Ramadaan 4, 1444H
March 27, 2023

- Qiyam al Layl in Ramadaan is highly recommended but not obligatory.
- The Prophet and his companions prayed qiyam al layl individually most of the times except few days in Ramadaan, the companions prayed behind the Prophet in congregation!
- The Prophet didn't continue praying taraweeh in congregation because he feared it would be made obligatory and if it was made obligatory, the companions wouldn't be able to perform it.
- The Qiyam in Ramadan has special virtue, if someone prays with Eman and Ihtisab, Allaah will forgive all of his/her sins.
- The Qiyam can be prayed at home, or at the masjid or some at home and some at the masjid! As long as it is prayed with eman and ihtisab, the person will get the reward.
- There is additional benefit for praying Qiyam in the masjid. If somone prays with the Imam and finishes with him, the prayer of whole night will be written for him.

After we clearly understand this, it is now upto the individual. Some individual wants to pray long qiyam but maybe the taraweeh in the masjid is short, so for them maybe praying long qiyam at home individually is better. Some might want to wake up mid of the night and pray long qiyam/tahajjud, then for them maybe praying at home is better.
Some might feel, I will become lazy if I try to pray at home alone, so I will pray in the masjid behind the imam and get the full reward of the night! Some might have hectic job schedule, and for them praying at the masjid might be easier and faster!

Some might feel 11 rakah is too long for them, they want to do 7 or 5, so in that case they can do some in the masjid and some at home or maybe do the qiyam shorter at home - customizing it! But the most important thing is emaan and ihtisab! Because there is no hard and fast rule that you have to do qiyam for long hours, neither there is a hard and fast rule that it has to be in the masjid. Everyone is different, what is important is to try to maximize the benefit of this month.

May Allaah give us the ability to establish Qiyam in Ramadaan and laylatul Qadar with eman and ihtisab so that our previous sins are all forgiven.

The narrations that we discussed in this class are the following:

Muslim reported
Abu Huraira reported:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to exhort (his Companions) to pray (at night) during Ramadan without commanding them to observe it as an obligatory act, and say: He who observed the night prayer in Ramadan because of faith and seeking his reward (from Allah), all his previous sins would be forgiven. When Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) died, this was the practice, and it continued thus during Abu Bakr's caliphate and the early part of 'Umar's caliphate.

Abu Dawud reported (authenticated by Al-Albaani and Sheikh Muqbil)
Abu Dhar reported:
He (the Messenger Sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said: When a man prays with an imam till he goes he is reckoned as having spent a whole night in prayer.