—Surah al-Muzzammil, 73:7
Now I will inform you about Salat. This is the most essential and important form of dhikr, because in it man sometimes engages in dhikr while standing [qiyam], and sometimes while in a state of ruku‘ [bowing down] and sometimes while prostrating in sajdah [prostration], and sometimes while sitting [qa‘dah]. Then, one also recites the Holy Quran in Salat and then, apart from this, one also engages in repeating other sentences in the remembrance of Allah. Thus, Salat is a compendium of all forms of dhikr. I had refrained from mentioning these in the beginning because it requires a great deal of detail but I mention them now.
There are three parts of Salat: (1) Fard [obligatory Prayers], (2) Sunnah [the Holy Prophet’s practice], and (3) Nafl [supererogatory Prayers]. All people offer Fard and Sunnah. What remain are Nawafil [pl. of Nafl—supererogatory Prayers]. Most show indolence in offering them. What must be remembered concerning the Sunnan [plural of Sunnah] is that they have been prescribed so that whatever shortcomings may have been left in the offering of the Fard may thereby be made up because Allah the Exalted does not accept an imperfect Salat, but rather accepts only the Salat that is perfect. Thus, if there are deficiencies, then the Sunnan may make up for them.
For example, if someone offered Salat but he failed to maintain his attention in one of the rak‘at [units of Prayer] and various and sundry types of whisperings kept on developing so that that rak‘at was not accepted, the Sunnah will replace them so that the Salat may be completed. As the Holy Prophet (sas) was very aware of the state of man’s heart and understood these things, it was for this reason that he attached the Sunnah with the obligatory Prayers from himself so that they may compensate for the deficiencies in the offering of the obligatory Prayers. And this was a very great favour of the Holy Prophet (sas) on his Ummah.
Then there are Nawafil. These are means of attaining nearness to God Almighty. In other words, they take a person beyond just Nijat [deliverance from sin] and become the means for attaining loftier stations. Thus, anyone desiring nearness of Allah should give special attention to Nawafil. Then Nawafil are also of many types. Some are offered during the day; others during the night. Those performed at night are called Tahajjud and these are more important and so lofty that God Almighty has expressed their excellence in the Holy Quran in the following manner:
—Surah al-Muzzammil, 73:7
Meaning that getting up at night is a great means to set right the human self. Thus, if a person observes after experimenting, he would know that how, in this way, a tremendously broad improvement of the self takes place and a special energy and strength is attained.
The companions of the Holy Prophet (sas) were very regular about them. And the Holy Prophet (sas) was so mindful of these Nawafil that despite the fact that these were voluntary, he used to walk around at night to see who was offering them and who was not.
Once, in the gathering of the Holy Prophet (sas) mention was made of Hazrat Abdullah bin Umar (ra) that he was very good in that he possesses this beauty and this quality. Upon hearing this, the Holy Prophet (sas) said, ‘Yes, he is very good, provided that he offers Tahajjud [supererogatory nightly Prayers].’1
Since Abdullah bin Umar (ra) was a young man and was slack in offering Tahajjud Prayers, the Holy Prophet (sas) drew his attention to it in this way.
Then the Holy Prophet (sas) has said that, may Allah have mercy on the husband and the wife who, if the husband wakes up at night, should get up and offer Tahajjud and awaken the wife so that she should also get up and offer the Tahajjud. And if she does not wake up, sprinkles water on her face to awaken her. And similarly if it is the wife who awakens, let her do the same; that is, offer Tahajjud and awaken her husband and if he does not wake up she sprinkles some water on his face.2
Look, how on the one hand the Holy Prophet (sas) has declared it to be highly essential for the wife to respect her husband, and yet he has permitted her to even sprinkle some water, if necessary, to awaken him for Tahajjud. So, that is how important the Holy Prophet (sas) deemed Tahajjud to be! This is all from the Holy Prophet (sas).
Then the Holy Quran tells us that getting up [for Nawafil] at night reforms the self. This is indeed the reason why the Holy Prophet (sas) used to say to the Companions (ra) that they must perform Tahajjud, even if it is of only two rak‘at [units of Prayer]. Then it is also proven from the Hadith that God Almighty comes very close in the latter part of the night and accepts prayers in abundance. Offering Tahajjud, therefore, is very important and very beneficial.
I narrated the dream to Hafsa who told it to the Holy Prophet (sas). The Prophet said, ‘Abdullah is the best of men, if only he could pray at night.’ After that Abdullah (i.e. Salim’s father) used to sleep but a little at night (Sahīh al-Bukhārī, Kitābut-Tahajjud, Bābu Fadli Qiyāmil-Lail; Hadith 1122).
Abu Hurairah narrated: The Messenger of Allah (sas) said: ‘May Allah show mercy to the man who gets up during the night and prays, who awakens his wife and she prays; if she refuses, he sprinkles water on her face. May Allah show mercy to the woman who gets up during the night and prays, who awakens her husband, and he prays; if he refuses, she sprinkles water on his face’ (Mishkāt al-Masābīh, Kitābus-Salāt, Bābut-Tahrīd ‘Alā Qiyāmil-Lail; Hadith 1230).
