CONSTANT STANDING UP FOR PRAYERS IN THE NIGHTS
The Salaf used to constantly observe standing up for prayers.
They used to do this in accordance with the statement of the Messenger of Allâh (salaLlaahu alahyi wa sallam):
‘Take to standing for prayer at night for it was the lot of the righteous ones before you, and it is a means of nearness to your Lord, a means of expiation of the sins, and something that prevents from sins, and something that arms the body against illness.’ [Tirmidhi (13/64, 65).
Shaykh Al-Albâni mentioned the hadith in Daeef Al-Jâmi, and said: ‘I only brought it because of the last statement contained in the hadith which is: '… and something that arms the body against illness… for I have not got a supportive evidence for this. As for other part of the hadith, it is sound.’ Shaykh Al-Albâni mentioned the same thing in Al-Irwâ no: 452, and he said it is Hasan].
Abdullah bn Mas’uud – may Allâh be pleased with him – used to rise up for prayer when the eyes had become calm. Humming of the bees would be heard from him until morn.
Abdul-Azîz bn Abî Dâwud – may Allâh bestow mercy on him – used to be given a bed and he would lay his hand on it and say:
‘How soft you are but the bed of Al-Jannah is softer’,
Then he would rise up for prayer and would not cease from doing that until the appearance of the dawn.
And the Prophet (salaLlaahu alahyi wa sallam) used to observe prayer in the night until his legs would swell up and burst; it was said to him:
‘Do you do this while your past and future sins have been forgiven you?’
And he would reply:
‘Is it not good that I should be a thankful slave?’ [Al-Bukhâri (3/14), Muslim (17/162), Tirmidhi (2/204, 205) and Nasâi (3/219)].
Al-Hasan Al-Basrî – may Allâh bestow mercy on him – used to say:
‘None would forsake standing up for prayer at night except that there is a sin that he has committed (which made him unable to rise).’
He used to say often:
‘Verily standing for prayer will only become cumbersome for he whose sins are many.’
And he would say:
‘A man would commit a sin and he would be deprived of the ability to stand up for prayer in the night’,
And he would say:
‘If you cannot rise up in the night and you cannot fast in the day know that you are deprived (of much good); your errors and sins have restrained you.’
Abdullah bn Mubarak – may Allâh bestow mercy on him – related in his book, Az-Zuhd, about the wife of Masrûq – may Allâh bestow mercy on him – that she said:
‘Masrûq would not be seen except that his two legs had swollen as a result of much prayers (in the night).’
She said:
‘I used to sit behind him weeping out of mercy for him.’ [Imam Al-Mizzi mentioned it too in Tahzeeb Al-Kamaal; 27/455]
