Islamic marriage advice and family advice

Do those years of prayer have no credit?

Salam dear brothers and sisters in Islam. I can't sleep till 5am after praying fajr. It has already been my body clock for several years which I can't change. For 6 years already it has been my habit of offering tahajjud prayer every 3am. I just discovered lately that you can't pray tahajjud unless you wake up from sleep. Thus, I changed my tahajjud into salatul hajjat instead since I really wanted to pray during midnyt. My question is: Are those tahajjud prayer i have offered for the past six years have no credit? Am i doing the right thing of praying hajat instead since i am not allowed to do tahajjud? I am in need of enlightenment. Please answer me as soon as possible.

zeldalia


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8 Responses »

  1. Wa 'alaykum assalaam warahmatullah wabarakaatuh,

    First of all, I've never heard of any scholar saying that you must wake up from sleep to be able to pray tahajjud--it seems you got the wrong information. It doesn't matter whether you slept or not. What is required is that you prayed the tahajjud during its best time--which is the last third of the night.

    If you can't sleep at nights for some reasons, then you may either begin your tahajjud prayers before the last third of the night, or engage yourself in doing dhikr or reciting the Holy Quran.

    Hope this helps in shaa Allah, and Allah Ta'ala knows best.

    • As far as I know the OP is correct in saying tahajjud only counts after waking from sleep

      Al-Hajjaaj ibn ‘Amr al-Ansaari (may Allah be pleased with him) said: One of you thinks that if he gets up at night and prays until morning comes that he has done tahajjud. But in fact tahajjud means praying after sleeping, then praying after sleeping. That is how the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah upon him) prayed.

      For more info: http://islamqa.info/en/143240

  2. Wa alaykum al salam,

    As far as my understanding goes your prayers will still count as you were unaware of the rules of praying tahajjud prayer. You are able to pray qiyaam al layl if you aren't sleeping - salatul hajah's isnaad is very weak and so I think to be safe it would inshaAllah be best to stick to praying qiyaam and making dua for whatever it is you want.

    • Assalaamu 'alykum

      Please be aware that it's not a condition nor a rule that one must wake up from sleep to be able to pray any of the forms of Qiyaam alyl or Tahajjud. Here it's very important that we separate between what is a Rule or Condition, and what is a Sunnah or Mustahab (desirable). Even though, striving to follow the Sunnah or Mustahab is best, however, in special cases it's not necessary to do so.

      The OP says they can't sleep till 5am after praying fajr. Are you implying that from now on, they must pray tahajjud only after sleeping? And that anything beyond that will not be counted as Tahajjud, thus they lose the rewards of Tahajjud?

      Qiyaam al-layl is a general term. When it's performed during the nights of Ramdan, it's referred to as Taraweeh/Tahajjud, and when performed during other nights, it's referred to as Tahajjud.

      • Bro ,
        Please provide reference along with you answer .Jazak Allah

        • Ok Bro, Assalaamu 'alaykum and Ramadan Mubarak!

          Please see the below response, regarding the same topic, by http://fatwa.islamweb.net/fatwa/index.php?page=showfatwa&Option=FatwaId&Id=13746

          Question:

          What are the conditions for the salah of Qiyaam al-layl? Is it obligatory that the person sleeps and then wakes up from sleep, for the salah? Is it permitted for me to pray it, if I was awake for the night hours before dawn, and before the last third of the night? Or do I need to sleep and then wake up for the salah? Also, supposing I prayed before going to sleep, would there be similar reward for me?

          Answer:

          All praise is due to Allah. And may the blessings and peace be upon the messenger of Allah; upon his household, and his companions.

          It is required in night-salah, things that are required in other salaats, such as purity from both minor impurity and major impurity, purity of garment, body, and place from uncleanness, in addition to covering the 'aurah, and facing the qiblah, and perfuming it during its time--its time begins from Isha-salah, and extends to dawn. Sleeping is not required for its validity, not before it nor after it. Although, some scholars named the night-salah that occurs after sleeping, as Tahajjud, and its best time, is the last third of the night, for whoever thought (hoped) that they will wake up for it. And Allah knows best.

          Also please see the earlier link provided by Ess:

          Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked: What is the difference between Taraweeh, Qiyaam and Tahajjud? Please advise us, may you be rewarded.

          He replied: Prayer at night is called tahajjud or qiyaam al-layl, as Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):

          “And in some parts of the night (also) offer the Salaah (prayer) with it (i.e. recite the Qur’aan in the prayer) as an additional prayer (Tahajjud optional prayer Nawâfil) for you”

          [al-Isra’ 17:79]

          “O you wrapped in garments (i.e. Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم)!

          2. Stand (to pray) all night, except a little”

          [al-Muzzammil 73:1-2]

          “They used to sleep but little by night [invoking their Lord (Allaah) and praying, with fear and hope]”

          [al-Dhaariyaat 51:17].

          With regard to Taraweeh, the scholars use this word to refer to qiyaam al-layl in Ramadan at the beginning of the night, which should be made light and not lengthy. It may also be called tahajjud or qiyaam al-layl.

          And Allah is the source of strength.

          End quote from Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn Baaz, 11/317.

          Hope this helps in shaa Allah, and Allah Ta'ala knows best.

          • Walaikum assalam and Ramadan Mubarak Brother ,

            Thanks for the reference .Jazak Allah .

            Allah hafiz

  3. Thank you so much for your responses. I really aprreciated it. I asked an Imam and he said I should take advantage of not sleeping by praying tahajjud. I only sleep at 5am and wake up at 11am and I should be thankful of that body clock. I can still offer tahajjud despite the fact thatI didn't arise from sleep. I am much eager now to offer tahajjud prayer with many rakats from 2am-3am. Ramadhan Kareem to all of you.

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