The Historical Account of Namaz or Salat– Standing in Prayer at Night (Quiyam-ul-Lail) (Part 7)
By Nastik Durrani, New Age Islam
22 February, 2014
Based
on the books of Sirah and the Qur'anic exegeses, Islamic scholars
conducted their researches and concluded that the five daily prayers
were enjoined upon Muslims several years after the first Quranic verse
was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Moreover, they
have established that the Prophet PBUH would offer the Tahajjud prayer
and engage in other night prayers before he proclaimed his prophethood.
Hazrat Ibn Abbas narrates that the night prayers were mandatory for the
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and his Ummah at the advent of
Islam. They continued with this practice for one or ten years until it
was abrogated by the commandment of the five daily obligatory prayers.
(1)
According
to other traditions, when Allah the Almighty revealed the verse: “Ya
Ayyuhal Muzammil” (O you who wraps himself in garments) to the prophet
(peace be upon him), he kept awake throughout the night for ten years in
the same way as Allah ordered him. A group of Sahaba (Prophet’s
companions) also joined him in standing at night prayers, whereupon
Allah the Almighty revealed a verse ten years later: “Indeed, your Lord
knows, [O Muhammad], that you stand [in prayer] almost two thirds of the
night or half of it or a third of it, and [so do] a group of those with
you. And Allah determines [the extent of] the night and the day. He has
known that you [Muslims] will not be able to do it and has turned to
you in forgiveness, so recite what is easy [for you] of the Qur'an. He
has known that there will be among you those who are ill and others
travelling throughout the land seeking [something] of the bounty of
Allah and others fighting for the cause of Allah. So recite what is easy
from it and establish prayer and give Zakah and loan Allah a goodly loan.”
So,
Allah made it easy for them ten years later. (2) It has also been
narrated that after the revelation of the verse “Ya Ayyuhal Muzammil”,
Prophet PBUH and his companions kept standing up in the night prayers
until their legs and feet were pained and swollen. But when God sent
down the verse “Faqrau Ma Tayassar Minhu” (so recite what is easy [for you] of the Qur'an), it was made easy for them (3).
Another
tradition says: when the earliest part of the Surah Muzammil was sent
down, Prophet PBUH and his companions would stand up in the night
prayers much in the same way as they used to do in the month of Ramadan
(4).
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