13 Dec 2016

CONCERNING THE SPECIAL QUALITY OF [VOLUNTARY] RITUAL PRAYER PERFORMED DURING THE NIGHT OF SUNDAY [SALAT LAILAT AL-AHAD].


Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be well pleased with him) is reported as having said:  "I once heard Allah's Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) say:

"'If someone performs twenty [voluntary] cycles of ritual prayer ['ishrin rak'a] on a Sunday night-reciting in each cycle "Al-hamdu li'llahi... [Praise be to Allah...']" one time, "Qul Huwa'llahu Ahad [Say: 'He is Allah, One!']" fifty times, and the Two Pleas for Divine Refuge [al-Mu'awwidhatain]  three times--and if he begs forgiveness of Allah (Glory be to Him) one hundred times, and begs forgiveness of Allah for himself and his parents one hundred times, and invokes Allah's blessing on the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) one hundred times, and renounces all personal claim to power and strength [tabarra'a min al-hawli wa 'l-quwwa], and takes refuge in the power and strength of Allah --and if he then says:

I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, 
ashhadu an la ilaha illa 'llah :

and I bear witness that Adam is the Choice of Allah, and His Creation,
wa ashhadu anna Adama Safwatu 'llahi wa Fitratu-h :

and Abraham is the Bosom Friend of Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He),
wa Ibrahima Khalilu 'llahi ('azza wa jall) :

and Moses is the Interlocutor of Allah (Exalted is He), 
wa Musa Kalimu 'llahi (ta'ala) :

and Jesus is the Spirit of Allah (Glory be to Him),
wa 'Isa Ruhu 'llahi (subhana-h) :

and Muhammad is the Beloved of Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He).
wa Muhammadan Habibu 'llahi ('azza wa jall).

--he will be entitled to as many grants of recompense and reward as the total figure arrived at by counting all those who call Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) a "Son," as well as all those who do not call Him a "Son."  On the Day of Resurrection [Yawm al-Qiyama], Allah (Exalted is He) will bring him back to life in the company of those who have nothing to fear [al-aminin], and it will be an obligation [haqq] incumbent upon Allah to admit him to the Garden of Paradise in the company of the Prophets [an-Nabiyyin].