NIght Prayer
A special time of connection, prayer and invocation between Allah and His special slaves.
May Allah make us from them. Ameen.
Night Prayer
The time for the voluntary night prayer begins after the ‘Isha prayer and lasts until before the Fajr Adhaan. The night is divided into three parts, with the last third being the best time to perform this prayer.
The prayer is prayed in units of 2 raka’ah + 1 single raka’ah. So it can be a total of anywhere from 1 to 11 raka’ah (including the Witr).
The Prophet (ﷺ) observed Witr prayer as a regular practice (Sunnah) and never left this prayer, even when traveling.
عَنْ جَابِرٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ” مَنْ خَافَ أَنْ لاَ يَقُومَ مِنْ آخِرِ اللَّيْلِ فَلْيُوتِرْ أَوَّلَهُ وَمَنْ طَمِعَ أَنْ يَقُومَ آخِرَهُ فَلْيُوتِرْ آخِرَ اللَّيْلِ فَإِنَّ صَلاَةَ آخِرِ اللَّيْلِ مَشْهُودَةٌ وَذَلِكَ أَفْضَلُ ”
Jabir reported Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: If anyone is afraid that he may not get up in the latter part of the night, he should observe Witr in the first part of it; and if anyone is eager to get up in the last part of it, he should observe Witr at the end of the night, for prayer at the end of the night is witnessed (by the angels) and that is preferable.
(Sahih Muslim 755)
Note: Witr cannot be read twice in one day. If we pray our Witr earlier at night and wish to pray more units later during that night, then we should pray in units of 2 raka’ah so that the total number of raka’ah will remain an odd number.
Night Prayer Calculator
Virtues of the Night Prayer
The Best Prayer after the Obligatory Prayers
سُئِلَ [أي النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم]: أَيُّ الصَّلَاةِ أَفْضَلُ بَعْدَ المَكْتُوبَةِ؟ وَأَيُّ الصِّيَامِ أَفْضَلُ بَعْدَ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ؟ فَقالَ: أَفْضَلُ الصَّلَاةِ بَعْدَ الصَّلَاةِ المَكْتُوبَةِ الصَّلَاةُ في جَوْفِ اللَّيْلِ، وَأَفْضَلُ الصِّيَامِ بَعْدَ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ صِيَامُ شَهْرِ اللهِ المُحَرَّمِ.
الراوي : أبو هريرة | المحدث : مسلم | المصدر : صحيح مسلم
الصفحة أو الرقم: 1163 | خلاصة حكم المحدث : [صحيح]
Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) reported that he (the Messenger of Allah) was asked as to which prayer was most excellent after the prescribed prayer, and which fast was most excellent after the month of Ramadan. He said:
Prayer offered in the middle of the night and the most excellent fast after (fasting) in the month of Ramadan is the fast in God’s month al-Muharram. (Sahih Muslim 1163).
The Time Allah is Closest to a Worshipper
أقربُ ما يكونُ الربُّ من العبدِ في جوفِ الليلِ الآخرِ ، فإنِ استطعتَ أن تكونَ ممَّن يذكرُ اللهَ في تلكَ الساعةِ فكنْ
الراوي : عمرو بن عبسة | المحدث : الألباني | المصدر : صحيح الجامع | الصفحة أو الرقم : 1173 | خلاصة حكم المحدث : صحيح | التخريج : أخرجه الترمذي (3579)، والنسائي (572)
The Prophet (ﷺ) said:
The closest that the Lord is to a worshipper is during the last part of the night, so if you are able to be of those who remember Allah in that hour, then do so.”
Following the Advice of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم)
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ أَوْصَانِي خَلِيلِي صلى الله عليه وسلم بِثَلاَثٍ صِيَامِ ثَلاَثَةِ أَيَّامٍ مِنْ كُلِّ شَهْرٍ، وَرَكْعَتَىِ الضُّحَى، وَأَنْ أُوتِرَ قَبْلَ أَنْ أَنَامَ.
Narrated Abu Huraira: My friend (the Prophet (ﷺ)) advised me to observe three things: (1) to fast three days a month; (2) to pray two rak`at of Duha prayer (forenoon prayer); and (3) to pray witr before sleeping.
(Sahih al-Bukhari 1981)
The Best Voluntary Prayer After The Obligatory Prayers
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، – رضى الله عنه – قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ” أَفْضَلُ الصِّيَامِ بَعْدَ رَمَضَانَ شَهْرُ اللَّهِ الْمُحَرَّمُ وَأَفْضَلُ الصَّلاَةِ بَعْدَ الْفَرِيضَةِ صَلاَةُ اللَّيْلِ ” .
Abu Haraira (Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:
The most excellent fast after Ramadan is God’s month. al-Muharram, and the most excellent prayer after what is prescribed is prayer during the night.
(Sahih Muslim 1163)
Be Among the Righteous
Expiation of Sins
Forbids/Protects from Falling into Sin
أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ” عَلَيْكُمْ بِقِيَامِ اللَّيْلِ فَإِنَّهُ دَأْبُ الصَّالِحِينَ قَبْلَكُمْ وَإِنَّ قِيَامَ اللَّيْلِ قُرْبَةٌ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَمَنْهَاةٌ عَنِ الإِثْمِ وَتَكْفِيرٌ لِلسَّيِّئَاتِ وَمَطْرَدَةٌ لِلدَّاءِ عَنِ الْجَسَدِ “
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Hold fast to Qiyam al-Lail, for it is the practice of the righteous before you, and indeed Qiyam al-Lail is a means of nearness to Allah, a means of prevention from sin, an expiation for bad deeds, and a barrier for the body against disease.”
(At-Tirmidhi, Hadith #3502)
Honor of the Believer
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم “شرف المؤمن قيامه بالليل وعزه استغناؤه عن الناس
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “The honor of the believer is in his night prayer, and his respect is being self-sufficient from people.” (Al-Bukhari, Hadith #884)
Wake up in the morning in a good and energetic mood
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ” إِذَا نَامَ أَحَدُكُمْ عَقَدَ الشَّيْطَانُ عَلَى رَأْسِهِ ثَلاَثَ عُقَدٍ يَضْرِبُ عَلَى كُلِّ عُقْدَةٍ لَيْلاً طَوِيلاً أَىِ ارْقُدْ فَإِنِ اسْتَيْقَظَ فَذَكَرَ اللَّهَ انْحَلَّتْ عُقْدَةٌ فَإِنْ تَوَضَّأَ انْحَلَّتْ عُقْدَةٌ أُخْرَى فَإِنْ صَلَّى انْحَلَّتِ الْعُقَدُ كُلُّهَا فَيُصْبِحُ طَيِّبَ النَّفْسِ نَشِيطًا وَإِلاَّ أَصْبَحَ خَبِيثَ النَّفْسِ كَسْلاَنَ ” .
It was narrated that Abu Hurairah said:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘When any one of you goes to sleep, the Shaitan ties three knots on his head, saying each time: “(Sleep) a long night.” If he wakes up and remembers Allah (SWT), one knot is undone. If he performs wudu’, another knot is undone. If he prays, all the knots are undone and he starts his day in a good mood and feeling energetic. Otherwise he starts his day in a bad mood and feeling lethargic.'”
(Sunan an-Nasa’i 1607)
Entering Paradise in Peace
سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول: “يا أيها الناس أفشوا السلام، وأطعموا الطعام، وصلوا الأرحام وصلوا والناس نيام، تدخلوا الجنة بسلام“
I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying, “O people, exchange greetings of peace (i.e., say: As-Salamu ‘Alaikum to one another), feed people, strengthen the ties of kinship, and be in prayer when others are asleep, you will enter Jannah in peace.”
(Sunan Ibn Majah Book 29, Hadith 1)
Entering Paradise with a Special Room
إنَّ في الجنَّةِ غرفًا يُرى ظاهرُها من باطنِها وباطنُها من ظاهرِها أعدَّها اللهُ لمَنْ أطعم الطَّعامَ وأفشى السَّلامَ وصلَّى بالليلِ والنَّاسُ نيامٌ
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “In Paradise there is a room from which the inside can be seen from outside, and the outside can be seen from inside, for the one who uses good words, feeds people and spends his night in prayer when people are sleeping.” (Sahih At Targheeb 946, Authenticated by Al Albani as Sahih)