This excerpt is taken from Sheikh Hussain bin Mubarak Al-Mawsili's Arabic book Al-Awamer wal-Nawahi, which has been translated into Urdu by Muhammad Sarwar Gohar Sahib under the title Ahkamat o Mamnoaat.
Moderation in Worship
① Sayyiduna Anas رضي الله عنه narrates that the Prophet Muhammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم came (to the mosque) and saw a rope hanging between two pillars. The Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said:
ما هذا الحبل؟
"What kind of rope is this?"
The people said: This belongs to Sayyida Zainab رضي الله عنها. When she gets tired standing in prayer, she hangs onto it.
The Prophet Muhammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said:
حلوه، ليصل أحدكم نشاطه فإذا فتر فليرقد
"No! Untie it, so that each of you prays with full vitality, and when he gets tired, he should sleep."
Reference: Bukhari, Book of Friday Prayer 1150. Abu Dawood, Book of Prayer 1312.
② It is narrated from Sayyida Aisha رضي الله عنها that the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said:
إذا نعس أحدكم وهو يصلي فليرقد حتى يذهب عنه النوم فإن أحدكم إذا صلى وهو ناعس لا يدري لعله يذهب يستغفر فيسب نفسه
"When any of you feels drowsy or sleepy while praying, he should sleep. Even if he continues to sleep, because when one of you prays in a state of sleepiness, he does not know whether he is asking for forgiveness for himself or cursing himself."
Reference: Bukhari, Book of Ablution 212. Muslim, Book of Traveler's Prayer and Shortening It 786. Abu Dawood, Book of Prayer 1310.
Night Vigil
① It is narrated from Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) would stand in prayer at night to such an extent that his feet would swell. I said: O Messenger of Allah, why do you do this when Allah has forgiven all your past and future sins? He (peace be upon him) said:
أفلا أكون عبدا شكورا
"Should I not be a grateful servant?"
Reference: Bukhari, Book of Tafsir al-Qur'an 4837. Muslim, Salat al-Musafirin wa Qasruha 2820.
Instructions Regarding Night Vigil
① Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) would stand in Tahajjud prayer to such an extent that his feet would swell. I said: O Messenger of Allah! Why do you do this when all your past and future sins have been forgiven? He (peace be upon him) said:
أفلا أكون عبدا شكورا
"Should I not be a grateful servant?"
Reference: Bukhari, Tafsir al-Quran 4837. Muslim, Book of Traveler's Prayer and Shortening It 2820.
② Sayyidina Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
يعقد الشيطان على قافية رأس أحدكم إذا هو نام ثلاث عقد يضرب على مكان كل عقدة عليك ليل طويل فارقد فإن استيقظ فذكر الله تعالى انحلت عقدة فإن توضأ انحلت عقدة فإن صلى انحلت عقدة فأصبح نشيطا طيب النفس وإلا أصبح خبيث النفس كسلان
"When one of you sleeps at night, Satan ties three knots at the back of his neck, and on every knot he blows a spell saying, 'The night is long, so sleep.' If the person wakes up and remembers Allah, one knot is undone. If he performs ablution, the second knot is undone. Then if he prays, the third knot is undone, and he begins the morning with energy and a cheerful heart. Otherwise, he begins the morning with a wicked soul, laziness, and sluggishness."
Reference: Bukhari, Book of Friday Prayer 1142. Muslim, Book of Traveler's Prayer and Shortening It 1776. Abu Dawood, Book of Prayer 1306.
③ Sayyidina Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) also narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
أفضل الصيام بعد رمضان شهر الله المحرم وأفضل الصلاة بعد الفريضة صلاة الليل
"After Ramadan, the fasting of the month of Muharram is the best fasting, and after the obligatory prayers, the Tahajjud prayer is the best prayer."
Reference: Muslim, Book of Fasting 1163. Abu Dawood, Book of Fasting 2429. Tirmidhi, Book of Fasting 438.
④ Sayyidina Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) also narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
رحم الله رجلا قام من الليل فصلى وأيقظ امرأته فإن أبت نضح فى وجهها الماء ورحم الله_ امرأة قامت| من الليل فصلت وأيقظت زوجها فإن أبى نضحت فى وجهه الماء
"May Allah have mercy on the one who wakes up at night and prays Tahajjud and wakes his wife. If she refuses, he sprinkles water on her face (so that she wakes up and prays Tahajjud). May Allah have mercy on the woman who wakes up at night and prays Tahajjud and wakes her husband. If he refuses, she sprinkles water on his face."
Reference: Abu Dawood, Book of Prayer 1308, Nasa'i, Standing at Night and Voluntary Day Prayers 3/205. Ibn Majah, Establishing Prayer and Sunnah in It 1335. The narration is authentic.
⑤ Sayyidina Abu Saeed (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
إذا استيقظ الرجل أهله من الليل وأيقظ امرأته فصليا أو صلى ركعتين جميعا كتبا من الذاكرين الله كثيرا والذاكرات
"When a man wakes his wife at night and both of them pray Tahajjud or both perform two rak'ahs of prayer together, they are recorded among the men who frequently remember Allah and the women who frequently remember Allah."
Reference: Ibn Majah, Establishing Prayer and Sunnah in It 1335. Ibn Hibban 2560. The narration is authentic.
⑥ Sayyidina Bilal and Sayyidina Abu Imamah (may Allah be pleased with them) narrate that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
عليكم بقيام الليل فإنه دأب الصالحين قبلكم وإن قيام الليل قربة إلى الله ومنهاة عن الإثم وتكفير للسيئات ومطردة للداء عن الجسد
"Be diligent in the Tahajjud prayer, for it was the practice of the righteous before you. Also, Tahajjud prayer is a means of nearness to Allah, prevention from sins, erasing evils, and removing diseases from the body."
Reference: Tirmidhi, Book of Supplications 3549.
⑦ Sayyidina Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that he heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) say:
إن فى الليل لساعة لا يوافقها رجل مسلم يسأل الله تعالى خيرا من أمر الدنيا والآخرة إلا أعطاه إياه وذلك كل ليلة
"There is a moment in the night which, if a Muslim is granted and he asks Allah for the good of this world and the Hereafter, Allah grants it to him, and this is every night."
Reference: Muslim, Traveler's Prayer: Shortening It 757. Musnad Ahmad, Remaining Musnad of the Most Frequent Narrators 3/313.
⑧ Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
ما من امرئ يكون له صلاة بالليل فيغلبه عليها نوم إلا كتب له أجر صلاته وكان نومه عليه صدقة
"If a person prays Tahajjud at night but is unable to pray due to overwhelming sleepiness, the reward of the prayer is recorded for him, and his sleep is charity for him."
Reference: Abu Dawood, Book of Fasting 1314. Muwatta, Book of the Call to Prayer 1/117. Musnad Ahmad, Remaining Musnad of the Ansar 6/180. This narration is authentic.
Instructions for Qiyam Ramadan
① It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
من قام رمضان إيمانا واحتسابا غفر له ما تقدم من ذنبه
"Whoever stands (prays Qiyam) in Ramadan with faith and seeking reward, his previous sins are forgiven."
Reference: Bukhari, Book of Fasting 1901. Muslim, Book of Traveler's Prayer and Shortening It 759. Abu Dawood, Book of Fasting 1372.
② It is also narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) encouraged the companions (may Allah be pleased with them) to perform Qiyam Ramadan, making it a recommendation rather than an obligation.
Reference: Sahih Muslim 174, Abu Dawood 1371, Tirmidhi 808.
③ It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
من يقم ليلة القدر إيمانا واحتسابا غفر له ما تقدم من ذنبه
"Whoever stands (prays Qiyam) on the Night of Qadr with faith and seeking reward, his previous sins are forgiven."
Reference: Bukhari, Book of Taraweeh Prayer 2014.
