Allah describes the Muttaqin, His pious servants, whom He promised tremendous rewards,
﴿الَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَآ إِنَّنَآ
ءَامَنَّا﴾
(Those who say: "Our Lord! We have indeed believed'') in You, Your Book and Your
Messenger.
﴿فَاغْفِرْ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا﴾
(so forgive us our sins) because of our faith in You and in what You legislated
for us. Therefore, forgive us our errors and shortcomings, with Your bounty and
mercy,
﴿وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ﴾
(and save us from the punishment of the Fire.)
Allah then said,
﴿الصَّـبِرِينَ﴾
((They are) those who are patient) while performing acts of obedience and abandoning
the prohibitions.
﴿وَالصَّـدِقِينَ﴾
(those who are true) concerning their proclamation of faith, by performing the difficult
deeds.
﴿وَالْقَـنِتِينَ﴾
(and obedient) meaning, they submit and obey Allah,
﴿وَالْمُنَـفِقِينَ﴾
(those who spend) from their wealth on all the acts of obedience they were commanded,
being kind to kith and kin, helping the needy, and comforting the destitute.
﴿وَالْمُسْتَغْفِرِينَ بِالاٌّسْحَارِ﴾
(and those who pray and beg Allah's pardon in the last hours of the night) and this
testifies to the virtue of seeking Allah's forgiveness in the latter part of the
night. It was reported that when Ya`qub said to his children,
﴿سَوْفَ أَسْتَغْفِرُ لَكُمْ رَبِّى﴾
(I will ask my Lord for forgiveness for you) ﴿12:98﴾ he waited until the latter
part of the night to say his supplication.
Furthermore, the Two Sahihs, the Musnad and Sunan collections recorded through several
Companions that the Messenger of Allah said,
«يَنْزِلُ اللهُ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالى
فِي كُلِّ لَيْلَةٍ إِلى سَمَاءِ الدُّنْيَا حِينَ يَبْقَى ثُلُثُ اللَّيْلِ الْآخِرُ،
فَيَقُولُ: هَلْ مِنْ سَائِلٍ فَأُعْطِيَهُ؟ هَلْ مِنْ دَاعٍ فَأَسْتَجِيبَ لَهُ؟ هَلْ
مِنْ مُسْتَغْفِرٍ فَأَغْفِرَ لَهُ؟»
(Every night, when the last third of it remains, our Lord, the Blessed, the Superior,
descends to the lowest heaven saying, "Is there anyone to ask Me, so that I may
grant him his request Is there anyone to invoke Me, so that I may respond to his
invocation Is there anyone seeking My forgiveness, so that I may forgive him'')
The Two Sahihs recorded that `A'ishah said, "The Messenger of Allah performed Witr
during the first part, the middle and latter parts of the night. Then, later (in
his life), he would perform it (only) during the latter part.'' `Abdullah bin `Umar
used to pray during the night and would ask, "O Nafi`! Is it the latter part of
the night yet'' and if Nafi` said, "Yes,'' Ibn `Umar would start supplicating to
Allah and seeking His forgiveness until dawn. This Hadith was collected by Ibn Abi
Hatim.
﴿شَهِدَ اللَّهُ أَنَّهُ
لاَ إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ وَالْمَلَـئِكَةُ وَأُوْلُواْ الْعِلْمِ قَآئِمَاً بِالْقِسْطِ
لاَ إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ - إِنَّ الدِّينَ عِندَ
اللَّهِ الإِسْلَـمُ وَمَا اخْتَلَفَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْكِتَـبَ إِلاَّ مِن بَعْدِ
مَا جَآءَهُمُ الْعِلْمُ بَغْيًا بَيْنَهُمْ وَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِآيَـتِ اللَّهِ فَإِنَّ
اللَّهِ سَرِيعُ الْحِسَابِ - فَإنْ حَآجُّوكَ فَقُلْ أَسْلَمْتُ وَجْهِىَ للَّهِ وَمَنِ
اتَّبَعَنِ وَقُلْ لِّلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْكِتَـبَ وَالاٍّمِّيِّينَ ءَأَسْلَمْتُمْ
فَإِنْ أَسْلَمُواْ فَقَدِ اهْتَدَواْ وَّإِن تَوَلَّوْاْ فَإِنَّمَا عَلَيْكَ الْبَلَـغُ
وَاللَّهُ بَصِيرٌ بِالْعِبَادِ ﴾
(18. Allah bears witness that none has the right to be worshipped but He, and the
angels, and those having knowledge (also bear witness to this); (He always) maintains
His creation in justice. None has the right to be worshipped but He, the Almighty,
the All-Wise.) (19. Truly, the religion with Allah is Islam. Those who were given
the Scripture (Jews and Christians) did not differ except out of rivalry, after
knowledge had come to them. And whoever disbelieves in the Ayat of Allah, then surely,
Allah is Swift in reckoning.) (20. So if they dispute with you say: "I have submitted
myself to Allah, and (so have) those who follow me.'' And say to those who were
given the Scripture (Jews and Christians) and to those who are illiterate (Arab
pagans): "Do you (also) submit yourselves'' If they do, they are rightly guided;
but if they turn away, your duty is only to convey the Message; and Allah sees the
servants.)
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