Al Minah Al `Aliyyah (7)

The second section Qiyam al-Layl (night prayer) and witr (prayer  that is performed at night after Isha’a (night-time prayer) or before Fajr (dawn prayer):

There are many Sunnan to be performed and they include:

It is an act of Sunnah to pray the night prayer on time; thus if someone were to ask what the best time would be to perform for the night prayer? It should be answered that it starts after finishing the ‘Isha’a prayer and lasts until dawn breaks. Hence, the time for witr is between the ‘Isha’a prayer and Fajr prayer. This is proven by the following ahadith. 

‘Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated, “Allah’s Messenger r used to offer eleven rak’ahs between the ‘Isha’a and Fajr prayers. He used to make tasleem (i.e. to say peace be upon you when finishing the prayers to indicate the prayer is finished) and then would end with a single rak’ah.”^[1] An agreed upon hadith. 

‘Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated, “Allah’s Messenger r offered the witr prayer in the beginning of the night, the middle, and at the end and would offer it until the time of sahar (i.e. the last portion of the night).^[2]

Ibn al-Mundhir said, “Scholars unanimously agree that the time for witr is between the ‘Isha’a and the Fajr prayer.”^[3]

As for the best time to offer the night prayer, it is the second third of the night when nearly half of it is finished. In other words, the Muslim would divide the night into thirds, and then offer the prayer in the second part and sleep in the last. 

What proves this is the hadith narrated by ‘Abdullah Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased him) when Allah’s Messenger r said,

 “The most beloved fasting to Allah was the fasting of the Prophet Dawud, who used to fast alternate days. And the most beloved prayer to Allah was the prayer of Dawud, who used to sleep the first half of the night, pray for one third of it and again sleep for a sixth of it.’”^[4]

Hence, if someone wanted to apply this Sunnah,

how would he calculate the night time?

A person should calculate the time once the sun sets until the appearance of dawn. Then, he should divide the night into six portions. The first three portions are the first half of the night and he should rise after it, (i.e. to offer prayer at the first third of the night) and then sleep. Therefore, ‘Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said, “I usually find the Prophet r asleep at that time.”^[5]

Thus, it would be the best to offer the night prayer as the hadith of ‘Abdullah Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) mentioned.

Therefore, has the worshipper achieved the Divine Descent of Allah by that time?

The answer is in the affirmative. When the Muslim divides the night in this way, he has achieved the time in which Allah descends to the lowest heaven as the hadith has stated. Hence, the one who rises after midnight has achieved the last third of the night. Prophet Muhammad r guided us to this time through the hadith of ‘Abdullah Ibn ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) which says, “And the most beloved prayer to Allah was the prayer of Dawud, who used to sleep the first half of the night, and pray for one third of it and again sleep for a sixth of it.’”^[6]

It is the Prophet r who guided us to the virtue of night prayer when he told us that Allah descends (in a way that suits His Majesty) every night to the lowest heaven in the last third of the night. Therefore, we can reconcile the two ahadith according to what has already been mentioned. Thus, the one who cannot get a virtue, he can move to the other one, thus he would offer the night prayer in the last third of the night.

In conclusion, the advantage of the night prayer is of three categories:

Firstly, that the person sleeps half of the night, prays one of its thirds, and then sleeps one-sixth of it as has been illustrated.

Secondly, that a person prays the second third of the night. What indicates this stage is the hadith that Abu Hurairah t narrated that the Prophet r said,

 “Our Lord - Blessed and Exalted is He - descends every night to the lowest heaven in the last third of the night and says: ‘Who is supplicating to Me so that I may answer him? Who is asking forgiveness from Me so that I may forgive him?^[7]’”

Also, the hadith of Jabir t that will be quoted later. However, if someone fears that they would not be able to rise, let them offer the night prayer at the beginning of the night or any portion of it and this constitutes the third stage.

What proves this stage is the following hadith narrated by Jabir t. The Prophet r said,

“Whoever fears losing the first part of the night, let him pray at that time. Whoever wishes to rise at the last part of the night, let him pray at that time, as it is blessed by Allah and that would be better.”^[8]

What supports this also is the recommendation of the Prophet r to Abu Dhar,Abu ad-Darda and Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with them all) as each one of whom used to say, “My beloved one (i.e. the Prophet r) advised me with three things, one of which is to offer the witr prayerbefore I sleep.”