The Virtue of the Night Prayer

The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘Allah has mercy on the man who wakes up in the night to pray, and wakes his wife so she too prays, and sprinkles water on her face if she refuses to get up. And Allah has mercy on the woman who wakes up in the night to pray, and wakes her husband to pray too, and sprinkles water on his face if he refuses to get up.

The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘Verily when a servant withdraws to be alone with his Master in the middle of the dark night and intimately converses with Him, Allah places divine light into his heart…then He, Exalted be His Splendour, says to His angels, ‘O My angels, look at My servant how he seeks solitude to be with Me in the middle of the dark night while the worthless ones remain heedless and the negligent ones sleep. Witness that verily I have forgiven him.

The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘You must get up for the night prayer, for verily it was the devoted practice of all righteous people before you, and verily the night vigil is a means of proximity to Allah and a prevention from sin.

Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘Standing to pray in the night is conducive to the health of the body, is a source of pleasure for the Lord, exposes one to [the descent of] divine mercy, and is adherence to the moral virtues of the prophets.

Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘I have never left the night prayer since I heard the Prophet (SAWA) say that the night prayer is a light. Ibn al-Kawwa asked, ‘Not even on the night of al-Harir? to which he replied, ‘Not even on the night of al-Harir. [Al-Harir: a celebrated battle between two tribes (ed.)]

Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, ‘A believers dignity lies in his standing for the night prayer, and his honour lies in abstaining from [tarnishing] other peoples good reputations.

Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, ‘Do not leave the night prayer, for verily the one who is truly duped is the one who has lost out on the night prayer.

Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, ‘Every single good deed that the servant carries out has a reward mentioned for it in the Quran except for the night prayer, for verily Allah has not expressed its reward because of the great significance it holds with Him. Thus, He says, “Their sides vacate their beds to supplicate their Lord in fear and hope …No one knows what has been kept hidden for them of comfort as a reward for what they used to do” (Qur'an 32:16)

Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, ‘The night prayer brightens ones face, the night prayer fragrances ones breath, and the night prayer attracts sustenance.