by Asma bint Shameem
They roam the streets when everyone is asleep.
Or they may hang out with friends all night at the local ‘hookah place’.
And if they are not ‘out there’, they are indoors, up until the wee hours of the morning, watching movies, listening to music, playing video games or chatting on the Internet, just because it’s ‘summer vacation’.
Yes, that’s right, that’s our youth during the summer.
And even when it is not summer, they stay up late even then.
They think it is ‘cool’ to do so.
And, unfortunately, this ‘disease of late nights’ has become so widespread that we, as parents, don’t think much of it either.
In fact, many of us adults are afflicted with this same disease ourselves.
We come back from parties and dinners late at night and we let our kids do the same.
However what we don’t realize is….. that’s not how Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’ala intended the order of things.
In fact, it is quite contrary to the natural rhythm which Allaah has created in the universe and in mankind.
🍃Allaah says:
“It is He who has appointed the night a covering for you and sleep for a rest. The day He has appointed for rising.” (Surah Furqaan: 47)
Thus, the night is created for rest and the day for work.
Yet we do the exact opposite.
We are up at night and sleep late into the day, sometimes, up to or even beyond Dhuhr time, and waste much precious time.
🍃Umar Radhi Allaahu Anhu used to punish people the people who did this and say: ‘You stay up for the first part of the night, then sleep for the last part of it?'”.
If we look at how the righteous before us spent their nights, we will realize that they used their nights as a means to earning Jannah;
they prayed, they cried, they recited the Qur’aan, and they made duaa to Allaah.
However, look at some today.
What do they do in their nights?
Their nights are filled with wasting time, playing video games, watching movies,having “fun” and even, aaoodhu billaah, haraam and sin.
However, the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam did not like to stay up or even speak after Ishaa.
🍃 Abi Barzah radhi Allaahu anhu said:
“The Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam used to like to delay the ‘Ishaa’ prayer and he hated to sleep before it or talk after it”.
(Al-Bukhaari).
And he disapproved of staying up late.
That’s why some of the pious predecessors didn’t like sleeping after Fajr.
For example:
🍃 Al-Zubayr radhi Allaahu anhu used to forbid his children to sleep in the morning.”
🍃 And Urwah said:
“I do not hear of any man who sleeps in the morning, but I lose interest in that person.”
Why did he do that?
Because staying up late might cause many harms.
🔺Some of those harms are:
1. It may cause one to totally miss the Fajr prayer.
And that’s a very serious sin.
🍃 The Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam said:
“Between a man and kufr and shirk, there stands his giving up prayer.” (Muslim)
2. Even if you do wake up for Fajr, it is extremely hard to concentrate in the prayer or even know what you're saying.
And if there’s no khushoo’ there’s no connection with Allaah.
The prayer becomes more of a ritual rather than ibaadah.
3. Staying up late causes health problems, exhaustion, and laziness.
Obviously it is difficult to wake up early for school, job, etc. if you are up half the night.
The person ends up sleeping late into the day, missing his work, and slacking in responsibility.
🍃 Ibn Katheer said:
“Among the signs is that which has been created for you of sleep by night and by day, in which you get rest and stillness, and exhaustion and tiredness are taken away; and wakefulness and striving for one’s livelihood have been ordained during the day.”
(Tafseer Ibn Katheer 6/310)
4. It also leads to hardening of the heart and decreases the level of Imaan and Taqwa.
🍃 Al-Fudayl ibn ‘Iyaad said:
“There are two qualities that harden the heart: sleeping too much and eating too much.”
🍃 And Ibn al-Qayyim said:
“As for the five things that corrupt the heart... mixing too much with people, wishful thinking, being attached to anything other than Allaah, eating one’s fill, and sleeping. These five are the greatest corrupters of the heart.”
(Madaarij al-Saalikeen 1/453)
5. We also miss out on the most blessed part of the day; that is, the early morning.
🍃 The Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa sallam said:
“The early morning has been blessed for my Ummah.”(Saheeh al-Jaami’).
That’s why whenever the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa sallam sent out troops or an army, he would send them at the beginning of the day.
But by sleeping late, we lose the blessings of this time and the profits we could have gained.
🍃 Sakhr Radhi Allaahu anhu said:
“Whenever he Sal Allaahu Alayhi wa Sallam sent out troops or an army, he would send them at the beginning of the day.’”(Abu Dawood- Hasan)
And that’s one of the reasons why the students of knowledge and Huffaadh start memorizing and studying early in the morning, seeking this Barakah.
6. If we don’t sleep early, we can’t wake up in time for qiyaam ul-layl, a beautiful time for prayer, making dua and seeking forgiveness from Allaah.
🍃The Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam said:
“Our Lord descends every night to the heavens when there is only one third of the night remaining and says:
Who is supplicating to me so that I can respond to him?
Who is asking Me for something so that I can grant him that which he is asking for?
Who is seeking My forgiveness so that I can forgive him”
(al-Bukhaari, Muslim)
How can it be that we, as Muslims, miss this honorable and virtuous time and waste it sleeping?
7. Staying up late is also a major reason behind many of the sins, crimes, car accidents, etc.
🔺Exceptions to the rule:
The Ulama say that staying up late unnecessarily is nothing but a bad habit, unless it serves a purpose, such as praying to Allaah, seeking His forgiveness, or studying and acquiring knowledge of the Deen, or for a person’s job, or traveling, students preparing for exams, or other beneficial or permissible matters.
🍃 Imaam an-Nawawi said:
“The scholars said:
the kind of speech that is makrooh after ‘Ishaa’ is that which serves no interest.
As for speech which serves a good interest, it is not makrooh, such as studying, telling stories of the righteous, speaking to a guest...”
What Islaam encourages us to do is to sleep early, preferably right after Ishaa, then wake up early in time for
our prayers (Fajr and Tahajjud, if possible) and then take advantage of the blessings of the early morning for our work and other good deeds.
We are also encouraged to take a nap during the day, either before Dhuhr or after, if we are able to.
🍃 The Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam said:
“Take a nap, for the shayaateen do not take naps.” (al-Tabaraani–Saheeh)
🍃 Ishaaq ibn ‘Abd-Allaah said:
“Taking a nap is one of the deeds of good people. It revitalizes the heart and helps one to pray qiyaam al-layl.”
Brothers and sisters, realize that staying up late for no reason is an unhealthy lifestyle.
We should avoid it unless there is a legitimate reason for it.
Not only should we keep our kids away from it, but we ourselves need to break this bad habit and develop healthy lifestyles and wholesome ways and sleep early.
May Allaah enable us to realize the harms of staying up late.
May He enable us to utilize our time in the most productive manner, that is most pleasing to Him. Ameen.
And Allaah knows best.
www.asmabintshameem.com
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