About The True Reality

Our goal is to inspire all truth seekers to seek personal development through reading the Holy Qur'an and learning about Allah Almighty.

Table of contents

1) Night is for governing the soul
2) Night is for The Night Prayer  
- Benefits of Night Prayer

3) Night is for supplication and meditation  
 - Supplication
- Meditation

4) Spiritual value of Thursday nights in Islam
- Dua Kumayl 

DOWNLOAD the FREE journal activity worksheets from this article here. 

1) Night is for governing the soul

In the Holy Qur’an, in Surah 73 Al-Muzzammil - Folded in Garments, Allah has called us to use the blanket of Night to pray, meditate, reflect, and govern the soul:

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

1. O you folded in garments!
2. Stand (to prayer) by night, but not all night,-
3. Half of it, or a little less,
4. Or a little more; and recite the Qur'an in slow, measured rhythmic tones.
5. Soon shall We send down to you a weighty Message.
6. Truly the rising by night is most potent for governing (the soul), and most suitable for (framing) the Word (of Prayer and Praise).
7. True, there is for you by day prolonged occupation with ordinary duties:
8. But keep in remembrance the name of your Lord and devote yourself to Him whole-heartedly.
9. (He is) Lord of the East and the West: there is no god but He: take Him therefore for (your) Disposer of Affairs.

Whereas the Day is full of business, traffic, and other duties of life, the Night is still and quiet. Under the blanket of Darkness and stillness, a layer of worldly illusion is removed making the Night the perfect time to turn inward and reflect on your life, purpose, healing, and destiny.

Imam Ja’far Sadiq, a great great great grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, tells us :

“When you are awakened at night, The Evil One whispers to you

‘Sleep again, you still have a long night,’

for he wants you to miss the time of intimate contemplation and exposure of your state before your Lord.”

- Lantern of the Path

Wow.

Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq, The Truthful one, has given us an entirely new perspective on the trade off between sleep and an opportunity for intimate contemplation and exposure of our state with Allah.

Alhamdulillah, what an honored privilege Allah gives to us!

2) Night is for the Night Prayer

Recall the following verses from the Holy Qur'an, Surah 73 - Folded in Garments:

2. Stand (to prayer) by night, but not all night,-
3. Half of it, or a little less,
4. Or a little more; and recite the Qur'an in slow, measured rhythmic tones.
5. Soon shall We send down to you a weighty Message.

The Night Prayer (also known as Tahajjud, or Salat ul Layl meaning Night Prayer) is an optional form of worship that is full of blessings. The Night Prayer can be prayed anywhere between midnight until the Dawn. The night prayer is one of many opportunities that Allah has given us to seek his Bounties and Blessings.

Benefits of Night Prayer

There are 24 worldly and spiritual benefits for anyone who performs the Night Prayer such as:

- Keeps one physically fit
- Provides protection from enemies (including driving the Satan away)
- Increases one’s livelihood
- Provides light and comfort in the grave (saves your from the Constriction)
- Provides a means for education

For anyone who has wronged their own soul and is desperate for Allah’s mercy and grace, do the Night Prayer.

For anyone seeking relief from their burdens, do the Night Prayer.

For anyone hoping for positive outcomes in their hopes and dreams do the Night Prayer.

The basic skeleton of the Night Prayer takes about 30 minutes and consists of a total of 11 raka’ats, divided into the following prayers:

1. Nafilah of Layl: 8 raka’ats (4 x 2 raka’ats)
2. Salat al-Shaf’a: 2 raka’ats
3. Salat al-Witr: 1 raka’at

Performing the Night Prayer is the perfect way to begin your nightly supplication and meditation with Allah Almighty.  

3) Night is for Supplication and Meditation

Supplication

Supplication (also called Dua) is a form of prayer where we use our own words to speak to Allah, give gratitude, and ask for our desires. Imam Ali, the 4th Caliph and son in law of Prophet Muhammad, reminds us of what Allah said in Qur’an about worship :

Surah 40 Mu’min - The Believer :

60. And Your Lord says: Supplicate Me and I will respond to your prayer: but those who wax proud to worship Me will find themselves in Hell - in humiliation!

From these ayats (verses of Qur'an), Imam Ali teaches us that Allah has named supplicating to Him 'worship' and refraining from it as 'waxing proud' or being arrogant.

As Believers we are not proud or arrogant before Allah, and we do not consider our human bodies self-sufficient. Rather, we adore our Lord Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful Cherisher of the Universe.

Meditation

One of many ways to adore Allah is to meditate on His Signs and Attributes. Meditation is a practice in which an individual practices mindfulness. Other words for medication include: contemplation, reflection, pondering, thoughts, or thinking.

Allah often speaks of meditation in the form of reflection in the Holy Quran, and He calls us to use our intellect when we reflect or meditate on The Message so that we might receive understanding and wisdom.

Consider the following ayats (verses) from the Holy Qur’an where Allah calls us to reflect or meditate:

Surah 3 The Family of Imran:

190. Most surely in the creation of the Heavens and the Earth and the alternation of the Night and the Day there are signs for men of understanding.

191. Those who remember Allah standing and sitting and lying on their sides and reflect on the creation of the Heavens and the Earth: Our Lord! Thou hast not created this in vain! Glory be to Thee; save us then from the chastisement of the fire.

Surah 30 Rum - The Roman Empire

8. Do they not reflect in their own minds ? Not but for just ends and for a term appointed, did God create the Heavens and the Earth and all between them : yet are there truly many among men who deny the meeting with their Lord (at the Resurrection) !
21. And among His Signs is this, that He created for you mates from among yourselves, that you may dwell in tranquility with them, and He has put love and mercy between your (hearts) : Verily in that are Signs for those who reflect.

Surah 59 Hashr - The Gathering

21. Had We sent down this Qur'an on a mountain, verily, thou would have seen it humble itself and cleave asunder for fear of God. Such are the similitudes which We propound to men, that they may reflect.

Surah 45 Al-Jathiya - Bowing the Knee

13. And He has subjected to you, as from Him, all that is in the heavens and on earth : behold, in that are Signs indeed for those who reflect.

Surah 10 Yunus - Jonah

24. The likeness of the life of the present is as the rain which We send down from the skies: By its mingling arises the produce of the earth— which provides food for men and animals :

(It grows) till the earth is clad with its golden ornaments and is decked out (in beauty): the people to whom it belongs think they have all powers of disposal over it:

There reaches it Our command by night or by day, and We make it like a harvest clean-mown, as if it had not flourished only the day before!

Thus do We explain the Signs in detail for those who reflect.

4) Spiritual Value of Thursday Nights in Islam

In the Islamic lunar calendar the Nights come before the Day. In other words, a new day begins after sunset, and ends the following day at sunset. So our Thursday night is actually the night of Friday according to the Islamic lunar calendar.

Fridays are spiritually blessed days in Islam. Friday is Jummah, the last day of the week when Muslims are ordered to leave traffic and business, and stand together in the mosques for congregational prayer.

Imam Muhammad bin Ali al -Baqir (a 4th generation descendent of Prophet Muhammed) once said that angels descend on Friday from the heavens to record the names of people who make an effort to attend Jummah prayer.

On the night of Friday (Thursday night in our calendar), whoever calls upon Allah gets what he or she wants - fulfillment of desires, acceptance of repentance, and forgiveness of sins.

Dua Kumayl

Since Fridays are spiritually significant days, many Muslims like to get together in groups to read a very special Supplication widely known as Dua Kumayl.

Dua Kumayl is a famous dua that Imam Ali gave to his companion Kumayl for tranquility of heart and peace of mind.  

We’ve extracted verses from Du'a Kumayl for your to read and reflect upon, then answer the journal prompts. We hope you find tranquility of heart and peace of mind.

DOWNLOAD the FREE journal activity worksheets from this article here.

 

Related articles:

Surah 73 Folded in Garments, Muzzammil

What are Humans Exactly? The 6 Parts of the Intellect