TAHAJJUD.

Do you want to be from Eibadul Rahmaan (the servants of the most merciful) and win the highest level of Paradise?

I am sure you are thinking “of course, is that even a question”!!

Allah Ta’alah says what can be translated as: ( And the servants of the Most Merciful are those who walk upon the earth easily, and when the ignorant address them [harshly], they say [words of] peace,
And those who spend [part of] the night to their Lord prostrating and standing [in prayer] ) 25:63-64

Those who spend part of the night prostrating to their lord means those who pray Qeyamulail.

What is Qeyamulail (or the prayer of the night)?
Qeyamulail is an honor given by Allah to those who serve His deen, do good in this dunia and worship Him with sincerity. Not just anyone gets to do Qeyamulail!!

I will give you a simple example in our daily life to help you realize what I mean: Your son or daughter, will not get to meet the president of the country unless they do exceptionally well in their studies or sports compared to the rest of the students within the area, city or country. Wa LeLLAHUL mathalul A’alah.

So Qeyamulail is like an honorary grade. This person who served Allah and their deen during the day, Allah wakes them up at night to meet and connect with Him as an honor and a reward for their hard work…… Subhana Allah, can you feel the tranquility of that!!?

If you were looking to apply for a job in one of the companies or ministries and you heard that the CEO or the Minister walks on the beach every morning at 6 AM. I am sure you will go and buy yourself some sports shoes and outfit even though you have never played sports before and may be your belly is one meter away from you!!! However, you will go walking on the beach at 6 AM just because you have a need and you are ready to do anything to achieve it. We do this with humans, what about the lord of the humans!!? Aren’t we supposed to do more with him?
I am not saying we have to be like the companions of the Prophet peace be upon him, who used to pray the whole night or half of it. We do not have to be like Ata’a ibn Rabah who used to wake up third of the night and sometimes half of it. We do not have to be like Imam Abu Hanifa who used to pray fajr with the wudu of isha for forty years. We do not have to be like all those because our iman is still weak. Let us work in conjunction with our iman.

Qeyamul Lail starts from only two Raka’ahs or four any time of the night, the beginning of the night (after Isha), the middle (before you go to bed) or the end of the night ( just before athaan of fajr). Of course you can do more than the two raka’as if you wish and if you increase the reward will also increase. But if you pray just two raka’hs and one Raka’h witr, that is considered as Qeyam also and when Allah Subhanhau wa Ta’alah calls on the day of Judgment for those who used to pray Qeyamul Lail you will be one of them in shaa Allah.

The best time for Qeyamulail is the last part of the night just before fajr, because Allah descends to the lowest heaven every night. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Our Lord (glorified and exalted be He) descends each night to the earth's sky when there remains the final third of the night, and He says: 'Who is saying a prayer to Me that I may answer it? Who is asking something of Me that I may give it him? Who is asking forgiveness of Me that I may forgive him?'" [Bukhari (also by Muslim, Malik, at-Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud).]
Sadly most of us are either sleeping at that time or in a wedding listening to Music and dancing or committing other sins waleyathu biLLAH . We are missing a lot of Khair.

Oh you who have problems in your life, wake up just an hour or 45 min before fajr and pray to Allah and ask Him for what you want. Tell Him your problems and cry. Do not lift your head from Sujoud and there is still something in your heart you have not said, you will see wonders and you will have so much peace in your heart.
After learning all this, let’s not waste these chances any more.

Let’s have a plan for Qeyamulail:

For my brothers, let us start praying isha in Jama’ah (congregation) and fajr in Jama’ah. The Prophet peace and blessings be upon him said: "One who performs `Isha' prayer in congregation, is as if he has performed Salat for half of the night. And one who performs the Fajr prayer in congregation, is as if he has performed Salat the whole night.'' [Muslim]

He (peace and blessing be upon him) also said, “If people knew the reward in praying Fajr and Isha in congregation, they would go to the mosque even if they had to crawl.” [Bukhari & Muslim]

For my brothers and sisters, let us set up our alarms half an hour before the athaan of fajr, just half an hour. What shall we do in this half an hour?
Use the first 15 minutes to read Qura’an so your heart will open up, and the next 15 minutes pray two rakahs or four raka’s plus witr.
Continue with this plan for three months or even six months then increase it to 45 minutes instead of half an hour. Use 15 min. for Quran, 15 min. for Istighfaar and 15 min. for salah. Continue like that for another year and then make it one hour. Use 15 min. for Quran, 15 min. Istighfaar, 15 min salah ala rasoul, and 15 min. for salah.

Once you get used to this, you will find yourself waking up without an alarm and you will see so much khair in your life. You will have light on your face, you will have a better concentration and you will function more efficiently in all aspects of your life and more importantly you will be from the special people of Qeyamulail.

Qeyamulail is the only form of worship which is completely away from Reya’a because you do it late at night when everyone is asleep, just you and Allah. The companions of the Prophet peace be upon him used to walk on their toes not to make anyone feel them praying Qeyamulail. Make it as your secret deed between you and Allah.

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

Allah praises those who have faith and are pious for their noble characteristics and good deeds, one of the most special of which is qiyaam al-layl. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Only those believe in Our Ayaat (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 Allaah’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” [al-Sajdah 32:15-17]

The Prophet peace be upon him 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.
Al-Haakim narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Jibreel came to me and said: ‘O Muhammad, live as long as you want, for you will die. Love whomever you want, for you will leave him. Do whatever you want for you will be requited for it. Remember that the believer’s honour is his praying at night, and his pride is his being independent of people.” Classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 73.
So let’s strive to not miss Qeyamul Lail even if it’s only 2 raka’as. May Allah grant us tawfeeq and help us achieve this honor Ameen.

Al Man'n

Assalam Aleikum wa rahmatu Allah wa barakatuhu

I want to cover today a very fatal mistake most of us fall into. We commit it because we do not know the gravity of it and what will it cost us!!!
I know that you and I always try to strive to help others and do good so that we can get the reward for those deeds but some of us lose all the reward by doing a very simple action.. Sometimes we do this action without thinking……what is it?
It is what we call in Arabic Al Man’n
Al Man’n means, giving something to the person then saying: I gave you, or telling someone I did this and that for you and look at how you are paying me?!! Phrases like this which many of us use especially when someone hurts you after you being good to them.
Allah says:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لا تُبْطِلُوا صَدَقَاتِكُمْ بِالْمَنِّ وَالْأَذَى كَالَّذِي يُنْفِقُ مَالَهُ رِئَاءَ النَّاسِ وَلا يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ فَمَثَلُهُ كَمَثَلِ صَفْوَانٍ عَلَيْهِ تُرَابٌ فَأَصَابَهُ وَابِلٌ فَتَرَكَهُ صَلْداً لا يَقْدِرُونَ عَلَى شَيْءٍ مِمَّا كَسَبُوا وَاللَّهُ لا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الْكَافِرِينَ) (البقرة:264)
Translation:
O you who have believed, do not invalidate your charities with reminders or injury as does one who spends his wealth [only] to be seen by the people and does not believe in Allah and the Last Day. His example is like that of a [large] smooth stone upon which is dust and is hit by a downpour that leaves it bare. They are unable [to keep] anything of what they have earned. And Allah does not guide the disbelieving people. 2:264
The minute you utter that word my dear sister and brother, you have lost all the deeds you did for that person no matter how big or many they are. This is very common with us, especially with our families and friends. When we do good to someone, we say: I did this and that and I gave them and look at how they are treating me ??!!
Why my dear sister and brother? Why waste all your efforts and your deeds? Look back into your life and see how many deeds you have wasted by committing Man’n?
Let me ask you; Who are you giving?
You need to understand that when you give, you are giving Allah from the provisions of Allah!!!
When you give something, you are not giving it to the person, but your sadaqa or your charity falls on the hands of Allah first before it falls on the hands of the needy so have manners with Allah and look at how you are giving!! When you did what you did, did you do it for the sake of Allah or because you expected a pay back in return?
The Prophet peace be upon him said:
وعن أبي ذر رضي الله عنه عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: " ثلاثة لا يكلمهم الله يوم القيامة ولا ينظر إليهم، ولا يزكيهم ولهم عذاب أليم" قال: فقرأها رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ثلاث مرار. قال أبو ذر: خابوا وخسروا من هم يا رسول الله؟ قال: المسبل، والمنان، والمنفق سلعته بالحلف الكاذب" ((رواه مسلم)).
Translation:
Abi Thar may Allah pleased with him said, the Prophet peace be upon him said: There are three types of people to whom Allah (swt ) will not speak and neither will he bless them and for them is a severe torment” Abu thar said : The Prophet peace be upon him repeated it three times. I said: They are the losers Oh Messenger of Allah, who are they? The Prophet peace be upon him said: The Musbil (the man who lets his garment too long on the floor, The mannan (the one who gives and reminds those he gave) and the one who swears lying to sell his product. (Narrated Muslim)
Man’n is even worse when it is done to a relative or a family member, like a brother or a cousin or an uncle…etc.
You say: I did this and that for them and look at what they did to me or you say I covered for them and they exposed me and other phrases similar to this, disclosing the good you did.
The minute you open your mouth and say what you did, you should know that everything you did is down the drain and you simply got nothing from it. You might even suffer from it on the Day of Judgment as per the above hadith. So be careful my dear sister and brother, this is a big deal. Control your tongue and watch out what you say. One word could cost you a great amount of good deed and might make Allah angry with you.
Do good for the sake of Allah and hide it as much as you can because you only expect the reward from Allah and not from any human being.
The Prophet peace be upon him exaggerated in the hadith when he said your left hand should not know what your right hand has given!! This was to emphasis on the importance of hiding your good deeds and your charity.
May Allah grant us tawfeeq (success) to do good for others and avoid Man’n