MUHAMM7D
Muslim
The righteous servants of Allaah used to welcome the month of Ramadhaan with repentance and true determination to reap its benefits and fully utilise its precious time. Our Salaf were the best in this vein. Here are some of their deeds in Ramadhaan:
Praying Qiyaam Al-Layl:
The Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam, said, "He who observes the Qiyaam of the month of Ramadhaan with sincere faith and hope for the reward of Allaah will have his past sins forgiven." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]. Also, Allaah says (what means): "And the servants of the Most Beneficent (Allaah) are those who walk on the earth with humility, and when the ignorant address them, they say (Peace); Those who spend the night in adoration of their Lord prostrating and standing." [Quran 25: 63-64]
Thus, waking up in the night to pray Qiyaam al-layl, i.e. performing prayer in the middle of the night, was a regular act of the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam, and his Companions. 'Aisha, may Allaah be pleased with her, said, "Do not abandon qiyaam al-layl, for the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam, never left it. If he was not well or he felt heavy, he prayed sitting."
Umar Ibn al-Khattab, may Allaah be pleased with him,, used to pray at night what he wished, until it was in the middle of the night, when he would awaken his family to pray; then he would say to them "prayer.. prayer", and would recite this verse of the Quran (which means): "Enjoin prayer on your people, and be constant therein. We ask you not to provide sustenance: We provide it for you. But the fruit of the Hereafter is for righteousness." [Quran 20:132]
Ibn Umar used to recite, "Is one who worships devoutly during the hours of the night, prostrating himself or standing (in adoration), who takes heed of the Hereafter, and who places his hope in the Mercy of his Lord like one who does not?". [Quran 39:9] He said that was referring to Uthman Ibn Affaan, may Allaah be pleased with him,. Ibn Abu Haatim said Ibn Umar said that it was due to the length of the prayer of the commander of the faithful, Uthman, at night and his recitation to the extent that he may have recited the entire Quran in one rak'ah!
Alqamah Ibn Qays narrated, "I slept with Abdullah Ibn Mas'ood, may Allaah be pleased with him, one night. He woke up in the early part of the night and began to pray. He recited with a recitation similar to that of the neighbourhood imam with a medium regular pace. Those around him could hear him and he continued until what remained of the night's darkness was equal to the time between the adhan (call) for maghrib prayer and the end of the maghrib prayer time, i.e. a short time before daybreak. He then performed with prayer.
Furthermore, Al-Sa'ib Ibn Zayd narrated in a hadith that the reciter would recite (the Quran) with hundreds of verses such that we supported ourselves with staves due to the lengthiness of the prayer and did not leave until the time of fajr (dawn prayer).
However, one has to complete the taraweeh prayer with the imam in order to be reckoned as one of those who stood (the night) in prayer. The Prophet, sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam, said, "Whoever stays with his imam until he completes the prayer, will have the night written for him as one who performed Qiyaam Al-Layl, i.e. one who stood the night in prayer."
Praying Qiyaam Al-Layl:
The Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam, said, "He who observes the Qiyaam of the month of Ramadhaan with sincere faith and hope for the reward of Allaah will have his past sins forgiven." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]. Also, Allaah says (what means): "And the servants of the Most Beneficent (Allaah) are those who walk on the earth with humility, and when the ignorant address them, they say (Peace); Those who spend the night in adoration of their Lord prostrating and standing." [Quran 25: 63-64]
Thus, waking up in the night to pray Qiyaam al-layl, i.e. performing prayer in the middle of the night, was a regular act of the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam, and his Companions. 'Aisha, may Allaah be pleased with her, said, "Do not abandon qiyaam al-layl, for the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam, never left it. If he was not well or he felt heavy, he prayed sitting."
Umar Ibn al-Khattab, may Allaah be pleased with him,, used to pray at night what he wished, until it was in the middle of the night, when he would awaken his family to pray; then he would say to them "prayer.. prayer", and would recite this verse of the Quran (which means): "Enjoin prayer on your people, and be constant therein. We ask you not to provide sustenance: We provide it for you. But the fruit of the Hereafter is for righteousness." [Quran 20:132]
Ibn Umar used to recite, "Is one who worships devoutly during the hours of the night, prostrating himself or standing (in adoration), who takes heed of the Hereafter, and who places his hope in the Mercy of his Lord like one who does not?". [Quran 39:9] He said that was referring to Uthman Ibn Affaan, may Allaah be pleased with him,. Ibn Abu Haatim said Ibn Umar said that it was due to the length of the prayer of the commander of the faithful, Uthman, at night and his recitation to the extent that he may have recited the entire Quran in one rak'ah!
Alqamah Ibn Qays narrated, "I slept with Abdullah Ibn Mas'ood, may Allaah be pleased with him, one night. He woke up in the early part of the night and began to pray. He recited with a recitation similar to that of the neighbourhood imam with a medium regular pace. Those around him could hear him and he continued until what remained of the night's darkness was equal to the time between the adhan (call) for maghrib prayer and the end of the maghrib prayer time, i.e. a short time before daybreak. He then performed with prayer.
Furthermore, Al-Sa'ib Ibn Zayd narrated in a hadith that the reciter would recite (the Quran) with hundreds of verses such that we supported ourselves with staves due to the lengthiness of the prayer and did not leave until the time of fajr (dawn prayer).
However, one has to complete the taraweeh prayer with the imam in order to be reckoned as one of those who stood (the night) in prayer. The Prophet, sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam, said, "Whoever stays with his imam until he completes the prayer, will have the night written for him as one who performed Qiyaam Al-Layl, i.e. one who stood the night in prayer."