3.24. PRAYER OPTIONAL: TAHAJJUD (to be continued)

God says

And rise from the sleep and pray during part of the night [as well], as a free offering from thee,*… Q.17:79
Lit., “as a deed beyond that which is incumbent on thee”— i.e., in addition to five obligatory prayers. Hence, the above is not an injunction but a recommendation, although the Prophet, to whom this is addressed, himself invariably spent the greater part of the night in prayer.

…and [true servants of the Most Gracious are they] who remember their Sustainer far into the night, prostrating themselves and standing; -- Q.25:64


Prophet said

“The Lord comes nearest to a servant in the middle of the later half of the night” -- H: Tirmizi. N: Amr-b-‘Abasah

“The most honorable of my followers are those who learn the Qur’an and (get up and) pray (late) at night.” -- H: Baihaqi. N: Ibn Abbas

“Make it a practice to stand at night (for prayer) because it was the practice of the pious before you, and it is a means of expiation of sins, and (also) a preventive measure from committing sin” -- H: Tirmizi. N: Abu Huraira.

3.23. PRAYER : OPTIONAL (concluded)

God says

Nay – who is it that responds to the distressed when he calls out to Him, and who removes the ill [that caused the distress], and has made you inherit the earth?*… Q.27:62
*God having caused man to “inherit the earth” endowing him with specific faculties and abilities is an implicit denial of man’s claim that he is independent and “master of his fate”.
In fact, man should thank Him through optional prayer for the status and the facilities which have been accorded to him as inheritor of the earth, and should try to live up to his status by following the example of His Apostle as mentioned in 33:21: “Indeed in the messenger of God you have a good example for everyone who looks forward [with hope and awe] to God and the Last Day, and remembers God unceasingly”.


Prophet said

“Almighty God said…and My servant continues to seek nearness to Me through optional prayers until I love him. When I love him, I become his ear with which he hears, and his eyes with which he sees, and his hands with which he holds, and his legs with which he walks”* -- Hadith Qudsi: Bukhari. N: Abu Huraira.
*I.e., the God-given abilities, all of them, are used always and only as God wanted.

CATEGORIES OF PRAYER:
The five times prayers every day and Friday prayer are canonical or obligatory; traveler’s prayer is obligatory; prayer in time of danger is obligatory; sick man’s prayer is obligatory; vitr prayer is incumbent; taravih Prayer is sunnah and funeral prayer is compensatory. Besides, there are certain optional prayers, some to be performed daily and some for the occasion. Some of these are given below in alphabetical order:

AWABEEN : prayer after Maghrib.
HAAJAT: prayer in need.
ISHRAAQ: post sunrise prayer.
ISTIKHRA: prayer to seek divine guidance.
ISTISQUA: prayer for rain.
SALAT-UT-DUHA (CHASHT): forenoon prayer.
SALAT-UT-TASBIH: a very meritorious prayer.
TAHAJJUD: late night prayer, (very important)
TAHITA-UL-MASJID: prayer upon entering a mosque.
TAHITA-UL-VUZU: prayer after ablution.

3.23. PRAYER : OPTIONAL (to be continued)

God says

O you who believe! Seek aid in steadfast patience and prayer : for behold, God is with those who are patient in adversity. -- Q.2:153


Prophet said

“Offer prayers when you remember me” -- H: Bukhari. N: Anas.

PRAYER FOR FORGIVENESS: “Anyone who commits a sin and (on realization) makes ablution, prays and seeks forgiveness is forgiven” -- H: Tirmizi, Ibn Majah. Narrator: Ali.

PRAYER WHEN IN ADVERSITY: When any affair aggrieved the Prophet, he used to pray – H: Abu Daud. Narrator: Huzaifah.

REWARD OF ISHRAAQ PRAYER: “When you get up in the morning charity is due from every part of your body: All glorification of God (to say subhan-Allah) is charity; all praise of God (to say Al Hamdo Lillah) is charity; there is no god but God (to say La ilaha illal lah) is charity; God is the Greatest (to say Allaho Akbar ) is charity; enjoining the doing of good and forbidding the doing of evil is charity. Two Raka’t of prayer offered early after sunrise equal all this”* -- H: Muslim. N: Abu Zarr.
* Time to do Ishraq prayer begins 20 minutes after sunrise. Just in case one happens to perform Fajir prayer after sunrise, then the Ishraq prayer will be after the Fajir prayer.

SALATUT TASBIH: “Offer this prayer once a day if you can; or once a week; or once a month; or once a year; or once in your lifetime.” -- N: Abu Daud, Tirmizi, Ibn Majah. N: Ibn Abbas.

TAIHATUL MASJID: “When any of you enters a mosque, let him pray two Rak’ats before he sits.” – H: Bukhari and Muslim. N: Abu Qatadah.

3.22. PRAYER DURING SICKNESS

God says

.…And if you are in the state of requiring total ablution bath, purify yourself. But if you are ill, or are traveling, or have just satisfied a want of nature, or cohabited with a woman, and can find no water-- then take resort to pure dust, passing therewith lightly over your face and your hands (Tayammum). God does not want to impose any hardship on you, but wants to make you pure, and to bestow upon you the full measure of His blessing, so that you may cause to be grateful.


Prophet said

“Pray standing; if you are unable (to do it) then sitting; if (that too is) not possible then (lying) upon a side’ -- H: Bukhari. N: Imran-b-Husian

If a sick person cannot perform Ruk’u or Sajdah and cannot bend much then he should say prayers sitting nodding head a little more for Sajdah than for Ruk’u. One need not put pillow or other things in front to perform prostration (upon it). If he can’t sit up he can lie on with a pillow and keep his knees up; if he can’t do this then he should spread his legs towards Qibla and say prayers by signs and nodding, doing a little more for Sajdah than for Ruk’u. If he can’t say prayers even with signs and nodding, he can defer the prayers till he regains strength. If he does not gain strength within 24 hours or more, it is only then that the lost prayers are condoned as also in the case of losing consciousness for 24 hours or more.
(Handy Reference Book on Islam- Page 194)

3.21. EXCELLENCE OF SUNNAT PRAYERS

God says

Say [to mankind O Prophet]: “if you love God, follow me, [and] God will love you and forgive you your sins; for God is much-forgiving, most gracious. ” -- Q.3:31


Prophet said

“Whoever prays twelve rak’ahs in a day and night, there will be built for him a house in paradise: four before Zuhr farz and two after it; two after Maghrib farz; ; two after Isha farz ; and two rak’ahs before the Fajr prayer.” -- H: Tirmizi. N: Omme Habibah.
The above 12 rak’ahs are sunnat-e-Muakkeda (stressed ).

“The two sunnat rak’ahs of ‘Fajr’ are better than the world and what is therein” -- H: Muslim. Narrator: Bibi Ayesha.

Bibi Ayesha narrated, “When the Messenger of God finished two rak’ahs (sunnat) of Fajr prayer he used to talk to me if (by then) I was awake, and if not, he used to (just) lie in bed (till the followers were ready and he went to lead the the Farz prayer)” -- H: Bukhari and Muslim.
This indicates that there should be some gap between the sunnat prayer and the Farz, which these days, is generally done by recitation of the Qur’an or words of remembrance of God.