"I Am as My Slave Expects Me to Be"

 

It was narrated on the authority of Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Prophet  said: “Allah, The Exalted, Says, ‘I am as My slave expects Me to be, and I am with him whenever he remembers Me. If he remembers Me to Himself, I remember him to Myself, and if he remembers Me in an assembly, I remember him in a better assembly (i.e., the assembly of angels). If he draws closer to Me by a hand span, I draw closer to him by an arm’s length. If he draws closer to Me by an arm’s length, I draw closer to him by a fathom’s length. And whoever comes to Me walking, I go to him at speed.’” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

Status of the Hadeeth

This is one of the great Ahaadeeth of hope that urge Muslims to have good expectations of Allah, The Exalted, and to remember Him abundantly. It also underlines how Allah, The Exalted, draws closer to His Slaves  whenever they draw closer to Him by means of performing various acts of obedience.

Having Good Expectations of Allah

The Hadeeth begins with calling the slave of Allah to have good expectations of his Lord at all times and in all states. In the Hadeeth, Allah, The Exalted, explained that He is as His Slave  expects Him to be, meaning that He treats him in accordance with his own expectation of His Lord and does for him what he expects of Him, be it good or bad. If a person has good expectations of Allah and hopes for His Reward , Allah will not fail him nor cause his deeds to be lost. Whenever he supplicates Allah, he expects Allah to answer his supplications. If he commits a sin and repents and seeks forgiveness, he expects Allah to accept his repentance, pardon his fault, and forgive his sin. If he performs a good deed, he expects Allah to accept his deed and reward him handsomely. These are all examples of having good expectations of Allah, The Exalted. The Prophet  said: “Supplicate Allah while certain that your supplication will be answered.” [At-Tirmithi]

Thus, a slave of Allah continues to have good expectations of his Lord and aspire to His Reward  in all situations, as the Arab poet Ibn Waheeb said (translation of meaning):

I supplicate Allah and, verily, by virtue of having good expectations of Him, it is as if I can see His Answer  to my supplications with my own eyes!”

Having good expectations of Allah is thus among the implications and requirements of Tawheed (Islamic monotheism) because it is based on the knowledge of the mercy of Allah, His Might , kindness, omnipotence, and true reliance on Him. When a person attains perfect knowledge of these verities, the fruit that this knowledge yields is having good expectations of his Lord.

In the Quran, Allah, The Exalted, dispraises a group of people who had bad expectations of Him, and He underlines that their ill expectations were actually one of the key signs of their hypocrisy and covert wickedness. He Says about the hypocrites when they fled (the battlefield) and abandoned the Prophet  and his Companions during the battle of Uhud (what means): {…while another faction worried about themselves, thinking of Allah other than the truth – the thought of ignorance...} [Quran 3:154] He also Says about the hypocrites and polytheists (what means): {…those who assume about Allah an assumption of evil nature. Upon them is a misfortune of evil nature...} [Quran 48:6]

The Hadeeth urges us to give precedence to having hope in Allah (over having fear of Him), because any sane person who receives this invitation from Allah, The Exalted, would not willingly choose for himself the expectations that will inflict upon him the promised punishment. Rather, he will choose to have good expectations, which is that Allah will bless him with His Reward , pardon, and forgiveness, and that he will receive the promised recompense (i.e. Allah will treat him in accordance with his good expectations of Him). This is the enjoined hope in Allah, The Exalted, (that is required of a Muslim) especially at times of weakness and need for Him like the situation of a dying person. He should have good expectations of Allah more than anyone else with greater reason, and this is why the Prophet  said: “Let none of you die without having good expectations of Allah.” [Muslim; as reported from Jaabir, may Allah be pleased with him]

Therefore, one should strive to perform his duties while believing with certainty that Allah, The Exalted, will accept his deeds and forgive him because He promised to do that and He never fails in His Promise . If he expects Allah to turn him down or that his repentance will be of no avail, then this is despair of the mercy of Allah, and it is a major sin. Whoever dies while despairing of His Mercy , Allah will make his bad expectations come true. This is why some versions of the Hadeeth discussed in this article have the following addition at the end: “…so let him expect of Me whatever he wishes.” [Ahmad and others with an authentic chain of narration]

Between Despair and Self-deception

It is noteworthy that having good expectations of Allah, The Exalted, entails good-doing and does not mean at all to give in to idleness, (false) hope for the forgiveness and pardon of Allah or self-deception. Therefore, a slave of Allah should avoid two blameworthy attitudes in this regard: despair of the mercy of Allah, and feeling secure from His Makr (schemes and plans). He should not rely solely on having hope in Allah and having good expectations of Him without duly performing acts of obedience, because this would be foolish, and it also implies feeling safe from His Makr. On the other hand, he should not give predominance to fear of Allah over hope in Him lest it leads him to have bad expectations of his Lord and accordingly fall into despair of His Mercy , and both attitudes are blameworthy. Rather, it is obligatory on him to have good expectations of Allah along with diligently performing acts of obedience. Some of the righteous predecessors used to say: “Your hope for the mercy of the One Whom you disobey indicates disillusion and foolishness!”

Rewards for those Who Remember Allah

In the Hadeeth, Allah, The Exalted, underlined the virtues of remembering Him and the rewards for those who remember Him. He stated that He is with His Slave  whenever he remembers Him. Being “with” Allah is a special kind of “with-ness” that involves having His Protection  and receiving the blessings of steadfastness and success, as indicated in His Saying to Moosa (Moses) and Haaroon (Aaron) (which means): {[Allah] said, Fear not. Indeed, I am with you both; I hear and I see.} [Quran 20:46]

The best manner to remember Allah, The Exalted, is to remember Him with an attentive heart and mind, pondering over the meanings of the Thikr (expressions of remembrance of Allah) being recited, and the best form of remembrance is adhering to His Obligations  and avoiding His Prohibitions .

The Reward of Drawing Close to Allah

Allah, The Exalted, then underlined the vastness of His Grace  and generosity as well as His closeness to His Slave . He stated that the closer His Slave  draws to Him, the closer He draws to him in return. In the Quran, Allah, The Exalted, stated that He is near His Slave , Saying (what means): {And when My servants ask you [O Muhammad] concerning Me – indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me [by obedience] and believe in Me that they may be [rightly] guided.} [Quran 2:186] The Prophet  said: “A slave of Allah is nearest to his Lord when he is prostrating to Him, so make abundant supplication (while prostrating).” [Muslim]

The last three sentences in the Hadeeth, wherein Allah, The Exalted, Says: “If he draws closer to Me by a hand span, I draw closer to him by an arm’s length. If he draws closer to Me by an arm’s length, I draw closer to him by a fathom’s length. And whoever comes to Me walking, I go to him at speed,” indicate this great meaning; that the grace of Allah and His Reward  are much greater than the good deeds and efforts that His Slave  exerts, and therefore He grants His Slave  more than what His Slave  did for Him. Glorified be Allah! How abundant is His Generosity  and how excellent is His Grace ! -islamweb.net

Oppression and Scheming… and the Expedited Punishment

 

In the name of Allah, praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah  his family and Companions, and those who follow him.

The divine norms of Allah, The Exalted, have no scope for favoritism or flattery; He Says (what means):

·      {And you will not find in the way of Allah any change.} [Quran 33:62]

·      {And you will never find in the way of Allah any alteration.} [Quran 35:43]

The Islamic Sharee‘ah does not distinguish between the equals, nor does it treat unequals as equivalent. The (inevitable) destruction of schemers, oppressors, and renegers is only a matter of time. The passage of time is part of the solution, and the constants and standards should remain unshakable. Muhammad ibn Ka‘b Al-Qurathi,  may  Allah  have  mercy  upon  him, said: “Three qualities beset those who possess them: 1) (evil) scheming, as Allah, The Exalted, Says (what means): {Evil scheme shall not beset any save the authors of it} [Quran 35:43]; 2) reneging, as Allah, The Exalted, Says (what means): {So, he who breaks his word only breaks it to the detriment of himself} [Quran 48:10], 3) and oppression, as Allah, The Exalted, Says (what means): {O mankind, your oppression is only against yourselves} [Quran 10:23].”

Among the Causes of Destruction:

These qualities incur the destruction of the people who possess them. Evidently, there is a close connection between causes and effects and between premises and conclusions; your deeds are your own doing. Allah, The Exalted, Says (what means): {Whoever does a good deed – it is for himself; and whoever does evil – it is against the self. Then to your Lord you will be returned.} [Quran 45:15] Similarly, He Says (what means): {If you do good, you do good for yourselves; and if you do evil, [you do it] to yourselves.} [Quran 17:7] In the same vein, the Prophet  said: “Do whatever you wish; you will be rewarded or punished accordingly.” It was also authentically reported that the Prophet  said: “Allah, The Exalted, Said: ‘O My slaves, indeed, I enumerate and record your deeds for you, and then recompense you for them accordingly. Therefore, anyone who finds good (reward), should praise Allah, The Exalted, and whoever finds otherwise should blame none but himself.”

A man once went to a scholar and said, “The people of such-and-such tribe colluded to harm me and united as one hand against me.” The scholar recited: {The hand of Allah is over their hands.} [Quran 48:10] The man further complained, “They devise wicked schemes against me,” so the scholar recited: {The evil scheme does not encompass except its own people.} [Quran 35:43] The man further said: “They are great in number,” so the scholar recited: {How many a small company has overcome a large company by permission of Allah.} [Quran 2:249]

The Evil Schemes of the Disbelievers Destroy Them:

If you wish to be saved from the evil scheming of the disbelievers and the wicked, be fully confident that their destruction will be inevitably incurred by their own evil schemes, oppression, and reneging. In fact, they destroy themselves before your weapon reaches them, and they alone suffer the consequences of their evil qualities. Allah, The Exalted, Says (what means): {And the disbelievers schemed, but Allah schemed. And Allah is the best of schemers.} [Quran 3:54] He also Says (what means): {And thus We have placed within every city the greatest of its criminals to scheme therein. But they scheme not except against themselves, and they perceive [it] not.} [Quran 6:123]

Evil Schemes Turn against the Schemer:

The Quran relates to us one of the evil schemes devised by the people of Thamood against their Prophet Saalih, may Allah exalt his mention, where Allah, The Exalted, Says (what means): {And they devised a scheme, and We devised a scheme, while they perceived not. Then look how was the outcome of their scheme – that We destroyed them and their people, all.} [Quran 27:50-51] Commenting on these verses, scholars said: “It means: while they perceived not the angels that Allah sent down to protect Saalih from his people when they entered upon him to kill him, the angels pelted every one of them with a stone until they were all killed, and Saalih was saved from their evil scheme.” It was also said: “They schemed by pretending to embark on a journey, when, in reality, they hid in a cave to return at night to kill him. So Allah caused a rock to move and block the mouth of the cave; and this was His scheme against them.”

Similarly, the polytheists (of Makkah) hatched wicked schemes against the Prophet  as Allah, The Exalted, Says (what means): {And [remember, O Muhammad] when those who disbelieved schemed against you to restrain you or kill you or evict you [from Makkah]. But they scheme, and Allah schemes. And Allah is the best of schemers.} [Quran 8:30] Allah saved His Prophet  and he safely migrated to Madeenah and later killed the leaders of the disbelievers in the Battle of Badr, including Abu Jahl, ‘Utbah ibn Rabee‘ah, and Shaybah ibn Rabee‘ah. Afterward, Allah, The Exalted, granted the Muslims triumph over them on the day of the Conquest of Makkah. When the Prophet  passed away, Allah, The Exalted, had granted him triumph over them, enabled him to conquer them, and exalted him in status and reputation.

The hypocrites also schemed against the Prophet . Allah, The Exalted, Says (what means): {But they who scheme evil deeds will have a severe punishment, and the scheme of those – it will perish.} [Quran 35:10] Their wicked schemes were eventually thwarted, and their deception became evident to all rational and wise people. Verily, whoever conceals something within himself, Allah makes it evident in his facial expressions and slips of the tongue, and He dons on him its consequences; good or bad.

The Jews as well devised wicked schemes against the Prophet  and attempted to assassinate him. They colluded with the polytheists against him several times, as it is well known. As a result, he  killed some of them and evicted others. He was granted triumph over them, and his message was propagated to all people. As the Last Hour approaches, Allah, The Exalted, will cause the stones and trees, except Al-Gharqad (boxthorn), which is their shrub, to speak to his nation (to reveal the location of the Jews hiding behind them), saying, “O Muslim! O slave of Allah! There is a Jew behind me; come and kill him!” Allah, The Exalted, will also enable the Muslims to conquer Jerusalem.

Therefore, beware of evil schemes, and do not be dazzled by the schemers. Qays ibn Sa‘d ibn ‘Ubaadah, may Allah be pleased with him and his father, said: “Had I not heard the Prophet  say: ‘Evil scheming and deception are in Hellfire,’ I would have been one of the craftiest of people.” [Al-Albaani: Saheeh]

Meaning of “Makr” when attributed to Allah, The Almighty:

It is no secret that the Makr (Arabic for scheme or plan) that Allah, The Exalted, attributes to Himself is one that befits His majesty and grandeur. It indicates the way in which He inflicts punishment on those who scheme against His Allies  and Messengers by countering their evil schemes with His good scheme. Therefore, while their schemes are most vile, those of Allah, The Exalted, are most good because they constitute justice and fair recompense. The same goes for Mukhaada‘ah (stratagem) when attributed to Allah, The Exalted; it indicates His counter stratagem as a punishment for those who devise stratagems against His Messengers  and Allies . Verily, there is no scheme nor stratagem better than His.

Oppression too has an evil end:

Just as evil schemes incur adverse consequences on those who devise them, oppression as well entails the swiftest punishment. It was said: whoever draws the sword of oppression will be killed with it; an oppressor will inevitably have a taste of his own medicine; oppression defeats those who commit it; oppression always comes to a bad end; whoever digs a pit for his brother shall fall therein; shun oppression for it is indeed worthy of shunning. ‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Abbaas, may Allah be pleased with them, used to say: “If it happened that a mountain oppressed another mountain, Allah, The Almighty, would level the oppressive one.” He also said: “A king uttered a word of oppression while sitting on his throne; Allah, The Exalted, transformed him into another creature, perhaps a fly or something else. He was consigned to oblivion.”

‘Abdullaah ibn Mu‘aawiyah Al-Haashimi  relates, “When he was on his deathbed, ‘Abdul-Muttalib asked his ten sons to assemble and advised them as follows, ‘Beware of oppression! I swear by Allah, He did not create anything with a swifter punishment than oppression. I have never witnessed people who survived despite their oppression, except perhaps your relatives from Banu ‘Abd Shams.’”

Ibn Al-Qayyim  said: “How strange is a human self; it combines the arrogance of Satan, the envy of Qaabeel (Cain), the insolence of the people of ‘Aad, the transgression of the people of Thamood, the audacity of Nimrod, the brazenness of Pharaoh, the oppression of Qaaroon, the ugliness of Haamaan, the sinful desires of Bal‘aam, the cunning of the people of Sabbath, the rebelliousness of Al-Waleed, and the ignorance of Abu Jahl... And of the beastly qualities, it has the keenness of a crow, the voracity of a dog, the vanity of a peacock, the vileness of a scarab, the ingratitude of a lizard, the grudge of a camel, the leaping of a cheetah, the hostility of a lion, the wickedness of a mouse, the maliciousness of a snake, the levity of a monkey, the persistent hoarding of an ant, the slyness of a fox, the lightness of a butterfly, and the laziness of a hyena. However, despite all that, striving and struggling (against such bad qualities) eventually pay off and eliminate them.”

Quranic Texts Dispraising Oppression:

There are texts in the Quran that denounce oppression without right; Allah, The Exalted, Says (what means): {The cause is only against the ones who wrong the people and tyrannize upon the earth without right. Those will have a painful punishment.} [Quran 42:42] Oppression incorporates arrogance, injustice, corruption, and commission of sins. It is one of the five things that all divine messages prohibit, as Allah, The Exalted, Says (what means): {Say, “My Lord has only forbidden immoralities – what is apparent of them and what is concealed – and sin, and oppression without right, and that you associate with Allah that for which He has not sent down authority, and that you say about Allah that which you do not know.”} [Quran 7:33]

The promise of Allah, The Exalted, to support the oppressed person should be sufficient for him. He Says (what means): {That [is so]. And whoever responds [to injustice] with the equivalent of that with which he was harmed and then is oppressed – Allah will surely aid him.} [Quran 22:60] The Prophet  said: “No sin is worthier of its doer’s punishment being hastened by Allah in the worldly life, in addition to what is stored for him in the Hereafter, than oppression and severance of ties of kinship.” [Ahmad, Abu Daawood, At-Tirmithi: Hasan Saheeh] He  also said: “No act of obedience to Allah has a swifter reward than upholding ties of kinship; and nothing prompts punishment swifter than oppression, cutting off ties of kinship, and perjury which incurs penury on the oath-maker.” [Al-Bayhaqi, Al-Albaani: authentic]

It was also narrated that the Prophet  said: “Allah revealed to me that you should humble yourselves to one another until none shows arrogance towards another nor oppresses another.” [Muslim]

Lessons from the Stories of the Destroyed Oppressors

Reflect on the stories of oppressors and their fates in past and recent history, and you will find conformity between the pages of history and the pages of the Quran.

Consider Pharaoh, who committed oppression in the land without right, claimed Lordship and Divinity, and said, as cited in the verse (which means): {Does not the kingdom of Egypt belong to me, and these rivers flowing beneath me?} [Quran 43:51] He tried to apprehend Prophet Moosa (Moses), may Allah exalt his mention, and those who believed in him from the Children of Israel. Along with his army, he pursued them out of oppression and enmity. However, Allah, The Exalted, drowned him as an apt punishment for his actions. Later, the Egyptians saw his rotten corpse after they had earlier worshipped him instead of Allah, The Exalted, Who Said (what means): {So today We will save you in body that you may be to those who succeed you a sign.} [Quran 10:92]

The Quran relates the story of another oppressor, Qaaroon. Allah, The Exalted, Says (what means): {Indeed, Qaaroon was from the people of Moses, but he oppressed them.} [Quran 28:76] He also Says that some people gave him advice, saying (what means): {And desire not corruption in the land. Indeed, Allah does not like corrupters.} [Quran 28:77] But he did not heed this advice, so Allah, The Exalted, destroyed him, and he was taken to meet his Lord, unlamented. Allah, The Exalted, Says (what means): {And We caused the earth to swallow him and his home.} [Quran 28:81]

The stories of the oppression of past nations against the Prophets and Messengers of Allah abound in lessons and admonitions for all those who are endowed with sound intellect. Allah, The Exalted, seized them with His might and power. The people of Prophet Nooh (Noah) and ‘Aad, Thamood, and many other generations lived and disbelieved in their Messengers and then perished. They will meet their Lord and their deeds will be presented to Him; He Says (what means): {And how many have We destroyed before them of generations? Do you perceive of them anyone or hear from them a sound?} [Quran 19:98].

Author: Dr. Sa‘eed ‘Abdul-‘Atheem - islamweb.net

Dignity: The Trait of the Righteous

 

Praise be to Allah, The Exalted. May peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah  his family, Companions, and whoever follows his example.

It is becoming of a Muslim to adhere to all that adorns him of noble traits and shun all that disgraces and discredits him.

One of the noble traits that are befitting of a Muslim is Waqaar (dignity). We can (fairly) say that dignity is a moral attribute generated by the adherence to a number of noble morals, such as forbearance, serenity, composure gentleness, and steadfastness. This is why it was defined as: “Deliberateness towards the realization of wants.”

Al-Jaahith defined it as follows: “Refraining from idle talk, futility, unnecessary gesturing and movement, keeping anger in check, listening attentively before asking questions, deliberateness in giving answers, guarding against haste, and promptness with regard to all matters.”

The pure Islamic Sharee‘ah was keen on adorning the believers with dignity. With regard to establishing one of the key obligations in Islam, the Prophet  urged the Muslims to adhere to dignity. He  said: “If you hear the Iqaamah (second call to prayer), walk to the prayer with tranquility and dignity, and do not hasten your pace (to join the congregational prayer). Perform of the prayer what you catch up with (i.e. with the Imaam) and complete what you missed.”

If lay-Muslims are required to adhere to dignity, then the scholars and devout Muslims are required to adhere to it with greater reason. Such was the practice of the scholars of the righteous predecessors. An example is Imaam Maalik ; whenever he related Hadeeth to his students, he would clean himself, wear perfume, comb his beard, and put on his best apparel. Allah, The Exalted, bestowed upon him a great share of dignity, so much so that the following verses of poetry were composed about him (translation of the meaning): “He would at times not answer the questions directed to him, and the questioners would not dare to remind him out of awe of him, and they would keep their heads down. He was endowed with the light of dignity and the honor of piety; revered like a king without being one.”

Adhering to dignity was the advice that Ibn Mas‘ood, may Allah be pleased with him, gave to those who are devoted to the Quran. He said: “The one who memorizes  the Quran should be oft-weeping, sad, wise, forbearing, and serene. He  should not be harsh, heedless, slugabed (lazy), loud, or rough.”

Al-Hasan Al-Basri  said: “A man would pursue knowledge, and soon it would show in his earnest fear of Allah, decorum, sayings, gazes, and righteousness.”

When a person’s heart is alive and his face is adorned with bashfulness, he is prompted to adhere to dignity. He reveres other people, and they revere him in return, and he becomes characterized by dignity.

The more a person venerates and glorifies his Lord, the more people revere him. Whoever glorifies and venerates Allah, The Exalted, He will instill the love and reverence for him in the hearts of people.

On the other hand, the one who takes the Rights of Allah lightly, and the reverence for his Lord weakens in his heart, thus emboldening him to commit sins and transgress against His Limits and neglect His Commands and Obligations, Allah, The Exalted, will not cast reverence for him or awe of him into people’s hearts. Even if some people revere him to avoid his evil, it is a false reverence that is founded on hatred rather than love or admiration.

Finally, let us ponder over these beautiful verses composed by an Arab poet (translation of meaning): “Speak the truth, refrain from vain and idle talk, and do not use vulgar language or promote suspicions. Be dignified; speak less, and think more. When you speak, do not give prolonged speeches; do not hasten to answer a question without deliberation, and do not answer a question that was not directed to you.”

We ask Allah, The Exalted, to adorn us with faith and bless us with dignity. - islamweb.net

Is there any difference between tahajjud and qiyaam al-layl?

 

Praise be to Allah.

Qiyaam al-layl means spending the night, or part of it, even if it is only one hour, in prayer, reading Qur’aan, remembering Allah (dhikr) and other acts of worship. It is not stipulated that it should take up most of the night. 

It says in Maraaqi al-Falaah: What is meant by qiyaam is spending most of the night in worship, or it was said: spending one hour of it, in reading Qur'aan, listening to hadeeth, glorifying Allah (tasbeeh) or sending blessings upon the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). End quote. 

Al-Mawsoo‘ah al-Fiqhiyyah al-Kuwaitiyyah, 34/117. 

Tahajjud means specifically praying at night, and some scholars limited it to prayers that are offered at night after sleeping. 

Al-Hajjaaj ibn ‘Amr al-Ansaari (may Allah be pleased with him) said: One of you thinks that if he gets up at night and prays until morning comes that he has done tahajjud. But in fact tahajjud means praying after sleeping, then praying after sleeping. That is how the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah upon him) prayed. Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar said in al-Talkhees al-Habeer (2/35): Its isnaad is hasan; it includes Abu Saalih, the scribe of al-Layth, and it is somewhat weak. It was also narrated by al-Tabaraani, whose isnaad includes Ibn Luhay‘ah, whose report is supported by the one that came before it. End quote. 

Thus it becomes clear that qiyaam al-layl is more general than tahajjud, because it includes prayer and other actions, and it includes prayer before and after sleeping. 

But tahajjud is exclusively praying, and there are two opinions concerning it. The first is that it means praying at any time of the night, which is the view of the majority of fuqaha’. 

The second is that it is prayer after sleeping. See: al-Mawsoo‘ah al-Fiqhiyyah, 2/232. 

Al-Qurtubi (may Allah have mercy on him) said in his commentary on the verse (interpretation of the meaning): “And in some parts of the night (also) offer the Salaah (prayer) with it (i.e. recite the Qur’aan in the prayer) as an additional prayer (Tahajjud optional prayer Nawâfil) for you (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم). It may be that your Lord will raise you to Maqâm Mahmûd (a station of praise and glory, i.e., the honour of intercession on the Day of Resurrection)” [al-Isra’ 17:97]: 

Tahajjud comes from hujood, which is doing one thing and the opposite, it so the word hajada may mean he slept or it may mean he stayed up at night, which are opposites. 

Tahajjud means waking up after sleeping, and it became a name for prayer, because the individual wakes up for it. So tahajjud means getting up to pray at night. This meaning was given by al-Aswad, ‘Ilqimah, ‘Abd al-Rahmaan ibn al-Aswad and others. 

Ismaa‘eel ibn Ishaaq al-Qaadi narrated from the hadeeth of al-Hajjaaj ibn ‘Amr, the Companion of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah upon him) that he said: Does one of you think that if he gets up and spends the entire night in prayer that he had prayed tahajjud? Rather tahajjud is praying after sleeping, then praying after sleeping, then praying after sleeping. This is how the Messenger of Allah (blessing and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed.  

And it was said tahajjud means sleep, as it is said in Arabic, Tahajjada al-rajul, meaning the man stayed up, and alqa al-hujood, i.e., sleep. And the one who gets up to pray is called mutahajjid. End quote from Tafseer al-Tabari, 10/307. 

Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked: What is the difference between Taraweeh, Qiyaam and Tahajjud? Please advise us, may you be rewarded. 

He replied: Prayer at night is called tahajjud or qiyaam al-layl, as Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And in some parts of the night (also) offer the Salaah (prayer) with it (i.e. recite the Qur’aan in the prayer) as an additional prayer (Tahajjud optional prayer Nawâfil) for you”

[al-Isra’ 17:79]

“O you wrapped in garments (i.e. Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم)!

2. Stand (to pray) all night, except a little”

[al-Muzzammil 73:1-2]

“They used to sleep but little by night [invoking their Lord (Allaah) and praying, with fear and hope]”

[al-Dhaariyaat 51:17]. 

With regard to Taraweeh, the scholars use this word to refer to qiyaam al-layl in Ramadan at the beginning of the night, which should be made light and not lengthy. It may also be called tahajjud or qiyaam al-layl. 

And Allah is the source of strength.

End quote from Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn Baaz, 11/317. 

And Allah knows best.

What should one do when there is a conflict between shar‘i texts?

 

Praise be to Allah.

It is well known that many shar‘i rulings were introduced in stages, paying attention to people’s circumstances at the time of the revelation. So something may have been mustahabb at the beginning, then it became obligatory, or it may have been permitted then it was forbidden, or vice versa. 

What matters is the ultimate ruling. 

In Saheeh al-Bukhaari (989) it was narrated that Shihaab az-Zuhri said: What is to be adopted is the latest action of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). 

And Muslim (1113) narrated it from him as follows: The Companions of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to follow the latest instructions. 

According to another version: They used to follow the latest command, regarding it as abrogating others and as being the one to be followed. 

This that was stated by az-Zuhri is what was followed by the majority of scholars: so the later of two shar‘i texts is what is to be followed, as the shar‘i rulings came one after another and many obligatory duties and rulings were changed at later stages. 

But this principle is only to be applied when it is difficult to reconcile between shar‘i texts in any possible way. However, if it is possible to reconcile between them, then this reconciliation is to be given precedence over the other approach (which is to adopt one and reject the other). 

One of the well-established guidelines among the scholars is that reconciling between two texts takes precedence over adopting one and rejecting the other (after examining the soundness of both). Or in other words: considering two reports and adopting both is better than adopting one and rejecting the other. 

So adopting all texts is to be given precedence over following some and rejecting others. 

Al-Haafiz ibn Rajab said: If it is possible to reconcile between them and act upon all of them, it is obligatory to do so and it is not allowed to claim that one abrogates another. This is a rule that is to be applied all the time.

End quote from Fath al-Baari, by Ibn Rajab, 5/84 

Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar sad: Reconciling is preferable to adopting one and rejecting another (after examining the soundness of both), according to the consensus of the scholars of usool.

End quote from Fath al-Baari, by Ibn Hajar, 9/474 

If it is not possible to reconcile between two shar‘i texts in any acceptable way, then the later text is to be followed in that case, and is regarded as abrogating the earlier text. 

If it is not known which is the earlier text and which is the later text, then the scholars have to decide which has greater credibility, and there are many ways of determining that, which the scholars have discussed in detail in the books of Usool. For more information on that please see al-Bahr al-Muheet by az-Zarkashi, 4/442, and Irshaad al-Fuhool by ash-Shawkaani, 2/264 

An-Nawawi said: If two hadeeths appear to contradict one another, then there is no option but to reconcile between them or determine which is more credible. That should only be done by scholars who have knowledge of both fiqh and hadeeth and scholars of usool who have great knowledge in the field, who are able to detect subtleties of meaning and are well versed in that. Any scholar of that calibre will not find it difficult to do that, except in rare cases. 

Hadeeths that appear to contradict one another are of two types: 

-1-

Those that can be reconciled, in which case that is what must be done and both must be followed and acted upon. Whenever we can find a more useful interpretation of a text, then we should adopt that interpretation, and we should not decide that one abrogates the other when it is possible to reconcile between texts, because when a text is abrogated it means that one of the two hadeeths is being dismissed and is no longer being followed. 

-2-

Those that contradict one another in such a way that it is not possible by any means to reconcile between them. If we know that one of them abrogates the other, then we must give it precedence. Otherwise we should strive hard to work out which of the two is more credible, such as by examining the number and calibre of narrators and all other means of determining credibility, of which there are nearly 50 ways that were compiled by al-Haafiz Abu Bakr al-Haazimi at the beginning of his book an-Naasikh wal-Mansookh.

End quote from Sharh an-Nawawi ‘ala Muslim, 1/35. 

To sum up: 

If two shar‘i texts contradict one another, the first thing we must do is try to reconcile between them in an acceptable manner. If that is not possible then we should follow the later of the two texts. If it is not known which is the later one, we should examine them to find out which report is more credible and adopt it. 

It is essential to note that the methodology of the fuqaha’ in reconciling between shar‘i texts may differ in application from one faqeeh to another. Some of them may find a way to reconcile the texts, whilst others may think that reconciling between two hadeeths is farfetched, so they may decide that one abrogates the other or they may examine them in order to determine which is more credible, and so on. 

And Allah knows best. - islamqa.info