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Offline Reader Questions

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Real muslims should NOT sleep most of the night?
« on: March 19, 2018, 05:03:01 AM »
Salam Brother.

Should real muslims NOT sleep most of the night?

Please see 3:113, 39:9, 50:40, 51:17, 30:23, 73:2, 73:20, 76:26.

Thank you.

Offline Joseph Islam

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Re: Real muslims should NOT sleep most of the night?
« Reply #1 on: March 19, 2018, 05:37:12 AM »
Wa alaikum assalam

None of the verses that you have kindly shared indicate that there is an instruction that one should not sleep most of the night.

In fact, verse 73:20 is capturing a situation where the prophet and a party of the believers were awake most of the night in worship (i.e. they were not sleeping most of the night), but God intervened to regulate their worship so as not to set unreasonable expectations or overburden His servants.

It is also noteworthy that verse 73:2 is addressed to the prophet specifically as was the expectation to read Tahajjud prayers (17:79) [1].

However, the Isha prayer is performed in the night and of course, a regular nightly vigil (beyond the prescribed prayers 50:40) is strongly recommended as is indicated by the other verses that you have kindly shared. Furthermore, any prolonged vigil that is undertaken will always be accounted for in the Kingdom of Heaven (51:17).

The key remains one of self-regulation, so as not to overburden oneself in a manner that other important / necessary tasks cannot be carried out.

I hope this helps, God willing

Regards,
Joseph


REFERENCE

[1] THE TAHAJJUD PRAYER
http://quransmessage.com/articles/tahajjud%20FM3.htm
'During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act' 
George Orwell

Offline salam

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Re: Real muslims should NOT sleep most of the night?
« Reply #2 on: March 21, 2018, 06:22:15 PM »
76:26 seems to instruct believers to glorify him through the night.

51:15-51:17 seems to suggest that righteous Muslims sleep only little at night .. as if this is something that they should be doing .. not simply a virtue.

How is it known (without discussing 17:79) that 73:2 is only addressed to the Prophet, and nobody else?

Offline Joseph Islam

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Re: Real muslims should NOT sleep most of the night?
« Reply #3 on: March 22, 2018, 05:27:13 AM »
Dear Salam,

Wa alaikum assalam

Please kindly see my responses in brown italics to your follow up questions below:

"76:26 seems to instruct believers to glorify him through the night."

You appear to have omitted understanding the context of the previous verses 76:23ff where the reference is the Prophet. "We have revealed 'TO YOU' (alayka - 2nd person singular) the Quran...". Who was the singular individual addressed here to whom the Quran was revealed to?

Verses 76:23-26 are clearly a discussion with the prophet where is he told to submit patiently to the Lord's commands and to remember his Lord in the morning and evening worshipping him and glorifying him through the night. I have already discussed 17:79 in the article above where the Tahajjud prayers were a directive to the prophet primarily.


51:15-51:17 seems to suggest that righteous Muslims sleep only little at night .. as if this is something that they should be doing .. not simply a virtue.

Yes, as mentioned in my previous response to you that it is of great virtue to worship our Lord as much as possible. These verses capture a condition of a people that have found felicity and there were those that also kept vigil much of the night. It is also important to note that at times, night can last more than 12 hours [i.e. some time after the sun has set and till the morn]. In this time, Isha prayers are performed (as well as other extra prayers) and it is not necessary that one sleeps all of the 12 hours. So there is ample time to worship our Lord a considerable portion of the night. However, I don't see how this is an unequivocal instruction to all believers that they must stay awake most of the night.

How is it known (without discussing 17:79) that 73:2 is only addressed to the Prophet, and nobody else?

Please kindly read the preceding verse 73:1. 'O you who wraps himself'. Is this a reference to all believers? In my humble view and as I trust that you will kindly see, clearly not.

I trust that you will kindly accept my response as my last to you on this matter.

Regards,
Joseph
'During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act' 
George Orwell