Over the last couple of weeks, we discussed the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) night worship, which is voluntary. We learned that sometimes he spent long hours in standing up in worship, reading very long passages of the Qur’an and extolling God’s glorification and praises for long periods. It is natural to ask whether he did this regularly, at all times, or only occasionally. If he did so every night, it becomes close to obligatory, like the witr prayer after Isha that he never missed. Indeed, the witr prayer is classified by some scholars as akin to obligatory, although they refrain from calling it so.

Anas ibn Malik, who served the Prophet for ten years and reported much of the Prophet’s practices and actions, says: “At any time we wished to see the Prophet offering prayers we actually saw him, and at any time we wished to see him sleeping we saw him so. He would fast in a month day after day until we would think that he would fast it all, and he would abstain from fasting until we would think that he would not fast a single day that month.” (Related by Al-Bukhari and Muslim.)

This means that the Prophet used to vary his practice in order to allow for all situations. What this Hadith speaks about is voluntary worship, whether it is prayer at night or fasting. The Prophet was the model that we should emulate. What we understand from this Hadith is that the he spent time in worship at night when he felt fresh and active, but when he felt tired and sleepy, he went to sleep. He did not overtax himself unnecessarily. The same with fasting. He could fast voluntarily day after day, until people might think he would fast a whole month, or he may go through many days without fasting at all. In fact, he never fasted a complete month other than Ramadan. He advised us not to overburden ourselves, saying: “Do the actions that you are comfortable with, because God will not wish to stop until you want to stop. A rider who drives his horse too hard will neither reach his destination nor keep his horse.”

This last Hadith puts things in perspective. If we wish to offer voluntary worship, we should be comfortable with it. We should not drive ourselves too hard, because then we will come to a sudden stop when we can no longer produce the necessary effort. The example of the hard-driving rider given by the Prophet is very illustrative. If the rider wants his horse to continue running at maximum speed, the horse will collapse and he can cover no more distance. Thus, he would not reach his destination. What is more, he will be deprived of his mount. Unless he gives his horse sufficient rest and nourishment, he can get nowhere.

In all his voluntary worship, the Prophet glorified God in superlative terms, as God is worthy of being glorified. Ibn Abbas reports: “When God’s Messenger stood up for prayer in the depth of the night, he used to say: ‘All praise is due to You, my Lord! You are the light of the heavens and the earth. Again, all praise is due to You, my Lord! You are the Master of the heavens and the earth. All praise is due to You, the Lord of the heavens and the earth and all that they contain. You are the Truth, and Your word is truth. The meeting with you is a truth; heaven is a truth; hell is a truth; and the Day of Resurrection is a truth. My Lord! To You I submit myself; and in You I believe; and on You I rely; and to You I turn; and relying on You I dispute with others; and to Your judgment I submit. Therefore, forgive me whatever I did and whatever I may do, and what I do in public or private. You are my Lord; there is no deity other than You.” (Related by Malik, Al-Bukhari and Muslim.)

This Hadith and the prayer it contains need no explanation or comment. It simply defines our position in relation to God. It is such glorification of God that enables us to understand our position in life. When we vary His glorification we appreciate its meaning much better. Hence the Prophet has taught us numerous formulae of glorifying and praising God.

Aishah was asked how the Prophet started his night worship and what he used to say at the outset. She replied that he used to say: “My Lord, the Lord of Gabriel, Michael and Israfeel, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, who knows all that we witness and all that is screened from us! You judge among Your servants concerning all over that they dispute. Guide me, by Your will, to the truth over everything they dispute, for You are the One who guides whomever You will to a straight path.” (Related by Muslim.)

Like the one before it, this supplication stresses that it is God alone who created the universe and will always be in full control of it and all that it contains. It also emphasizes the fact that all guidance comes from Him alone. Extolling His glory gives us the right perspective to look at life and our position in the universe and the system of creation. It gives us a profound religious consciousness that sharpens our motivation to do good and steer away from evil.

Asked by Humayd how the Prophet started his night worship, Aishah answered: “He would start by saying Allahu akbar, i.e. God is supreme, ten times; Al-Hamd lillah, i.e. all praise is due to God, ten times; Subhan Allah, i.e. limitless in His glory is God, ten times; La ilaha illa Allah, i.e. there is no deity but God, ten times; and Astaghfiru Allah, i.e. I pray for God’s forgiveness, ten times. He follows that by saying: Allahumma ighfir li wahdini warzuqni wa afini, which means: ‘My Lord! Forgive me, guide me, grant me sustenance and keep me free from all that is bad.’ He then adds a prayer to be granted a comfortable position on the Day of Judgment.”