Fath al-Rabbani

Benefits: … The individuals of the previous nations used to have very long lifespans; the period of Prophet Nuh’s (alayhis salam) preaching was 950 years. In comparison, the people of the ummah of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam have shorter lifespans. It is narrated from Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: “The lifespan of my ummah is between sixty and seventy years, and few among them exceed this.”
(Tirmidhi: 2/272, Ibn Majah: 4236)
Most of the individuals of the ummah of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam have had lifespans within this range. The Noble Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam himself departed from this transient world at the age of 63 years. Very few personalities have exceeded these ages, for example, among the Companions: Sayyidah Asma bint Abi Bakr radi Allahu anha lived for 100 years, Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik radi Allahu anhu lived for 103 years, Sayyiduna Hassan bin Thabit radi Allahu anhu lived for 120 years, and Sayyiduna Salman al-Farsi radi Allahu anhu lived for 250 years.
Even now, individuals who attain such long lives are very few. However, Allah Ta’ala has granted the ummah of the Noble Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, as a recompense for their short lifespan, such acts of worship through which lofty ranks can be attained in a short period. Consider the following two examples:
(1) It is narrated from Sayyiduna Aws radi Allahu anhu that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: “Whoever performs ritual bath (ghusl) on the day of Jumu‘ah, washes (his head) thoroughly, goes early to the mosque, catches the initial sermon of the Imam, sits near the Imam and listens to the sermon attentively and remains silent, for every step he takes, he will receive the reward of a year’s fasting and standing in prayer.” (Tirmidhi: 456)
(2) Allah Ta’ala has declared in Surah al-Qadr that standing (in worship) on the Night of Qadr (Laylat al-Qadr) is better than a thousand months of worship. Hafiz Ibn Kathir has presented the following narrations in his tafsir regarding the revelation of this surah; these narrations are presented without verification.
In Ibn Abi Hatim: Imam Mujahid says: The Noble Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam mentioned a man from Bani Isra’il who remained armed in the path of Allah, i.e., in jihad, for a thousand months. The Muslims were greatly astonished upon hearing this, so Allah Ta’ala revealed this surah, that the worship of one Night of Qadr is superior to that man’s worship of a thousand months. In Ibn Jarir: There was a man among Bani Isra’il who would stand in prayer at night until morning and fight the enemies of the religion during the day until evening, and he continued this action for a thousand months. Thus, Allah Ta’ala revealed this surah, that the standing (in worship) of any person of this ummah on Laylat al-Qadr is superior to the worship of that devotee for a thousand months. In Ibn Abi Hatim: The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam mentioned four worshippers from Bani Isra’il who worshipped Allah Ta’ala for eighty years, and not even for the blink of an eye did they disobey Allah: Ayyub, Zakariyya, Hizqil bin ‘Ajuz, and Yusha‘ bin Nun (alayhimus salam). The Companions radi Allahu anhum were greatly astonished at this. At that moment, Jibril alayhis salam came to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and said: “O Muhammad! Your ummah is astonished at the worship of this group. Allah Ta’ala has revealed to you something even better than this, and said that this thing is superior to that which you and your ummah have expressed astonishment over.” Thus, Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and his Companions became extremely happy (this thing was the Night of Qadr). Imam Mujahid says: The meaning is that the good deed of this night, its fasting, its prayer, is superior to the fasting and prayer of a thousand months in which there is no Laylat al-Qadr. This is also the statement of the commentators, and Imam Ibn Jarir has also preferred this, that those are a thousand months in which there is no Laylat al-Qadr. This is correct, and no other statement is correct besides this.