Factors That Facilitate Performance Of The Night Prayer

Shaykh Ahmed Fareed

now that regular performance of the night prayer is very difficult except for those whom Allah `azza wa jall guides. There are seven external and internal factors that facilitate performance of this prayer.

External Factors:

1. Not eating and drinking a lot, so that one is not overcome by sleep. As some have said: “Do not eat a lot, so that you do not have to drink a lot and sleep a lot!”

2. Not preoccupying oneself during the day with daily tasks exhaust a person's physical and mental strength, for this also causes sleep.

3. Not leaving daily afternoon nap, so as to help oneself with it in performance of the night prayer.

4. Sinning as little as possible during the day, for sinning causes the heart to harden and prevents it from receiving mercy.

Even kings of this world do not allow seclusion and intimate discourse with them except to the people who obey them, whom they love and who are sincere to them.

Some said to Ibn Mas`ood, may Allah be pleased with him, “We are unable to perform the night prayer.” He told them: “Your sins are distancing you (from it).”

Someone said to al Hasan al Basri: “We are unable to perform the night prayer so prescribe me a cure.” He said, “Do not disobey Him during the day and He will help you stand before Him during the night.”

Ath-Thawri said, “I was prevented from standing in prayer at night for five months due to a sin I had committed.”

Al-Hasan al-Basri, may Allah have mercy on him, when he would enter the market and heard all that people say in it from shouting and vain talk, he would say:

“I think that these have bad nights.” All types of sins contribute to hardness of the heart and prevent from performance of the night prayer, even though some sins are more harmful than others, such as eating what is haram. On the other hand, eating what is halal, like few other things, cleans the heart and guides it to what is good. This is best known by those who watch and control their hearts, due to experiencing it, after the Sharee`ah's testimony to it. This is why some of them right said, “How many bites have prevented performance of the night prayer! How many glances have prevented recitation of a Quranic soorah! Verily the slave eats a bite or does an action and because of it he is prevented standing in performance of the sunnah (i.e. the night prayer).”

Internal Factors

1. Protection of the heart from innovation, hatred towards Muslims and superfluous worldly concerns. One preoccupied with this world is unable to perform the night prayer and if he does, he does not think about his prayer, but about his worldly concerns, wandering in his sinful thoughts (whisperings of Shaytan). It has been said about such:
The guard informed me that you are sleeping
And you, even when you are awake, are sleeping.

2. Fear of sins and death and short hopes keep the heart alive, so that when the servant thinks about pits of the Hellfire and people's condition in the hereafter, his sleep immediately disappears. `Abdullah bin Rawaaha said: “Verily, when the servant of Allah is reminded of Paradise, his longing for it increases, and when he is reminded of the Fire, his sleep immediately disappears.”

3. Knowing the virtue of standing in prayer at night, as related in Quranic verses and traditions, until that knowledge intensifies one's hope and longing for its reward, and when that state is achieved, one's desire for higher levels in Paradise will also increase.

Leaving the `Asr Prayer

By Sh. Saleem al-Hilaalee

Allaah, the Most Perfect and the Most High has ordered His slaves to establish the prayers with due care. He has told us to take special care concerning the middle prayer, which is the `Asr prayer. [This is the opinion of the majority of the people of knowledge from the Companions and those after them, that the middle prayer is the `Asr prayer. See Sharh us-Sunnah of al-Baghawee (2/232-237)]

He, the Most Perfect and the Most High, says

Guard strictly your prayers, and your middle prayer, and stand before Allaah in devoutness. [Soorah al-Baqarah: 238]

He, the Most Perfect and the Most High, has warned us about being neglectful of them, due to wealth, family and from other temptations of this world. He has particularised the doer of these actions with a severe punishment, particularly regarding the `Asr prayer.

He, the Most High, says:

So woe to the worshippers who are neglectful of their prayers. [Soorah al-Maa’oon:4-5]

The Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, said: Whoever misses the `Asr prayer, it is as if he has lost his family and wealth.

[Related by al-Bukhaaree (2/30), Muslim (626) and others, from the hadeeth of Ibn `Umar, radiyallaahu `anhu.]

It is related from Aboo al-Mulaih `Aamir bin Usaamah bin `Umair bin al-Hadhalee, who said: We were with Buraidah in a battle on a cloudy day, and he said: Be early with the `Asr prayer, for the Prophet said: Whoever leaves the `Asr prayer, then his actions will be invalidated.

[Related by al-Bukhaaree (2/31,66), Ahmad (5/349-450, 357, 360,361), al-Bayhaqee (1/444), al-Baghawee in Sharh us-Sunnah (329), and others.]