Onlythosewhoexperienceditdidknow

Tahajjud(VigilPrayer)!

What is Tahajjud? When to pray Tahajjud? And what is the reward of

prayingTahajjud?

Tahajjud:Thesecretsofanamazingworship,itsinfluenceonman'slife
andonhisrelationtoAllahtheMostMerciful!

AnarticleofMr.AmrKhaled,publishedin AlmaraaAlyawm Magazine

(TheWomanToday),issuedon11thNovember2003.

Thearticle:

Allah,beHeExaltedandGlorified,sayswhatcanbetranslatedas,And
insomepartsofthenight(also)offertheSalt(prayer)withit(i.e.recite
the Quran in the prayer), as an additional prayer (Tahajjud optional
prayerNawfil)foryou(OMuhammad).ItmaybethatyourLordwill
raiseyoutoMaqmMahmud(astationofpraiseandglory,i.e.thehonor
ofintercessionontheDayofResurrection)(TMQ,17:79).Comeondear
brother,whatareyouwaitingfor? Andinsomepartsofthenightoffer
Salt(prayer),asanadditionalprayerforyou.

Allah,SWT,teachesusthatthosewhokeepawakeandprayallormostof
thenightcanneverstandonequalfootingwiththosewhosleepsoundly
duringthenightwhileotherspray.Allahsayswhatcanbetranslatedas,
Is one who is obedient to Allh, prostrating himself or standing (in
prayer)duringthehoursofthenight,fearingtheHereafterandhopingfor
the Mercy of his Lord (like one who disbelieves)? Say: Are those who
knowequaltothosewhoknownot?(TMQ,39:9).Nowthinkaboutthose
whoaremeantby,IsonewhoisobedienttoAllh,prostratinghimselfor
standing(inprayer)duringthehoursofthenightandtrytoimaginethe
happinessthatisfeltbythosewholivethismoment.Speciallyatthelast
thirdofthenight,whenAllah,beHeExaltedandGlorified,gloriously
and magnificently descends to worldly heaven, and says what can be
translatedas, WhoisthereseekingMyforgivenessandIshallforgive
him?WhoisthereseekingrepentanceandIshallpardonhim?

Only thosewhohavelivedthatmomentdoknow.Indeedtheyarethe
oneswhoaredescribedinQur'anastheoneswhoknow.Whereasthose
who aredescribed as the oneswho do notknow areprobably being
occupiedatthatmomentwatchingT.V.orsurfingtheInternet.Dothey
knowtheProphet's(PBUH)Hadith,Thereisanhourduringthenight,if
concurred by any Muslim asking Allah for goodin thisworldand the
HereafterhewillbegrantedwhathepraysforbyAllah?"

AMuslimisalwayswatchingoutforhisafterlifeandwishestobegranted
Allah's mercy. This is always the state of concurrence anywhere and
anytime, and thereis only one way of attaining iti.e. performing night
prayer.

Hewasamazingineverythinghedid:

OnedaytwooftheCompanionswenttoLadyAishaandsaid,Omotherof
believers! Tell us what was the most amazing thing that the Prophet
(PBUH) ever did, she said, What can I tell you? He was amazing in
everythinghedid

Shethenstartedtonarrateanincident,Onenighthe(PBUH)cametomy
room,wentintothebedandstartedtocoverhimselfwiththequilt.When
healmostdidthathetoldme,LetmeworshipmyLordforsometime.I
toldhim,IlovetobenearyoubutIwouldratherleaveyoutoenjoyyour
passion.Hewenttoprayandbegantocrywhilepraying.Hewentonlike
thistillhistearsdroppedoverthemat;hewentonprayingandshedding
tearsuntilBilalcametocallfortheMorningPrayer.Bilalaskedhim,O
messengerofAllah!WhydoyoucryandyouknowthatAllahhasforgiven
yourpreviousandfuturesins?TheProphet(PBUH)said, Woeuntoyou
Bilal!Aversewasrevealedtometonightandwoeuntothosewhoreadit
and do not contemplate it. He then recited the words of Allah, be He
ExaltedandGlorified,whatcanbetranslatedas, Thosewhoremember
Allah(always,andinprayers)standing,sittingandlyingdownontheir
sides, andthinkdeeplyaboutthecreationoftheheavensandtheearth,
(saying):OurLord!Youhavenotcreated(all)thiswithoutpurpose,glory
toYou!(ExaltedareyouaboveallthattheyassociatewithYouaspartners).
GiveussalvationfromthetormentoftheFire!(TMQ,3:191).

TheProphet(PBUH)thenfollowedthatbysaying: Woeuntothosewho
readitanddonotcontemplateit.

Anamazingworshipwithpowerfulinfluenceoneveryone:

Just try to perform it for two weeks and you will find that you have
developed a passion for vigil prayer and standing before Allah, be He
exalted.Onlythenyouwillbebornanew,praisetoAllah,vigilprayeris
likeamagicalbatonthatyoucanutilizetodoanythingyouwish.

Thebeliever'smotto:

TheProphet(PBUH)usedtoprayatnighttillhisfeetgotswollen.Muslims
askedhim:HasnotAllahforgivenyourpastandyourfuturesins?He
(PBUH)answered,True,butshouldnotIbeathankfulworshipper?!He
usedtoleanononefootatatime,outoffatigueandexhaustion.

The MessengerofAllahreallyenjoyednightprayer.Howcouldhenot,
whenhewasstandingbeforehisLord?

Thisisthebeliever'smotto:shouldnotIbeathankfulworshipper.Make
suretotakeitasyourmottotoo.

Youshouldweepandbesorryforyourstandtowardsuchamazingmatters
and actions. AlBukhari narrated in his verified book that the Prophet
(PBUH)oncefeltso sickthathecouldnotperform vigilprayer forone
nightortwonights.Haveyougotmypointhere?AlBukharishowsthatit
wasjustanexceptionalcase,astheProphetwaskeenonperformingthis
prayerdaily!

OAllah!!Wearedoingexactlytheopposite.

Howmiserableyouare!Youshouldfeelsorryforyourself,youshouldbe
determinedtogetclosertoAllahandmaintainvigilprayer.

Iwonderhowdoyoufeelrightnow?

JustconsiderhowkeentheProphet(PBUH)wasonperformingvigilprayer
and howheembeddedsuch aconceptintheminds of hisCompanions
(MayAllahbepleasedwiththemall)toperformit.

OncehemetAbdullahBinAmrbinAl'asandtoldhim,OAbdullah!Do
notbelikethatwhousedtoperformvigilprayerthenabandonedit.Dear
brothertrytoimaginethattheProphet's(PBUH)advicewasgiventoyou.
Do you remember when you persisted in performing vigil prayer in
RamadanandthenyouquititwhenRamadanended?Itisasiftheprophet
meantyoubyhiswords.

Howdoyoufeelaboutit?Whatadifficultsituationtobeinbeforethe
Prophet(PBUH).Now,imagineifyouareinthebettersituationandthat
you are persistent in performing vigil prayer, how proud the Prophet
(PBUH)wouldbeofyou!

BeasdeterminedasAbdullahBinOmarwas:

The Prophet (PBUH) said, What an excellent worshipper Abdullah Bin

Omarwouldbeifheonlyperformsvigilprayer.Ithasbeenreportedthat
Abdullah never abandoned vigil prayer after this. He hardly slept, and
usedtogetverysadandupsettoknowthatoneoftheCompanionshad
quitit.

Let'ssetAbdullahBinOmarasamodelforallofus.Beasdeterminedashe
was,intendtodoitandletthisarticlemarktheconclusionoftheeraof
lazinessandsleepingpassion.

Whatahighlyaspiredconscientiousmanhewas,whereareyouAbdullah?
Weneedaplentyofdevotedworshipperslikeyou.

Therearenomoreexcusesforyou:

OnenighttheProphet(PBUH)wenttoawakenhisdaughterFatimahand
herhusbandAlitoperformvigilprayer.Heknockedthedoor(apparently
theywereasleep)andaskedthem Won'tyoupray? Alianswered,Our
souls are in Allah's hand. If He wishes to awaken us, He would. The
Prophet(PBUH)angrilyleftthem,andasAlisaid,Ifoundhimbeatinghis
thighwithhisfistonhisway,andrepeatingtheQura'nicverseBut,man
isevermorequarrelsomethananything.

Don'tyoualwaysclaimthatyousetthealarmeverydaybutcannotwake
up,whatelsecanIdoaboutit,Ididmybest?

IhavenothingtocommentonthisexceptwhattheProphet(PBUH)said,
But,manisevermorequarrelsomethananything.Nomoreexcuses!Let's
startanew.

Amessageforwomenbut!!

TheProphet(PBUH)wokeuponenightandfoundallhiswivessleeping,
so he said, Who wouldwaketheladies oftherooms?Many acovered
womaninthisworldbecomesnakedintheJudgmentDay. OurProphet
Mohamed(PBUH)wantedtoawakenhishouseholdtoperformvigilprayer
and enjoy the happiness and the bliss of that time, but he found them
asleep.

Sohemanagedtoincitethemtogetupatonceandabandonsleeping,by
simplysaying,Manyacoveredwomaninthisworldbecomesnakedinthe
Judgment Day.Itis true that this incident happened withwomen, but
assuredlyyoucannotjustretreatclaimingthatitwasmeantforwomen
only.WakeupMuslims!

Howcanyoufeelifyouhadnotexperiencedit?

WhenZatArik'abattleended,Muslimscampedinacertainplacetorest.
TheProphet(PBUH)appointedanumberofhisCompanionsforguarding,
amongthemwasAmmarBinYasserandAbbadBinBeshr(MayAllahbe
pleasedwiththemall).AbbadaskedAmmartolethimshoulderthefirst
guardingshiftwhilehewouldgoandsleep.Abbadthenstoodtoprayin
thedarkness,amidsttherocksandsilence.Whenhegottotallyabsorbedin
hisworship,enjoyingtheclosenesstoAllahandthepleasureofstanding
beforeHim,theenemiesthrewhiminthedarknesswithanarrow,which
hithisupperarm.Hetookitoffandcontinuedhisprayerbeforetheythrew
himwithanotherarrow,whichhealsotookoff,bowedandprostratedthen
reachedouttoawakenhisfriend.AmmarwasastonishedtoseehisMuslim
brother bleeding, so Abbad told him, I got injured since I started my
prayerbutIdidnotwanttointerruptit.Ifithadnotbeenforthefortified
borderlinecityIwasorderedtoguard,Iwouldhaveratherdiedthanto
interrupttheversesIwasreciting.

Imaginethissituation;itdidnottouchyou,didit!

Youmaynotbetouchedbecauseyouhavenotexperiencedityet.Butyou
may knowwellthefeeling whenoneforgetsthewholeworldwhenhe
meetshisbelovedandstandsbeforehimseekinghisloveandsatisfaction!