Why do I perform Optional Night Salah? (Intentions for Optional Night Salah) (1)

Optional Night Salah is part of the divine Shari`ah, a Prophetic Sunnah, an educational school, a pleasant attribute, filled with hearty tears, sad moans and sighs, leaves you alone with the Lord of wilderness, a spiritual happiness, and body power in which the spirit is attached with high gardens. Optional Night Salah has many sublime benefits and the question remains: Why do I offer Optional Night Salah?

1- I offer Optional Night Salah for gratitude and following the Prophet (peace be upon him) because the Prophet (peace be upon him) stood up at night until his feet were swollen in order to achieve the meaning of servitude to Allah (may He be Glorified and Exalted) and for gratitude.

It was authentically proven in Sahih Al Bukhari and Sahih Muslim on the authority of Al Mughirah ibn Shu`bah (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: "The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to stand (in the prayer) or pray till both his feet or legs swelled. He was asked why (he offered such an unbearable prayer) and he said: Should I not be a thankful slave."

In another narration that was reported in Sahih Al Bukhari and Sahih Muslim on the authority of `A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her)

that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) used to offer Salah at night (for such a long time) that his feet used to crack. I said: O Allah's Messenger! Why do you do it since Allah has forgiven you your faults of the past and those to follow? He said: Shouldn't I love to be a thankful slave (of Allah)?"

It was reported on the authority of Sufyan Ath-Thawry (may Allah bestow mercy on his soul) that he became full one night, thereupon he said: If a donkey is fed more than its amount, its work increases, then he stood up for worship all night until the morning.

It was authentically reported at Abu Dawud and Ibn Khuzaymah on the authority of `Abdullah ibn Abu Qays who said that `A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated: "Do not give up Salah at night, for the Messenger of Allah(peace be upon him)did not miss it. and whenever he was sick or felt bored, he would offer Salah sitting.

2- I stay up for Optional Night Salah with the intention of following the example of righteous people. Imam Ahmad and At-Tirmidhy reported from the Hadith of Abu Umamah Al Bahily (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Keep up to Optional Night Salah, for it was the usual practice of the righteous people before you." [Sahih Al Bukhari 4079].

So, Optional Night Salah is the racetrack of competitors, the capital of the winners, and the way of the passers to the Lord of all the Worlds.

3- I stay up for Optional Night Salah with the intention of the steadfast affirmers of faith and the martyrs:

Al Bazzar, Ibn Khuzaymah, and Ibn Hibban reported on the authority of `Amr ibn Murrah Al Juhany (may Allah be pleased with him) who said:

"A man from the tribe of Quda`ah came to the Messenger of Allah

(peace be upon him) and said: I bear witness that there is no god but Allah Alone and you are the Messenger of Allah. I offer the five daily Salahs. I fast Ramadan and stay up at night for optional Salah and I pay Zakah. Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)said: Whoever dies while doing all these actions shall be of the steadfast affirmers of faith and the martyrs." [Sahih Al Targhib: 933].

4- I stand up at night for optional Salah in order to be of the people of faith: "Only those believe in Our Ayât (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.), who, when they are reminded of them, fall down prostrate, and glorify the Praises of their Lord, and they are not proud. * Their sides forsake their beds, to invoke their Lord in fear and hope, and they spend (in charity in Allâh's Cause) 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." [Surat As-Sajdah: 15 - 17].

5- I stand up for Optional Night Salah so as to be written among those who mention Allah frequently:

Abu Dawud, An-Nasa`y, and Ibn Majah reported on the authority of Abu Hurayrah and Abu Sa`id (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "When a man himself wakes at night and wakens his wife and they pray two Rak`ahs together, they are recorded among the men and women who make much mention of Allah." [Sahih Al Jami`: 6030].

6- I stay up for Optional Night Salah so as to gain mercy:

Abu Dawud, An-Nasa'y, and Ibn Majah reported on the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) who narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "May Allah show mercy to a man who gets up during the night and prays, who wakens his wife and she prays; if she refuses, he sprinkles water on her face. May Allah show mercy to a woman who gets up during the night and prays, who wakens her husband and he prays; if he refuses, she would sprinkle water on his face." [Sahih Al Jami`: 3494].

7- I stay up for Optional Night Salah so as to be written from the faithful obedient, not from the heedless:

Ibn Khuzaymah and Al Hakim reported on the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "If anyone prays at night reciting regularly one hundred Ayahs, he will not be recorded among the negligent; if anyone prays at night and recites two hundred Ayahs, he will be recorded among those who are obedient to Allah." [Sahih Al Targhib: 636].

Abu Dawud, Ibn Khuzaymah, and Ibn Hibban reported on the authority of `Abdullah ibn `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) who narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "If anyone prays at night reciting regularly ten Ayahs, he will not ibn recorded among the negligent; if anyone prays at night and recites one hundred Ayahs, he will be recorded among those who are obedient to Allah; and if anyone prays at night reciting one thousand Ayahs, he will be recorded among those who receive huge rewards." [Sahih Al Jami`: 6439].

8- I stay up for Optional Night Salah because it is the best type of Salah after the obligatory ones:

Imam Muslim reported on the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) who said that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "The best month for observing Sawm (fasting) after Ramadanis Al Muharram, and the best Salat after the prescribed Salat is the Voluntary Night Salah." In another narration: "The best type of Salah after the prescribed Salah is Salah in the middle of the night."

9- I stay up for Optional Night Salah to draw nearer to Allah (may He be Exalted): We have mentioned the Hadith which was reported by Imam Ahmad and At-Tirmidhy in which the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Keep up to Optional Night Salah, for it was the usual practice of the righteous people before you, for it draws you nearer to your Lord."

Al Hasan Al Basry (may Allah bestow mercy on his soul) said: I do not know anything more dearer to Allah than performing Optional Night Salah in the middle of the night.

It was reported in the Divine Hadith which was reported by Al Bukhari that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "And My Servant keeps on coming closer to Me through performing Nawafil (praying or doing extra deeds besides what is obligatory) till I love him." - I stay up for Optional Night Salah so that I would win the love of Allah (may He be Exalted): We have mentioned the divine Hadith which was reported by Al Bukhari: "And My Servant is still drawing nearer to me through voluntary Salah until I love him." At-Tabarany reported with a good chain of transmission on the authority of Abu Ad-Darda' (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: There are three whom Allah loves, amuses to them, and see glad tidings in their faces: He who fights to cover a fighting Muslims group after they have been uncovered for the sake of Allah (may He be Glorified and Exalted), so he either be killed or granted victory. He [Allah] would say: Look at My Servant how did he observed patience for My Sake. The one who has a beautiful wife and a soft mattress, but he leaves it and stands up for Optional Night Salah. Allah would say: He leaves out his desires to mention Me and if he willed, he would lie down. And the one who is in travel with a group of people who woke up at night then slept, but he stood up for Salah whether in better or worse. [Sahih Al Targhib: 625].