give four possible meanings explaining why the night is the best means of subduing the self and more suitable for upright speech. 

1. Engaging in night worship and prolonged prayer is against human nature and the nafs (ego) of man seeks ease and comfort during those late hours. However, this practice serves as a potent exercise in self-control and discipline. Those who adopt this method and achieve mastery over their body and mind are empowered to channel their abilities toward the path of God. Such individuals can operate more efficiently, working steadfastly to make the message of true faith prevail in the world. 
2. This serves as a highly effective method to establish harmony and concord between the heart and the tongue. During these pre-dawn hours, there is no interruption nor interference between the servant and Allah the Sublime., Whatever a person articulates with their tongue in this state reflects the authentic voice of their heart.
3. This proves to be a highly effective approach to aligning the outer and inner aspects of an individual. Someone who, in the solitude of the night, willingly forsakes comfort and ease to engage in worship where no person sees him or knows of his acts, does so with genuine sincerity. It is done purely for the pleasure of Allah the Exalted with no room for pretense or hypocrisy.
4. As this worship is more difficult than daytime worship, it develops steadfastness in individuals. It empowers them to tread the path of God with increased resilience, enabling them to confront and endure the challenges of that journey with heightened constancy and determination.

Finally, during that period, individuals can read the Quran with a heightened sense of tranquility, focus, and comprehension. Ibn Abbas elucidates that this time is particularly conducive for deep reflection on the Quran. [Abu Daud]

Al-Nawawi reported: Al-Hasan ibn Ali , said, “Verily, those before you viewed the Quran as letters from their Lord, such that they would contemplate it by night and yearn for it by day.” [al-Tibyān fī Ādāb Ḥamalat al-Qur’ān]

The Significance of the Last Third of the Night

Let us keep in mind the profound significance of the latter part of the night, specifically when one-third of it is left, when the Almighty descends to the lowest heaven, in the manner He knows best, and says,

“Who supplicates Me so that I may answer him? Who asks Me so that I may give to him? Who asks Me forgiveness so that I may forgive him?” [Sahih Muslim]

And this is available to us every night of the year, and facilitated for us in the blessed month.

Allah the Almighty directs our attention towards the concept of attaining taqwa, or God-consciousness, through the month of Ramadan when He states:

“Believers! Fasting is enjoined upon you, as it was enjoined upon those before you, that you become God-fearing.” [Surah Al-Baqarah: 2;183]

Abu Umamah reported: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

“You must perform the night prayer for it is the habit of the righteous who came before you, it brings you closer to your Lord, it expiates your evil deeds, and prevents you from sinning.” [Sunan al-Tirmidhī 3549]

Ramadan, a time when the nafs (ego) is subdued by being deprived of its physical nourishment of food and drink during the daylight hours, conversely, the ruh (soul)  is elevated and nourished by the Word of God. This is a key catalyst for personal reformation and attaining the goal of taqwa.

A Divinely Facilitated Schedule

PC: Yayan Mulyana (unsplash)

He , the Sublime and Exalted, doesn’t just outline what He wants from us, but rather He orchestrates the alignment of the cosmos, time, and space, to welcome this most blessed month. He even allows each one of us to break our normative schedule and create one revolving around worship, suhur (the pre-dawn meal), and iftar (the breaking of one’s fast). Every able-bodied Muslim who fasts during the obligatory month of Ramadan pushes themselves to wake up in the pre-dawn hours to take a quick bite or sip of water, in essence catching the most sacred of times. It’s as if Allah the Almighty wants each and every one of us, the pious, the sinful, the lost, and the distracted, to embrace the time He loves, enabling us to also “carry the weighty word” in our hearts and minds. 

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Hold fast to night prayer, for it was the way of the righteous before you, a way of drawing closer to your Lord, an expiation for wrong deeds, and a shield from sin.” [Tirmidhi, and others] In some narrations, there is an addition, “And it repels sickness from the body.”  Further, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was asked, “What prayer is most virtuous, after the obligatory prayers?” He said, “Prayer in the depths of the night.”

Surprisingly Imam Baghawi says, on the basis of hadith reported by Lady Aisha , and others, the night prayer was compulsory for the Prophet ﷺ and the entire Muslim community until the five daily prayers were prescribed on the night of the Ascension (Isra and Mi’raj). Ibn Abbas says that when the five prescribed prayers became obligatory, the obligatory nature of tahajjud was abrogated, but was retained as sunnah. The Prophet ﷺ and most of the blessed companions were regular with their tahajjud as well (Mazhari, Ma’rifal Qur’an).

Maybe the key to understanding the obligatory nature of tahajjud lies in the reformative and spiritual training experienced by the first generation of Muslims. Similar to constructing a building, the foundation must be robust and sturdy for the structure to endure and stand the test of time. Nothing is as crucial to the establishment of this endeavor as it is to fortify the foundation of the Deen of Islam, meant to endure until the Last Day. Tahajjud might have played a pivotal role in fostering this spiritual fortitude, drawing hearts closer to their Lord, and enabling them to withstand the rigorous and harsh tests on their faith posed by the disbelievers of Makkah.

Preparation for Spiritual Ascendency

Training our nafs through challenging tasks such as tahajjud is training our inner selves to obey and adhere and uphold the Divine laws. 

Further, in the tafsir of the Surah al Muzammil, Allah the Almighty explicates further insight into the wisdom behind the night prayer. Given our intense involvement in worldly matters throughout the day, it becomes essential to set aside a portion of the night to wholeheartedly focus on Allah ﷻ through tahajjud. This counsel is particularly directed towards scholars and guides who, much like candles, may find themselves drained from teaching and serving during the day. Therefore, it is paramount for them, as well as for those whose daylight hours are consumed by mundane affairs, to replenish their spiritual reserves at night by dedicating solitary moments to worship and connection with Allah ﷻ.

May we delve into a profound understanding and contemplation of the purpose behind tahajjud, appreciating the divine schedule outlined for us in the sacred month of Ramadan. Let tahajjud serve as the catalyst propelling us towards divine closeness, becoming a steadfast practice not only during Ramadan but also a strengthening force to alleviate all our challenges and concerns throughout our lives. May it be a means of peace for us in this worldly life, and a means of entering the Abode of Peace in the Next*. Ameen.

*‘Abdullāh ibn Salām reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah say: “O people, spread the greeting of peace profusely, maintain kinship ties, feed others, and pray at night when people are asleep, you will enter Paradise in peace.” [Ibn Maajah]

You may also benefit from Ustadha Shamira’s short reflection here:

Related:

– Best Ramadan Ever: Praying Qiyam

– A Prayer That Is Not Rejected: Al-Qarib Al-Mujib