Remembrance of Allah — Page 61
Prayer—The Most Important Form of Dhikr 61 Those performed at night are called Tahajjud and these are more important and so lofty that God Almighty has expressed their excellence in the Holy Quran in the following manner: S u rah al-Muzzammil, 73:7— اًلْيِق ُمَوْقَا َّو ًاْطَو ُّدَشَا َيِه ِلْيَّلا َةَئِشاَن َّنِا Meaning that getting up at night is a great means to set right the human self. Thus, if a person observes after experimenting, he would know that how, in this way, a tremendously broad improve- ment of the self takes place and a special energy and strength is attained. The companions of the Holy Prophet s as were very regular about them. And the Holy Prophet s as was so mindful of these Naw a fil that despite the fact that these were voluntary, he used to walk around at night to see who was offering them and who was not. Once, in the gathering of the Holy Prophet s as mention was made of Hadrat Abdullah bin Umar ra that he was very good in that he possesses this beauty and this quality. Upon hearing this, the Holy Prophet s as said, ‘Yes, he is very good, provided that he offers Tahajjud [supererogatory nightly Prayers]’ ( S a hīh al-Bukh ā r ī , Kitābut-Tahajjud, Bābu Fadli Qiyāmil-Lail; Hadith 1122]. 14 Since Abdullah bin Umar ra was a young man and was slack in offering Tahajjud Prayers, the Holy Prophet s as drew his attention to it in this way. Then the Holy Prophet s as has said that, may Allah have mercy on the husband and the wife who, if the husband wakes up at night, should get up and offer Tahajjud and awaken the wife so that she should also get up and offer the Tahajjud. And if she does