قيام الليلConceptNight Standing Prayer in the Quranقيام الليلWorship12Verses8Surahs14Connections#342of 828

Key Verses

1. 3:17Aali Imran
   ٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَ وَٱلصَّـٰدِقِينَ وَٱلۡقَٰنِتِينَ وَٱلۡمُنفِقِينَ وَٱلۡمُسۡتَغۡفِرِينَ بِٱلۡأَسۡحَارِ
   The steadfast, and the truthful, and the obedient, those who spend (and hoard not), those who pray for pardon in the watches of the night.
   In context

   They are the ones who are patient in doing good actions, leaving bad actions and in the face of calamity; truthful in their words and actions; fulfil Allah’s sacred law completely; spend their wealth in Allah’s path; and ask for forgiveness in the last part of the night when prayers are most likely accepted and when hearts are not distracted.

2. 17:79Al-Isra
   وَمِنَ ٱلَّيۡلِ فَتَهَجَّدۡ بِهِۦ نَافِلَةٗ لَّكَ عَسَىٰٓ أَن يَبۡعَثَكَ رَبُّكَ مَقَامٗا مَّحۡمُودٗا
   And some part of the night awake for it, a largess for thee. It may be that thy Lord will raise thee to a praised estate.
   In context

   And in part of the night, O Messenger, stand and pray, so that your prayer increases your rank, and seeking for your Lord to raise you to the praised station on the Day of Judgment, as an intercessor for the people from the horrors of the Day of Judgment, and so that you attain the position of the great intercession, for which the first and last will praise you.

3. 25:64Al-FurqanPraise
   وَٱلَّذِينَ يَبِيتُونَ لِرَبِّهِمۡ سُجَّدٗا وَقِيَٰمٗا
   And who spend the night before their Lord, prostrate and standing,
   In context

   Those who spend the night prostrating on their foreheads and standing on their feet, praying to Allah.

4. 32:16As-Sajdah
   تَتَجَافَىٰ جُنُوبُهُمۡ عَنِ ٱلۡمَضَاجِعِ يَدۡعُونَ رَبَّهُمۡ خَوۡفٗا وَطَمَعٗا وَمِمَّا رَزَقۡنَٰهُمۡ يُنفِقُونَ
   Who forsake their beds to cry unto their Lord in fear and hope, and spend of that We have bestowed on them.
   In context

   They leave their beds to worship Allah, supplicating to Him in their prayers, fearing His punishment and hoping in His mercy. They also spend the wealth Allah has given them in His path.

5. 39:9Az-Zumar
   أَمَّنۡ هُوَ قَٰنِتٌ ءَانَآءَ ٱلَّيۡلِ سَاجِدٗا وَقَآئِمٗا يَحۡذَرُ ٱلۡأٓخِرَةَ وَيَرۡجُواْ رَحۡمَةَ رَبِّهِۦۗ قُلۡ هَلۡ يَسۡتَوِي ٱلَّذِينَ يَعۡلَمُونَ وَٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَعۡلَمُونَۗ إِنَّمَا يَتَذَكَّرُ أُوْلُواْ ٱلۡأَلۡبَٰبِ
   Is he who payeth adoration in the watches of the night, prostrate and standing, bewaring of the Hereafter and hoping for the mercy of his Lord, (to be accounted equal with a disbeliever)? Say (unto them, O Muhammad): Are those who know equal with those who know not? But only men of understanding will pay heed.
   In context

   Is one who is obedient to Allah, spending the time at night in prostration to his Lord and standing for Him, fearing the punishment of the Afterlife and hoping in the mercy of his Lord better or that disbeliever who worships Allah in hardship but disbelieves in Him in ease and ascribes parters with Him?

6. 51:17Adh-Dhariyat
   كَانُواْ قَلِيلٗا مِّنَ ٱلَّيۡلِ مَا يَهۡجَعُونَ
   They used to sleep but little of the night,
   In context

   They used to pray at night, not sleeping except a little.

7. 73:2Al-MuzzammilNeutral
   قُمِ ٱلَّيۡلَ إِلَّا قَلِيلٗا
   Keep vigil the night long, save a little -
   In context

   Offer prayer at night except for a little part of it.

8. 73:3Al-MuzzammilCommand
   نِّصۡفَهُۥٓ أَوِ ٱنقُصۡ مِنۡهُ قَلِيلًا
   A half thereof, or abate a little thereof
   In context

   Pray for half of it if you wish, or pray for a little less than half until you reach one third.

9. 73:4Al-MuzzammilCommand
   أَوۡ زِدۡ عَلَيۡهِ وَرَتِّلِ ٱلۡقُرۡءَانَ تَرۡتِيلًا
   Or add (a little) thereto - and chant the Qur'an in measure,
   In context

   Or increase it until you reach two thirds. Make the Qur’ān clear when you recite it and recite it slowly.

10. 73:6Al-MuzzammilCommand
    إِنَّ نَاشِئَةَ ٱلَّيۡلِ هِيَ أَشَدُّ وَطۡـٔٗا وَأَقۡوَمُ قِيلًا
    Lo! the vigil of the night is (a time) when impression is more keen and speech more certain.
    In context

    The hours of the night are more suited to the heart for recitation and more correct in speech.

11. 73:20Al-Muzzammil
    ۞إِنَّ رَبَّكَ يَعۡلَمُ أَنَّكَ تَقُومُ أَدۡنَىٰ مِن ثُلُثَيِ ٱلَّيۡلِ وَنِصۡفَهُۥ وَثُلُثَهُۥ وَطَآئِفَةٞ مِّنَ ٱلَّذِينَ مَعَكَۚ وَٱللَّهُ يُقَدِّرُ ٱلَّيۡلَ وَٱلنَّهَارَۚ عَلِمَ أَن لَّن تُحۡصُوهُ فَتَابَ عَلَيۡكُمۡۖ فَٱقۡرَءُواْ مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنَ ٱلۡقُرۡءَانِۚ عَلِمَ أَن سَيَكُونُ مِنكُم مَّرۡضَىٰ وَءَاخَرُونَ يَضۡرِبُونَ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ يَبۡتَغُونَ مِن فَضۡلِ ٱللَّهِ وَءَاخَرُونَ يُقَٰتِلُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِۖ فَٱقۡرَءُواْ مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنۡهُۚ وَأَقِيمُواْ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتُواْ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَأَقۡرِضُواْ ٱللَّهَ قَرۡضًا حَسَنٗاۚ وَمَا تُقَدِّمُواْ لِأَنفُسِكُم مِّنۡ خَيۡرٖ تَجِدُوهُ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ هُوَ خَيۡرٗا وَأَعۡظَمَ أَجۡرٗاۚ وَٱسۡتَغۡفِرُواْ ٱللَّهَۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٞ رَّحِيمُۢ
    Lo! thy Lord knoweth how thou keepest vigil sometimes nearly two-thirds of the night, or (sometimes) half or a third thereof, as do a party of those with thee. Allah measureth the night and the day. He knoweth that ye count it not, and turneth unto you in mercy. Recite, then, of the Qur'an that which is easy for you. He knoweth that there are sick folk among you, while others travel in the land in search of Allah's bounty, and others (still) are fighting for the cause of Allah. So recite of it that which is easy (for you), and establish worship and pay the poor-due, and (so) lend unto Allah a goodly loan. Whatsoever good ye send before you for your souls, ye will find it with Allah, better and greater in the recompense. And seek forgiveness of Allah. Lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.
    In context

    Your Lord, O Messenger, knows that you sometimes spend less than two thirds of the night in prayer, sometimes you stand for half the night, sometimes a third, and a group of the believers stand with you. Allah determines the night and day and counts their hours.

12. 76:26Al-InsanPraise
    وَمِنَ ٱلَّيۡلِ فَٱسۡجُدۡ لَهُۥ وَسَبِّحۡهُ لَيۡلٗا طَوِيلًا
    And worship Him (a portion) of the night. And glorify Him through the livelong night.
    In context

    And remember Him by performing the two prayers of the night: The Maghrib and ‘Ishā prayers, together with performing Tahajjud after them.