The word tahajjud has a deep connection with the depth of the night. When the night grows deep, the time of tahajjud comes. Tahajjud is the time to fill the cup of love by pouring out the emotion of the heart. It is the finest way of loving conversation with the Lord in prostration; it is the name of drawing out the language of the mind through the eyes and smearing peace on the hands and face. In the time of tahajjud, the Lord comes very close to the servant, and the servant too has the chance to be near the Lord and place all his needs before Him. At this time the people of the world rest in comfortable sleep. To receive the Lord’s special mercy descending from the Throne, the servant must sacrifice comfort. The more sacrifice and effort worship involves, the more profitable its fruit will be.
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, “After the obligatory prayers, the most virtuous prayer is the prayer of the night.” (Muslim: 1163). The night prayer is one of the paths to the forgiveness of sins, to nearness, and to keeping the heart good and away from evil. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “You should perform qiyam al-layl, the night prayer. For worship at night was the practice of the righteous people before you. It is a path to nearness to your Lord, a means of forgiveness of sins, and a means of staying away from sin and indecency.” (Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah: 1135).
The palaces of the world stand upon the earth, and the earth too awaits the blast of Israfil (peace be upon him). The sky and the earth will all be destroyed. The palace of this world is beautiful only in name in the eyes of the world; but for those who worship through the wakeful night, there are eternal palaces of Paradise of indescribable beauty. It is narrated from Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “The palaces in Paradise will be such that everything outside can be seen from within, and everything within can be seen from outside.” A bedouin stood up and asked, “O Messenger of Allah, for whom are these?” He said: “For those who speak softly with people, feed the hungry, keep the fasts, and pray at night when people are asleep.” (Tirmidhi: 2527).
We are human beings, servants of Allah. He knows that we may commit sins. That is why He keeps open a boundless opportunity for forgiveness and, descending to the nearest heaven at the time of tahajjud, keeps calling us. It is narrated from the companion Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “When the last third of every night remains, our Lord descends to the nearest heaven and announces: Is there anyone who will call upon Me, that I may answer his call? Is there anyone who will ask of Me, that I may give it to him? Is there anyone who will seek My forgiveness, that I may forgive him?” (Bukhari: 6321).
The excitement of the football World Cup is now everywhere in the world. Lovers of Brazil and Argentina wake in the last part of the night to watch their favorite team’s battle, while the true believers, drawn by the nearness of Allah, cannot remain asleep in the last part of the night. Making tahajjud a bridge and riding the vehicle of prostration, they set out for the court of the great Lord. What better destination can there be for a believer than the court of Allah! May the Lord accept us all.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report