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الفتح الربانی
Fath al-Rabbani
أبواب صلاة الليل والوترChapters on Night Prayer and Witr
بَابُ مَا جَاءَ فِي فَضْلِ صَلَاةِ اللَّيْلِ وَالْحَثِّ عَلَيْهَا وَأَفْضَلِ أَوْقَاتِهَاChapter on the Virtue of Night Prayer, Encouragement for It, and Its Best Times
Hadith 2113
اُردوEn
عَنِ الْأَغَرِّ أَبِي مُسْلِمٍ قَالَ: أَشْهَدُ عَلَى أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ وَأَبِي سَعِيدٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا أَنَّهُمَا شَهِدَا عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: ((إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُمْهِلُ حَتَّى يَذْهَبَ ثُلُثُ اللَّيْلِ، ثُمَّ يَهْبِطُ فَيَقُولُ هَلْ مِنْ دَاعٍ فَيُسْتَجَابُ لَهُ هَلْ مِنْ مُسْتَغْفِرٍ فَيُغْفَرُ لَهُ))
Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah and Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id (may Allah be pleased with them both) bore witness that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Indeed, Allah delays until a third of the night has passed, then He descends and says: Is there anyone who supplicates so that his supplication may be accepted? Is there anyone seeking forgiveness so that he may be forgiven?
Brief Explanation
Benefits: … Just as is befitting to the majesty of Allah Ta'ala, He descends to the lowest heaven in accordance with that. We accept this descent of His without interpretation (ta'wil), but we do not describe its modality (kayfiyyah)—that is, how He descends.
What is the time of this descent of Allah Ta'ala? There are various narrations transmitted regarding this: The summary of the narrations from Sahih Muslim narrated by Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu is: (1) after the first third of the night, (2) after half the night, or (3) in the last third of the night. Qadi Iyad said: The scholars of hadith (mashayikh al-hadith) are of the opinion that the statement regarding the last third of the night is more preponderant (rajih); this is the meaning found in most narrations. However, if all the authentic narrations are applied to different circumstances, that is better.
What is the time of this descent of Allah Ta'ala? There are various narrations transmitted regarding this: The summary of the narrations from Sahih Muslim narrated by Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu is: (1) after the first third of the night, (2) after half the night, or (3) in the last third of the night. Qadi Iyad said: The scholars of hadith (mashayikh al-hadith) are of the opinion that the statement regarding the last third of the night is more preponderant (rajih); this is the meaning found in most narrations. However, if all the authentic narrations are applied to different circumstances, that is better.
