Class 1
VIRTUES OF THE SUNNAH
SUNNAHS BEFORE DAWN
Sunnah is that which is done or recommended by the Prophet ﷺ but is not obligatory. One who applies it will be rewarded and one who does not apply it will not be punished.
As believers we are encouraged to act in accordance with the sunnah of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, Allah says: “If ye do love Allah, follow me: Allah will love you and forgive you your sins…” (Aal-i-Imran, 31).
There are many virtues and rewards of acting in accordance with the Sunnah. “The Sunnah of the Prophet is the cornerstone of the happiness in the world and in the hereafter and it is the source of making a person mature.”
It is common for most Muslims to utter their love for their Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, but yet when it comes to following his guidance, they hesitate and choose to follow anything other than it. Oh muslim! Indeed the Prophet’s ﷺ guidance is the best of mankind for you to follow as he used to say in his khutbah’s: “For verily the best speech is the Book of Allaah and the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad.” (Sahih Muslim)
Our beloved Prophet ﷺ would repeat these words over and over again in his speeches so as to teach his followers the importance of following his Sunnah.
The Prophet ﷺ said: “Verily I have left with you two things, if you hold unto them you will never go astray! The BOOK of Allaah and my Sunnah!” (Al-Mishkaat 1/66)
Abû Bakr Al-Siddîq – Allâh be pleased with him – said:
I will not leave anything Allâh’s Messenger ﷺ – did, except that I will also do it; for I fear that if I were to leave any of his commands and ways I would deviate. (Al-Bukhârî, hadîth no. 3093).
After recording this narration, Ibn Battah states:
This, my brothers, is the greatest Siddîq (true believer i.e. Abu Bakr), fearing that he would fall into deviation if he were to leave any of the commandments of his Prophet ﷺ. What then is to happen in a time in which people deride their Prophet and his commandments, and compete with each other and show off in contradicting him and mock his Sunnah? We ask Allâh to protect us from slipping and to save us from evil deeds.
The Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ is a ship of salvation and a haven of safety. The Prophet ﷺ urged us to adhere to it and not neglect it. He said: “You must adhere to my Sunnah and the way of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs who come after me…” (Abu Dawood)
When evil and corruption become widespread and innovation and fitnah prevail, the reward for the one who adheres to the Sunnah will be greater, and the status of those who follow the Sunnah will be higher, for they are living as strangers with the light that they bear in the midst of that darkness and because of their efforts to set the people’s affairs straight.
The Prophet ﷺ said: “Islam began as something strange and will revert to being something strange, so glad tidings to the strangers.” It was said: Who are they, O Messenger of Allaah? He said: “Those who are righteous when the people are corrupt.” (Saheeh Muslim).
Undoubtedly the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ is written down and is close at hand and easily accessible to the one who seeks it. All we have to do is look for it. If we learn a Sunnah we must act upon it so that it will be true when it is said of us that So and so is religiously-committed. We should pay no attention to those who put us down, despise us or mock us etc.
The religiously-committed person is the one who, every time he hears a hadeeth, rushes to apply it and is very keen to act upon it, whether it is mustahabb or naafil.
In this course we will InShaAllah study the Sunnahs of each part of the day. We will break these down into Predawn, Morning, Noon, Evening, Night and then Sunnahs that are not time bound but were done regularly and also one class for Sunnahs of Wudu & Salah.
Sunnahs done Before Dawn
This is the time before Fajr when we wake up to perform Tahajjud prayer, some time before Fajr prayer. The Sunnahs pertaining to this time are further divided into two sections:
Sunnahs of Waking up
Qiyaam ul Layal
Other Sunnahs before Dawn
I. Sunnahs of Waking up
There are many traditions that the Prophet used to do upon waking up from sleep, including the following:
1. Wipe the effects of sleep from the face with your hands.
When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ woke up, he would sit up and rub away the effects of sleep from his face with his hand.(Sahih Muslim)
2. Adhkaar
Dua of waking up
الحَمْـدُ لِلّهِ الّذي أَحْـيانا بَعْـدَ ما أَماتَـنا وَإليه النُّـشور
ALHAMDU LILLAAHIL-LATHEE AHYANA BA’DA MAA AMAATANA WA-ILAYHIN-NUSHOOR.
All praise is for Allah who gave us life after death (sleep) and to Him is the resurrection.
Recite last ten Ayahs of Surah Al Imran. Aster waking up he ﷺ would recite the last ten verses of Surah Al Imran (Agreed upon)
3. Miswak (clean your mouth)
“When the Prophet ﷺ got up at night, he used to clean his mouth with Siwāk.” (Bukhāri &, Muslim)
4. Snuff water. When one of you wakes up from sleep, then snuff water three times. For indeed, Shaytaan spends the night in the upper part of the nose. (Sahih Muslim)
5. Wash both hands three times. When one of you wakes up from sleep, he must not dip his hand into a utensil until he washes it three times.
6. Make Wudoo
We will study the Sunnahs of Wudu & Salah in one of the upcoming classes InShaAllah.
II. Qiyaam ul Layl
My Dear Brothers & Sisters in Islam! The situation of Muslims today necessitates the talk about one of the the most beloved acts of worship in Islaam which is the Night prayer.
Allaah has described the pious in Ayahs 15-17 of Soorat al-Dhaariyaat as having a number of characteristics – including praying qiyaam al-layl – by means of which they attain Paradise. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
15. “Verily, the Muttaqoon (the pious) will be in the midst of Gardens and Springs (in the Paradise),
16. Taking joy in the things which their Lord has given them. Verily, they were before this Muhsinoon (good‑doers).
17. They used to sleep but little by night [invoking their Lord (Allaah) and praying, with fear and hope]” [al-Dhaariyaat 51:15-17]
The Prophet ﷺ encouraged us to pray qiyaam al-layl in many ahaadeeth, such as the following:
“The best prayer after the obligatory ones is the night prayer.” (Muslim)
“Our Lord, may He be blessed and exalted, comes down to the lowest heaven every night when the last third of the night is left, and He says: ‘Who will call upon Me, that I may answer him? Who will ask of Me, that I may give him? Who will ask Me for forgiveness, that I may forgive him?’ (Bukhari & Muslim)
“You should pray qiyaam al-layl, for it is the custom of the righteous who came before you and it brings you closer to your Lord, and expiates sins and prevents misdeeds.” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, classed as hasan by al-Albaani)
“Jibreel came to me and said: ‘O Muhammad, live as long as you want, for you will die. Love whomever you want, for you will leave him. Do whatever you want for you will be requited for it. Remember that the believer’s honour is his praying at night, and his pride is his being independent of people.” (Al Haakim, classed as hasan by al-Albaani).
“In Paradise there are apartments the outside of which can be seen from the inside and the inside of which can be seen from the outside.” A Bedouin stood up and said: “Who are they for, O Messenger of Allaah?” He said: “They are for those who speak good words, feed others, fast regularly and pray to Allaah at night when people are sleeping.” (at-Tirmidhi, classed as hasan by al-Albaani).
Time
The time for praying qiyaam al-layl begins after ‘Isha’ prayer and lasts until the break of dawn. The best of it is the last third of the night.
Sunan of Qiyām Il-Layl
1. Performing Qiyām Il-Layl in its most recommended time
The best time of the night to offer night prayer is for a third of the night, starting at midnight.
The Prophet ﷺ said, “The most beloved fasting to Allāh was the fasting of the Prophet Dāwood, who used to fast every other day, and the most beloved prayer to Allāh was the prayer of Prophet Dāwood, who used to sleep the first half of the night, pray one third of it, and again sleep one sixth of it.’.” (Bukhari & Muslim)
There are three grades of preference in regards to the time to offer the night prayer
a) Preference 1 (The highest in virtue): To sleep in the first half of the night, pray for one third of it, and then sleep in the remaining sixth of it.
b) Preference 2: To pray in the last third of the night.
c) Preference 3 (The lowest in virtue): To pray early in the night, or at any suitable time of the night. The Prophet ﷺ said, “Whoever fears not to wake up at the last third of the night, let him pray at the beginning of the night, and whoever hopes to wake up in the last part of the night, let him pray at that time, as it is witnessed by Allāh and this is preferred.” (Muslim no. 755)
Abi Dtharr, Abi d-Dardā’, and Abi Hurayrah, may Allāh be pleased with all of them, as each one of them used to say, “My beloved one (i.e. the Prophet ﷺ) advised me to do three things, ...” one of which is, “...to offer Witr prayer before going to bed.”
2. Praying eleven Rak‘ahs of Qiyām Il-Layl.
This is the complete form of voluntary night prayer 2 Rakah prayers + Witr.
‘Ā’ishah, may Allāh be pleased with her, narrated, “Allāh’s Messenger ﷺ would not pray more than eleven Rak‘ahs in Ramadan or in any other month.” (Bukhari & Muslim)
2. b) Praying thirteen Rak‘ahs of Qiyām Il-Layl.
The Prophet ﷺ would offer eleven Rak‘ahs most of the time, and would also offer thirteen Rakahs (Sahih Muslim) but this was done rarely.
3. Starting Qiyām Il-Layl with two short Rak‘ahs.
‘Ā’ishah, R.A., narrated, “Allāh’s Messenger ﷺ used to start his night prayer with two short Rak‘ahs.” (Muslim no. 767)
4. Start with the Prayer with the Dua…
اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّ جَبْرَائِيلَ وَمِيكَائِيلَ وَإِسْرَافِيلَ. فَاطِرَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ. عَالِمَ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ. أَنْتَ تَحْكُمُ بَيْنَ عِبَادِكَ فِيمَا كَانُوا فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ. اهْدِنِي لِمَا اخْتُلِفَ فِيهِ مِنَ الْحَقِّ بِإِذْنِكَ إِنَّكَ تَهْدِي مَنْ تَشَاءُ إِلَى صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ
Allaahumma Rabba Jibreela wa Mikaa’eela wa Israafeel, faatir al-samawaati wa’l-ard, ‘aalim al-ghaybi wash-shahaadah, anta tahkumu bayna ‘ibaadika fima kaanu fihi yakhtalifoon, ihdini limakh-tulifa fihi min al-haqq bi idhnik, innaka tahdi man tasha’u ila siraatin mustaqeem
(O Allaah, Lord of Jibraeel, Mikael and Israfeel, You are the Originator of the heavens and the earth, the One who has all knowledge of the unseen and what is visible. You judge between Your worshippers in what they differ, guide me to the truth by Your permission in what they differ, indeed You are the One who guides whom You want to the straight path)
(Sahih Muslim)
There is another long one…
اللَّهُمَّ لَكَ الْحَمْدُ، أَنْتَ نُورُ السَّمَاوَاتِ…
5. Prolonging standing, bowing, and prostration, so that all of the pillars of prayer are approximately equal in duration.
Following the Sunan of recitation, such as the following:
Reciting in a moderate pace, neither too fast, nor too slow.
Reciting verse by verse and avoiding joining two or three verses together without pausing at the end of each verse.
If one passes by a verse of praise he should praise, if he passes by a verse of supplication to Allāh, he should supplicate, and if he passes by a verse of seeking refuge in Allāh, he should do so.
“When he recited an Ayah which mentioned the tasbeeh, he would say Subhan Allah and when he recited the Ayah which tells how the Rubb is to be asked, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would then ask from Him; and when he ﷺ recited an Ayah asking one to seek Protection of Allah, he would seek Protection of Allah” (Sahih Muslim)
“when he ﷺ came across an ayah of Rahmah, he asked, and when he came across an ayah of punishment, he sought refuge.” (al-Nasa’ee; Sahih]
6. Reciting 100 or 1000 Ayaahs.
The Prophet ﷺ said, “Whoever prays qiyaam reciting ten verses will not be recorded as one of the negligent. Whoever prays qiyaam reciting one hundred verses will be recorded as one of the devout. Whoever prays qiyaam reciting one thousand verses will be recorded as one of the muqantireen.” (Abu Dawood; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani). The muqantireen are those who will be given a qintaar of reward. A qintaar is a large amount of gold, and most of the scholars of Arabic language are of the view that it is four thousand dinars. What is meant by this hadeeth is to emphasize the greatness of the reward earned by the one who recites a thousand verses. The Prophet ﷺ said: “A qintaar is better than this world and everything in it.” (Al-Tabaraani, classed as hasan by al-Albaani).
Note:
Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar said: From Soorat Tabaarak [al-Mulk] to the end of the Qur’aan is one thousand verses. Whoever prays qiyaam reciting from Soorat Tabaarak to the end of Qur’aan has prayed qiyaam with one thousand verses.
7. Making Tasleem (Salutation) every two Rak‘ahs.
A man asked the Prophet ﷺ about night prayer. He ﷺ replied, “Night prayer consists of two Rak‘ahs followed by two Rak‘ahs, and so on, and if one fears that the dawn will approach (Fajr time), let him pray one Raka‘ah and this will suffice as Witr for his prayer.” (Bukhari & Muslim)
8. Variating the number of Rakahs of Witr
The Prophet ﷺ offered Witr in different variations, one Rakah, 3 Rakahs, 5 Rakahs, 7 Rakahs & 9 Rakahs. All these ways of offering Witr prayer have been mentioned in the Sunnah, but the best way is not to stick to one particular way; rather one should do it one way one time and another way another time, so that one will have done all the Sunnahs.
Click here to read details about how to offer and references https://learn-islam.org/class4-witr-duha (there will be no questions asked from this link).
9. Surahs for Witr of 3 Rakahs
In Salatul Witr it is Sunnah to recite Surah Al A’laa in first Rakah, Surah Al Kafiroon in the second & Surah Al Ikhlas in the third. (An-Nisa’I & Ibn Majah)
10. Making Dua Qunoot in Witr prayer (doing it sometime and leaving it sometimes).
Qunoot is a loud supplication performed in the last Rak‘ah of Witr.
11. Saying { سبحان الملك القدُّوس } “Glory be to the King and the Holy,” three times, raising the voice in the third time. (Ahmad & An-Nisa’i)
12. Waking up the family members for Qiyām Il-Layl.
It is recommended for both man and woman to wake their family members to offer night prayer, in cooperation to do good.
‘Ā’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said, “The Prophet ﷺ used to pray at night while I lay between him and the Qiblah. When he wanted to perform Witr prayer he would wake me up and I would perform Witr.” (Bukhari & Muslim)
The Prophet ﷺ once woke up and said, “Subhaan Allāh! How many treasures and how many afflictions have been sent down tonight?! Who will wake up the sleeping lady occupants of these rooms (i.e. his wives)? A well-dressed soul in this world may be naked in the Hereafter.” (Sahih Bukhari)
III. Other Sunnahs before Dawn
1. Making Du‘ā’ in the last third of the night.
This is amongst the best times to make Dua. The Prophet ﷺ said, “Allāh, Our Lord, Blessed and Exalted, descends every night in a manner befitting His Majesty, to the lowest sky during the last third of the night and says, ‘Who supplicates to me so that I may answer him? Who asks me so that I may grant his request? Who asks my forgiveness so that I may forgive him?’.” (Bukhari & Muslim)
2. Its time for Fajr Adhaan, so one has to repeat the Adhaan, read the adhkaar etc. These Sunnahs will be covered in the noon class InShaAllah
3. Offer two Rakah Sunnah prayer of Fajr
It is one of the “As-Sunan Ur-Rawātib”, and they are twelve Rak‘ahs.
4. It is preferred to offer the regular Sunan at home. (Bukhari & Muslim)
5. Recite Surah Kaafiroon in 1st Rakah & Al Ikhlaas in 2nd.
6. Lie down before Fajr prayer. It is Sunnah to lie down on the right side after finishing the two voluntary Rak‘ahs of Fajr. (Bukhari & Muslim)
7. Numerous sunan of going to Masjid. These will be covered in the next class InShaAllah.
8. Making Dua between Adhaan and Iqama.
9. Its Fajr time now. Follow the Sunnahs of Salah (will be covered in the upcoming classes InShaAllah)
10. Ishraaq Prayer. The Prophet ﷺ said: “Whoever prays Fajr in congregation, then sits remembering Allah until the sun rises, then prays two rak‘ahs, will have a reward like that of Hajj and ‘Umrah, complete, complete, complete.” [at-Tirmidhi, there is a difference of scholarly opinion as to the soundness of this hadith. It was classed as da‘if (weak) by some scholars and classed as hasan (good) by others. Among those who classed it as hasan was al-Albani (may Allah have mercy on him)].
So now you have reached the Morning with 30+ Sunnahs done. If you add the Sunnahs of Wudoo & Salah (that we will study later) then Alhamdulillah you have already done 50+ Sunnahs by sunrise.
May Allah give us all the Hidaayah to be consistent in night prayers and make us amongst those who implement the Sunnah night & day.
TIPS FOR THE TEST
Do not have to memorise the ayahs or hadeeths word for word and their references, but remember their meanings and the msg being given.
Remember the Sunnahs but more importantly implement it.
ASSIGNMENT
There will be an Assignment Question asked in the Test. Marks will be given based on the following: -
I. Invite atleast 10 people to the course (can invite via WhatsApp, Facebook, Email, telegram or word of mouth) 4 Marks. (check the note below for exceptions)
Note:
Those who have already invited whether on Whatsapp, Email or FB, do not need to invite again.
It does not matter, whether people join or not, our job is to invite.
II. Implement any 3 Sunnahs that you have not implemented yet in your live from each class of this course. 10 Marks.
III. Talk to 5 people (friends or family) about any three topics from the course - (5 Marks)
IV. Pray for the Ummah, pray for the ease of all the poor & oppressed Muslims and Maghfirah of the Muslims who passed away. Pray that Allah make us all strong in imaan and give us the hidayah to work for the aakhirah and to help each other. - 1 Mark
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