Besides being a time for rest, the night has another very special
quality. One of the reasons for the creation of night is that these
hours of general peace and quiet around the world are productive
for some acts of worship. Compared to the active daytime, night-
time is more conducive to thinking, reading and praying. Allah re-
veals this in the Qur'an:
Certainly rising at night has a stronger effect and is more con-
ducive to concentration. In the daytime much of your time is
taken up by business matters. Remember the Name of your
Lord, and devote yourself to Him completely. (Surat al-
Muzzammil: 6-8)
It is easier to concentrate in the night in order to ponder the
wonders of Allah's creation, read the Qur'an and pray. A believer
who is aware of this will not spend the whole night asleep or rest-
ing. He will quietly by himself turn to Allah for his needs, and for
forgiveness of his errors and shortcomings. He will evaluate the
day that has passed, review the mistakes he made in it; repent of his
shortcomings and ask for forgiveness. He will pass his time in a
way that pleases Allah, remember Him and try to draw close to
Him. He will think about many things such as Allah's existence and
majesty, the Qur'an, the extraordinary design of the universe, living
things on the earth with their flawless systems, the blessings that
Allah continually creates, the Garden, the Fire and eternity. The be-
haviour of a believer who devote a part of the night to worship is
praised by Allah in some verses of the Qur'an:
(The slaves of the All-Merciful are) … those who pass the
night prostrating and standing before their Lord. (Surat al-
Furqan: 64)
Their sides eschew their beds as they call on their Lord in fear
and ardent hope… (Surat as-Sajda: 16)
Harun Yahya
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