The month of fasting, prayer, and the Quran is a month of worship, piety, charity, and benevolence. When Ramadan arrives, the gates of mercy are opened, the gates of Hell are closed, and the devils are chained. So let us fill our hands and our time with this inexhaustible source of faith. "And during the night, pray with it as additional worship for you; it is expected that your Lord will resurrect you to a praised station" (Al-Isra: 79). The scholars of language have said that 'hujood' means sleep, and 'tahajjud' means leaving sleep to engage in prayer. The meaning is: And during the night, pray with the prayer that includes the Holy Quran. Therefore, the form of 'tahajjud' implies negation, like 'ta-ath-thum,' which means leaving sin, and 'ta-harruj,' which means avoiding embarrassment. Similarly, 'tahajjud' is an extra act of worship added to the obligatory prayers.

The Practice of Tahajjud

Muslim reported from Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) that she said: "The Prophet (peace be upon him) observed Witr in all parts of the night; at the beginning, middle, and end of the night. His Witr ended at dawn." The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Whoever stands in prayer during Ramadan with faith and seeking reward, all his previous sins will be forgiven" (Narrated by Bukhari). He also said: "Whoever fasts during Ramadan with faith and seeking reward, all his previous sins will be forgiven. And whoever stands in prayer during the Night of Decree with faith and seeking reward, all his previous sins will be forgiven" (Narrated by Bukhari).

The Sweetness of Night Prayer

In the night prayer, the intimate conversation with Allah becomes sweet. Complaints are raised and calamities are shared with the Knower of secrets and the unseen. Allah is closest to His servant in the last third of the night, and the servant is closest to Allah while in prostration. Amr ibn Anbasa (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that he heard the Prophet (peace be upon him) say: "The closest the Lord is to the servant is during the middle of the night. If you can be among those who remember Allah at that time, then do so" (Narrated by Abu Dawood and Tirmidhi, who classified it as a good and authentic Hadith).

Allah's Call to His Servants

Allah, the Majestic, the Exalted, calls His servants in the last third of the night. Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Our Lord, the Blessed and Exalted, descends every night to the lowest heaven when the last third of the night remains, and says: Who is calling upon Me that I may answer him? Who is asking of Me that I may give him? Who is seeking My forgiveness that I may forgive him?" (Narrated by Bukhari, Malik, Muslim, Tirmidhi, and others).

The Closeness to Allah

These are the hours of closeness to the Almighty Allah. "And when My servants ask you concerning Me, indeed I am near" (Al-Baqarah: 186). Imam Al-Shafi’i, may Allah have mercy on him, said the most beautiful words in his supplication with Allah:

How many times I have come to Your door as a beggar

Moreover, You answered me Before even my tongue spoke

And today, I come to You repentant and seeking forgiveness

Something in my heart has called me to guidance

If my eyes were to cry for the rest of my life I would need another lifetime to cry again

If I am not worthy of forgiveness, my Creator, You are indeed the One who forgives and shows mercy

My soul yearns for Your light,

O my Lord And my being longs for Your radiance

So accept by Your grace the repentance of a heart That has come fleeing from the darkness of disobedience

And make it steadfast in facing sins Strong and firm in faith

The Greatest Supplication

The greatest supplication is the prayer of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) when he stood in the night prayer, saying: "O Allah, to You belongs all praise. You are the Sustainer of the heavens and the earth and all that is in them. To You belongs all praise. You are the Sovereign of the heavens and the earth and all that is in them. To You belongs all praise. You are the Light of the heavens and the earth and all that is in them. To You belongs all praise. You are the King of the heavens and the earth. To You belongs all praise. You are the Truth, and Your promise is true. Meeting You is true. Your speech is true. Paradise is true. Hellfire is true. The prophets are true. Muhammad (peace be upon him) is true. The Hour is true. O Allah, I have submitted to You, I believe in You, I rely upon You, I repent to You, I engage with You in argument, and I seek judgment from You. Forgive me for what I have sent ahead and what I have left behind, what I have concealed and what I have done openly. You are the First and the Last. There is no deity worthy of worship but You" (Narrated by Bukhari).

The Path to Paradise

Night prayer is a clear and secure path to Paradise. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "O people, spread peace, feed the hungry, and pray while people are asleep, you will enter Paradise in peace" (Narrated by Tirmidhi).

It is an effort and a struggle that only strong and great men can bear. Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said: The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to stand in night prayer until his feet swelled. I asked him: Why do you do this, O Messenger of Allah, when Allah has forgiven your past and future sins? He said: "Shall I not be a grateful servant?" (Agreed upon). The Prophet (peace be upon him) also said: "Adhere to night prayer, for it was the practice of the righteous before you. Night prayer brings you closer to Allah, prevents you from committing sins, expiates evil deeds, and drives away disease from the body" (Narrated by Tirmidhi).

Encouragement for Night Prayer

Let us be keen on performing night prayer in Ramadan and throughout the year. Let us remember our brothers who are mujahideen, stationed, besieged, captives, imprisoned, poor, needy, refugees, displaced, and those seeking livelihood in different parts of the world. In our prayers, let us remember the scholars, preachers, speakers, students of knowledge, and all that we desire for our families and loved ones, let us pray for the Muslims in the east and west of the earth.

All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all worlds.