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Omar Ibn Al-Khattab, and the secret behind the dark circles below his eyes! Ibn Masu'od, and the hum within his chest ribs; Anas Ibn Malik who used to divide the whole night, not feeling satisfied with only one or two thirds of the night!!

An article by Mr. Amr Khaled published in Almara’a Alyawm Magazine (The Woman Today), in 18/11/2003

Omar Ibn Al-Khattab used to have dark lines below his eyes engraved by his flowing tears. He used to wake up at night and wake his family up saying, “And enjoin As-Salât (the prayer) on your family, and be patient in offering them [i.e. the Salât (prayers)].”

One night while praying he recited a certain verse, after which he fell unconscious. Do you know which verse it is? Allah Almighty says what we can translate as, “Verily, the Torment of your Lord will surely come to pass.” (TMQ, 52:7-8)[1]. He read it and fell unconscious. People kept on visiting him for a month without knowing what was wrong with him. By Allah!! They visited him for a month because of a verse, which you read at least once per month. Pardon me brother! But hearts are never the same, never equal. This was Omar Ibn Al-Khattab.

Look at Ibn Masu’od; at night when all people slept, he used to pray and shed tears, humming like bees.

Anas Ibn Malik used to divide the night into three parts: He used to pray all along the first third, before awakening his wife to pray in the second third, after which she would awaken her daughter to pray in the last third. When his wife died he divided the night between himself and his daughter, so he used to pray during the first half of the night, while his daughter prayed in the second. After Anas's death his daughter was devoted to praying all night.

How poor we are… our houses can never be compared to theirs! How wonderful was Anas's family… May Allah make our houses as pious as theirs.

The lovers of Qiyam prayers are people whom Allah has aided to love and subdue to Him. They are real good models that revive the hearts when remembering them. One of them says, “For almost one year I had a hard time getting used to Qiyam prayers. Yet, I have been enjoying it for twenty years”. Such are the fruit of a true experience. They are true words coming out of a believing heart. A whole year of fatigue, suffering and endurance, but in the end, the result has been twenty years of happiness, and enjoyment. It is true that whoever sows must reap; he who spends all night long (or most of it) up for prayers is never like that who spends it sleeping. As one of the devout believers says, “Get to know that to reach supremacy you have to desert your pillow”.

Now read this delicate notion exemplified through simple words that were the result of special moments. A devout believer says that when he approached his bed he stroked it and said, “you are indeed so soft but what in Paradise is much softer”. Then he got up and prayed till the dawn. He had all the right to do so, “What in Paradise is much softer?” Really, how would he be satisfied with the things much less than those in Paradise?

Another good believer used to say when looking at his bed, “Remembering Hell renders worshippers sleepless”. We feel that those words were not vacant, they are thumping words felt by those who have experienced the true taste of life in the deep night; those who have submitted their hearts to their Creator, voicing the start!!

There are many misunderstood concepts among people. Master Al-Hasan Ibn Ali clarified this when he said, “If you are unable to perform Qiyam and unable to fast during the day, know that you are a deprived person, and that your sins have increased.” This is the exact meaning of the word “deprived”'.

Al-Hasan Al-Basri had a maid whom he sold to some people. On her first night at their house, she woke up and cried out, “Everybody in the house, wake up it is time to pray!” They asked, “Is it dawn?” She asked, “Don't you pray except the five prayers?” They answered, “Yes”. She then returned to her first master – Al-Hasan Al-Basri – saying, “O! Master! Please take me back, for you have sold me to people who pray only the five prayers”.

Our reality is totally different from that of our ancestors, isn't it? A maid said these words? I wonder what she would say if she was she with us nowadays!

A follower of the Sahaba (Prophet's Companions) said, “Once I saw in my dreams a very beautiful woman and asked her, 'Who are you?' She replied, 'go to my master and propose to marry me'. I asked her, 'and what is your dowry?' She replied, 'long night prayers’”. May Allah help us afford such a dowry!

Dear brothers prepare the dowry from now because it is not only one houri but myriads of them waiting for their suitors. Are you one of the suitors?

Al-Fodail Ibn Aiaad said, “When the sun sets and the night comes forth, I feel happy because people sleep and I sit alone with Allah the Almighty”. What a genuine feeling! It is a feeling that springs out of the heart of a man who experienced such profound sensation. How beautiful are those moments when every lover sits alone with his beloved! Some might be amazed and wonder how could anyone love sitting in the dark? Well, people who love night time long for it to enjoy talking to their beloved Lord, and be alone with Him while shunning this life!!

Al-Mansour Ibn Al-Mo'tamid used to pray daily all night on the roof of his house. When he died his neighbor’s son asked his mother, “Where is the tree-trunk that was on Al-Mansour's roof?” His mother replied, “Son! it was not a tree-trunk, it was Al-Mansour and he is dead now so you will never see the tree-trunk again”!!

I am afraid you might be listening to such words and events, and your reaction is just wondering about them.

Dear brother, a human being is not born great within a night. There must be reasons leading to such greatness.

A man saw one of the followers crying and felt pity for him. He asked the follower, “Why are you crying? Are you hurt?” The follower answered, “Worse”. The man asked, “Did you lose any of your people?” the follower replied, “Worse”. The man asked again, “Did you lose your money?” the follower replied, “Worse”. The man wondered, “what can be worse than all that?” the follower replied, “I slept yesterday and forgot to perform Qiyam prayers”.

How wretched we are! How sorry we should be! We should shed tears on the times wasted and the rights violated. Let's announce it a mourning period since night is whining out of loneliness!

A follower said, “For forty years I have not felt sad because of anything like being sad for the dawn break”. How can he not feel sad while he is not attached to this life? His heart is wandering around in heavens, and the call for prayer at dawn awakens him to the fact that he is still on earth living like its people.

Another follower said, “When I start performing Qiyam prayers, I feel worried of how long it will be. Yet, the dawn breaks and still I have not satisfied my love of praying at night.”

Whoever has performed I'tikaf (Seclusion in a mosque with the intention of worshiping Allah only) in the last ten days of Ramadan has experienced such a feeling. Look at such a person. He prepares himself for prayers with an ablution through which sins are erased; he prepares his place of praying through laying a carpet on the floor; when he starts praying and joyfully communicating with the Lord, he hears the call for prayer saying “Allahu Akbar”, yet, he will never satisfy his thirst, his need to be close to Allah. Can you put the sea water in a cup?

One the followers said, “People who perform Qiyam prayer enjoy their nights more than frivolous people enjoy them”. Whoever thinks that the sweet discussion with the wife or that the telephone calls, chatting, watching television etc… are the best and the mostly sought pleasures then he is wrong. The real pleasure is that of the heart and soul, which is only found at night in praying to the beloved Lord.

Praise be to Allah, I can see a trace of happiness on your faces now. I can feel it. Some of you truly believe in what I say but cannot announce it because they are keen on keeping it as a secret. I ask you all to pray during such a charming time!

Read the following Hadith, which I hope would encourage you insh'Allah to perform Qiyam prayers. But I hope before reading it that you would change your status, I mean the place where you are reading, or the way you are sitting, or put the book in front of you for a few moments then reread it. If it is possible, please go and perform ablution; do not be surprised, the Hadith deserves that.

Allah the almighty revealed to Dawud (David), “O Dawud! I have worshippers whom I love and who love Me, whom I long for and who long for Me. If you imitate them Dawud I will love you.” Dawud asked, “Dear Lord, tell me who they are!” Allah the Almighty said, “They are people who maintain their prayers by day and long for the night like birds longing for their nests. When night comes and every lover is alone with his beloved, they would lay their faces on the ground for Me, stand up all night talking to Me with My words, and adulating Me for My bounties, either screaming, crying, moaning, or complaining. Do you know Dawud, I give them three things. The first: If the seven skies and the seven earths were in their scale on the Day of Judgment I would consider them not enough for them. The second: I clear their faces and fill their hearts with My light. The third: I meet them face-to-face. Imagine if I meet them face-to-face Dawud! What do you think I would give them?”

Dear brother! Know that this prophetic tradition is very effective so read it again, taste its beauty and make sure you maintain the real pleasure and pray at night.

[1] TMQ=Translation of the Meaning of the Qur'an. This translation is for the realized meaning, so far, of the stated (Surah:Ayah) of the Qur'an. Reading the translated meaning of the Qur'an can never replace reading it in Arabic, the language in which it was revealed.

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