Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) - 50: Prayers As The
Night Begins
Islamic Perspectives - Muslim JournalsArab News
& Information - By Sheikh Muhammad Al-Ghazali
When the long day is over and its hard toil comes to a
close, Muslims finish their day with the last of their
five obligatory prayers. During the lifetime of the
Prophet (peace be upon him), everyone went back home
to relax and rest. The question to ask is how did
Muhammad (peace be upon him) spend his nights? Think
of any of the great philosophers of divinity and their
devotion: Had any of them done throughout their long
days a portion of what Muhammad did in his nights, he
would have made a remarkable achievement. The best
description of Muhammad in this context is the
‘worshipping Prophet.' The start of the night meant
for him a new phase of drawing closer to God. Scholars
of Hadith have reported a gem of his glorifications
and supplications at night. We will only be able to
quote a few of these.
Two of the Prophet's companions report that when he
went to bed, he said: "It is in Your name, my Lord,
that I live and I die." Abu Hurayrah quotes the
Prophet as saying: "When any of you goes to bed, he
should say: ‘In Your name, my Lord, do I place myself
and with Your help I rise again. If You withhold my
soul, have mercy on me, and if You let me live,
protect me as You protect Your pious servants.'" This
sort of address to God provides us with an insight
into the Qur'anic verse that says: "God takes away
people's souls upon their death, and the souls of the
living during their sleep. He keeps with Him the souls
of those whose death He has ordained and sends back
the others until their appointed time." (39: 42)
Reflection on the meaning of the Qur'anic verse and
the Prophet's supplication will make a believer
realize that his soul is in God's hand. His life is a
gift from God that he receives at every minute. He
goes to bed but may not rise until the Day of
Resurrection. Should this be the case, he prays for
God's mercy. If he rises in the morning, he hopes to
enjoy God's care and protection. It is the best
approach to life, totally free of conceit.
Al-Bara ibn Azib quotes the Prophet as saying: "When
you want to go to bed, perform your ablutions as you
do when you want to pray. Then lie on your right side,
and say: ‘My Lord, to You do I submit myself; in Your
hand do I place my affairs; Your support do I seek, in
hope and fear of You. All shelter and safety come from
You. I believe in Your book that You have revealed and
in Your Prophet whom You have sent.' Should you die
during the night, you are certain to have died
believing in the true faith."
What does repeating these words every night give us?
When we close our eyes and get ready to sleep, we put
our will aside and leave everything for a short or
long while. Many are those who feel that they are
going into the unknown. A believer, however,
surrenders himself to his Lord, placing his life
affairs in His hand and seeking His protection. Only
God can look after him then. Who else can be relied
upon to protect him from all evil?
As they go to bed, some people try to take account of
what they did in their day, balancing gain against
loss, good actions against errors. The supplication
the Prophet has taught us relieves us of such a hard
task. It places all our hopes and fears in God's hand
as we assert one major point in our address to God: "I
believe in Your book that You have revealed and in
Your Prophet whom You have sent." That is the true
faith that gives a Muslim a very comfortable night.
Another Hadith mentions that the Prophet used to say
as he went to bed: "My Lord, You are the Lord of the
heavens and earth, the Lord of the great Throne, our
Lord and the Lord of everything. You are the One who
splits the grains and the fruit-stones (to let plants
and trees grow). You are the One who revealed the
Torah, the Gospel and the Qur'an. I appeal to You to
protect me from evil, as You are the One who controls
everything. You are the First and there was none
before You. You are the last and there will be none
after You. You are the Outer and there is nothing
above You, and You are the Inner and there is nothing
beneath You. Help us to repay our debts and save us
from poverty."
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