THE VIRTUES OF QIYAM AL-LAYL

THE VIRTUES OF QIYAM AL-LAYL 

It is known that any good deed done sincerely for Allah in ramadan is multiplied several times. some narrations speak of seventy some of 700 times. Only Allah knows what is the reward or magnitude of ONE SAWAAB (reward) let alone 70 or 700 . 

The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said: “Whoever draws near to Allah during it (Ramadan) with a single characteristic from the characteristics of (voluntary) goodness, he is like whoever performs an obligatory act in other times. And whoever performs an obligatory act during it, he is like whoever performed seventy obligatory acts in other times.” (Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah, no. 1887, but this narration has weakness.)

Al-Bukhaari (37) and Muslim (759) narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever prays qiyaam in Ramadaan out of faith and in the hope of reward, his previous sins will be forgiven.” 

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The best prayer after the obligatory prayer is prayer at night.” Narrated by Muslim, 1163. 

And he said: “You should pray qiyaam al-layl, for it is the custom of the righteous who came before you and it brings you closer to your Lord, and expiates sins and prevents misdeeds.” 

Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 3549; classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Irwa’ al-Ghaleel, 452. 

“The custom of the righteous” means it was their usual practise. 

“It brings you closer to your Lord” means, it is an act of worship by means of which one may draw closer to Allaah. 

“and prevents misdeeds” means, it prevents one from committing sin. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“Verily, As‑Salaah (the prayer) prevents from Al‑Fahsha’ (i.e. great sins of every kind, unlawful sexual intercourse) and Al‑Munkar (i.e. disbelief, polytheism, and every kind of evil wicked deed)” [Surah Ankaboot]

It was narrated that ‘Amr ibn Murrah al-Juhani said: A man came to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) from Qadaa’ah and said to him: “O Messenger of Allaah, what do you think if I bear witness that there is no god except Allaah and that you are His Messenger, and I pray the five daily prayers, and fast the month (of Ramadaan), and pray qiyaam in Ramadaan, and pay zakaah?” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever dies doing that will be one of the siddeeqs and martyrs.” 

Narrated by Ibn Khuzaymah; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Ibn Khuzaymah, 2212. 

al-Tirmidhi (806) narrated that Abu Dharr (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever prays qiyaam – i.e., Taraweeh – with the imam until he finishes, it will be recorded as if he spent the whole night in prayer.” Saheeh by Albaanee

The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever prays qiyaam reciting ten verses will not be recorded as one of the negligent. Whoever prays qiyaam reciting one hundred verses will be recorded as one of the devout. Whoever prays qiyaam reciting one thousand verses will be recorded as one of the muqantireen.” 

Narrated by Abu Dawood, 1398; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani inSaheeh Abi Dawood. 

The muqantireen are those who will be given a qintaar of reward. A qintaar is a large amount of gold, and most of the scholars of Arabic language are of the view that it is four thousand dinars. 

And it was said that a qintaar is a bull’s hide full of gold, or eighty thousand, or a large but unspecified amount of wealth. See al-Nihaayah fi Ghareeb il-Hadeeth by Ibn al-Atheer. What is meant by this hadeeth is to emphasize the greatness of the reward earned by the one who recites a thousand verses.

Al-Tabaraani narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “A qintaar is better than this world and everything in it.” Classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Targheeb, 638.

TARAWEEH SHOULD BE DONE IN CONGREGATION (JAMAAT)

قَالَ صَاحِبُ الشَّامِلِ : قَالَ أَبُو الْعَبَّاسِ وَأَبُو إِسْحَاقَ صَلَاةُ التَّرَاوِيحِ جَمَاعَةً أَفْضَلُ مِنْ الانْفِرَادِ لإِجْمَاعِ الصَّحَابَةِ ، وَإِجْمَاعِ أَهْلِ الأَمْصَارِ عَلَى ذَلِكَ : انتهى .

The author of al-Shaamil said: Abu’l-‘Abbaas and Abu Ishaaq said that praying Taraweeh in congregation is better than praying it individually, because of the consensus of the Sahaabah and the consensus of the scholars of the regions on this point. End quote. 

وقال الترمذي :

" وَاخْتَارَ اِبْنُ الْمُبَارَكِ وَأَحْمَدُ وَإِسْحَاقُ الصَّلاةَ مَعَ الإِمَامِ فِي شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ " .

At-Tirmidhi said : 

Ibn al-Mubaarak, Ahmad and Ishaaq favoured praying with the imam during the month of Ramadaan. 

قال في تحفة الأحوذي :

" وَفِي كِتَابِ قِيَامِ اللَّيْلِ : وَقِيلَ لأَحْمَدَ بْنِ حَنْبَلٍ : يُعْجِبُك أَنْ يُصَلِّيَ الرَّجُلُ مَعَ النَّاسِ فِي رَمَضَانَ أَوْ وَحْدَهُ ؟ قَالَ يُصَلِّي مَعَ النَّاسِ . قَالَ وَيُعْجِبُنِي أَنْ يُصَلِّيَ مَعَ الإِمَامِ وَيُوتِرَ مَعَهُ . قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : " إِنَّ الرَّجُلَ إِذَا قَامَ مَعَ الإِمَامِ حَتَّى يَنْصَرِفَ كُتِبَ لَهُ بَقِيَّةُ لَيْلَتِهِ " . قَالَ أَحْمَدُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ : يَقُومُ مَعَ النَّاسِ حَتَّى يُوتِرَ مَعَهُمْ وَلا يَنْصَرِفُ حَتَّى يَنْصَرِفَ الإِمَامُ قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ : شَهِدْته يَعْنِي أَحْمَدَ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ شَهْرَ رَمَضَانَ يُوتِرُ مَعَ إِمَامِهِ إِلا لَيْلَةً لَمْ أَحْضُرْهَا . وَقَالَ إِسْحَاقُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ قُلْت لأَحْمَدَ : الصَّلاةُ فِي الْجَمَاعَةِ أَحَبُّ إِلَيْك أَمْ يُصَلِّي وَحْدَهُ فِي قِيَامِ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ ؟ قَالَ : يُعْجِبُنِي أَنْ يُصَلِّيَ فِي الْجَمَاعَةِ ، يُحْيِي السُّنَّةَ . وَقَالَ إِسْحَاقُ كَمَا قَالَ " اِنْتَهَى .

وانظر : "المغني" (1/457) .

It says in Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi: 

In the book on night prayer (qiyaam): it was said to Ahmad ibn Hanbal: Do you prefer a man to pray with the people in Ramadaan or on his own? He said: He should pray with the people. He said: And I prefer that he should pray with the imam and pray Witr with him. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If a man prays qiyaam with the imam until he finishes, it will be recorded as if he spent the rest of the night (in prayer).” Ahmad (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “He should pray with the people until he prays Witr with them, and he should not leave until the imam leaves. Abu Dawood said: I saw him (Imam Ahmad) – in the month of Ramadaan, praying Witr with his imam, except on one night when I did not attend. Ishaaq (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: I said to Ahmad: Is praying qiyaam in Ramadaan in congregation dearer to you or praying on one’s own? He said: I prefer that this prayer should be offered in congregation, so as to revive the Sunnah. And Ishaaq said the same. End quote. 

See al-Mughni, 1/457. 

وَرَوَى أَسَدُ بْنُ عَمْرٍو عَنْ أَبِي يُوسُفَ قَالَ : سَأَلْت أَبَا حَنِيفَةَ عَنْ التَّرَاوِيحِ وَمَا فَعَلَهُ عُمَرُ , فَقَالَ : التَّرَاوِيحُ سُنَّةٌ مُؤَكَّدَةٌ , وَلَمْ يَتَخَرَّصْ عُمَرُ مِنْ تِلْقَاءِ نَفْسِهِ , وَلَمْ يَكُنْ فِيهِ مُبْتَدِعًا , وَلَمْ يَأْمُرْ بِهِ إلا عَنْ أَصْلٍ لَدَيْهِ وَعَهْدٍ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ، وَلَقَدْ سَنَّ عُمَرُ هَذَا وَجَمَعَ النَّاسَ عَلَى أُبَيِّ بْنِ كَعْبٍ فَصَلاهَا جَمَاعَةً وَالصَّحَابَةُ مُتَوَافِرُونَ مِنْ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ وَالأَنْصَارِ وَمَا رَدَّ عَلَيْهِ وَاحِدٌ مِنْهُمْ , بَلْ سَاعَدُوهُ وَوَافَقُوهُ وَأَمَرُوا بِذَلِكَ " انتهى .

Asad ibn ‘Amr ibn Abi Yoosuf said: I asked Abu Haneefah about Taraweeh and what ‘Umar did. He said: Taraweeh is a confirmed Sunnah, and ‘Umar did not base his decision on speculation and he was not introducing bid’ah (an innovation). He did not enjoin it except because of what he knew from the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). ‘Umar introduced this and gathered the people behind Ubayy ibn Ka’b and he offered this prayer in congregation, at the time when the Sahaabah – the Muhaajireen and Ansaar – were still alive, and no one among them objected to that, rather they helped him and agreed with him, and also enjoined it. End quote. 

The above has been taken from Shaykh Muhammad saleh al-Munnajid's website. 

A REPLY TO THOSE WHO CANNOT PRAY TARAWEEH DUE TO WHATSOEVER REASONS (Except genuine shar`i ones)

قيل لابن مسعود رضي الله عنه : ما نستطيع قيام الليل, قال : أبعدتكم ذنوبكم. .

It was said to Ibn Mas’ood (raadiAllaahu ‘anhu), “We are not able to perform the qiyaam al-lail.” He replied, “Distance yourselves from your sins!”

وقيل للحسن : قد أعجزنا قيام الليل, قال : قيّدتكم خطاياكم.

And it was said to al-Hasan [al-Basri], “We have been made incapable of performing qiyaam al-lail.” He replied, “Restrict your sins!”

وقال فضيل بن عياض : إذا لم تقدر على قيام الليل وصيام النهار, فاعلم أنّك محرومٌ مُكَبَّلٌ, كبَّلَتْكَ خكيئتُكَ.

And Fudhail ibn ‘Iyaadh said, “If you are not able to pray during the night and fast during the day, then know that you have been deprived and detained, shackled by your own sins.”

وقال الحسن : إنّ العبد ليذنب الذنب فيُحرم به قيام الليل

And al-Hasan said, “If the slave committed a sin then he is prohibited from qiyaam al-lail because of it.”

[Lataa'if al-Ma'aarif pg. 98]