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The
hallmark of the selected bondsmen of Allah, as described in the Holy Quran, is
that they do not resort to their beds, and that they pass their nights in
divine devotion, praying to Allah to hold them firmly on the straight path and
bestow upon them His bliss, and to do the same, our Prophet (P.B.U.H) was
addressed by Allah in the Holy Quran:
"O the raiment-clad! Offer the
service in night save a little part thereof a half portion thereof or abate a
little portion thereof. Or add thereto and recite the Quran methodically. Soon
we pass on you a heavy order".
The
benifitional outcome of this night-service has been pointed out by Allah
Himself:
"The night vigil is more
impressive and more suitable for recital".
In
the light of these Divine directives, our Prophet (P.B.U.H) was used to retire
to the bed in the early hours of the night and to stipulate the late hours for
service to Allah. These are the best timings for sleep and service. To wake
till late night in the common circumstances and to compensate it by deep or
scanty dozes during day hours causes hypertension.
The
Natural law has allotted very wisely the first portion of the night for total
relief and retirement, and the late hours for prayer and meditation, and day
hours for livelihood and other avocations. Allah says:
"We did your sleep a repose and
did the night a cover, and did the day a strife for livelihood".
You
should observe a high equanimity in sleep and wake. It means that you should
not lengthen your sleep to such a precarious point where your body is badly hit
by lassitude and lethargy and the vital brain functions come to stand still,
and that you should not sleep so sporadically that your mental strain remains
un-alleviated. It is narrated by Abdullah Bin Amr that the Prophet (P.B.U.H)
asked him I have come to know that in the day you observe fast and in the night
you remain offering prayers? Don't do such as your body has some rights with
you, and your eyes have some rights with you, and your wife has some rights
with you.
Some
narrations have the following addition:
"So you should observe fast and
break fast too, and you should offer prayer in night and sleep too".
Allah
says:
"Have they not seen that we
appointed the night to provide with relief and the day with light. It carries
the indicatives to those who believe".
Before
going to bed, the Prophet (P.B.U.H. ) used to perform ablution and before
leaning his back to the bed, he used to recite a portion of the Holy Quran, and
more often he was chanting the following prayer:
"With your name, O Allah, I
have kept my back and with your name I shall take it up. O Allah if you hold my
soul please pardon it, and if you release it please protect it with what you
protect the righteous bondsmen".
Some
times he (P.B.U.H) was chanting the prayer:
"All praise be to Allah who
fetched us the food and drink, and took our burdens and provided us with
shelter while there are so many persons who remain support less and
shelter-less".
Our
Prophet (P.B.U.H) used to eschew a very comfortable soft and posh bed. His bed
was of a leather, filled with the palm fibers. Some narrations by Ummul
Momineen Hafsa indicate that his bed was a coarse folded rug, floored beneath
him. Some times he was sleeping on the mat. He never used any expensive and
soft object for his dormitory or for relief. It is narrated by Abdullah Bin
Masood that once Prophet (P.B.U.H.) lay down on the mat which turned his skin
streaky. When he got up, I began wiping out those streaks and told O Prophet of Allah! please allow us to floor
some thing extra on this mat to shun these streaks. The Prophet (P.B.U.H)
replied very calmly: I have nothing to do with this world: I have nothing to do
with this world: My stand to this world is just like a rider, stayed for some
while under the shadow of a tree, then left it to his destination.
In
a narration by Omer (R.A), Prophet's comment has come as follows:
"O Omer: Are you not pleased
with that they enjoy the world and we enjoy the life hereafter?".
Before
sleeping, the Prophet (P.B.U.H) was keeping every necessary thing beneath his
pillow, and it was his order to take the stock of every thing before going to
bed, to all kitchen utensils and to put off the fire if any.
While
retiring to bed, the Prophet (P.B.U.H) was bringing both his hands close
together, as they are positioned in the prayer, and was reciting the last three
Suras of the Holy Quran and was blowing his hands with these prayers and then
passing his hands on his body trice wherever they reached. To lie down on the
right side, keeping his hand under the right cheek, was preferable to him
(P.B.U.H). He (P.B.U.H) also used to dust off his bed before retiring to it. By
the late hours of night, he was getting up to engage himself in the prayers.
Some times he was getting up prior to his scheduled time, and sometimes he was
remaining vigilant throughout the night.
KHWAJA SHAMS-UD-DEEN AZEEMI
IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, THE MERCIFUL, THE BENEVOLENT
Dedicated to those scientists, who are inching towards the cognizance of the facts, spotlighted by Allah Almighty, in the wake of their intelligent observation for the top vertex of scientific achievement, which is not other than the "Disastrous end of the Universe". And this is probably during 15th century of Lunar calendar.
