10 Minutes Before Fajr

One of the things that psychologists often discuss is that nights are usually considered a spiritual time. And this why you see, when people go out on dates and stuff like that, when do they usually go out? During the day or at night? So people are more likely to be in touch with their spiritual side and their feelings and their emotions and what Islam does is that it takes advantage of this time. So, while other people are busy doing other things. A believer takes that spiritual time, and they take that emotional time and they devote it to their Lord. And one of the things that the scholars often talk about is that the night is a testimony of a person's love. So whatever a person loves, you'll see that they usually devote their night to that. So is a person's only concern in life is to have fun, and party, and maximize pleasure, they'll spend their night trying to do that. If a person's concern is their afterlife and their love for Allah, then they will spend their night in concern about their Akhirah (hereafter), and they will spend their night devoted to Allah ('azza wa jal).

Allah ('azza wa jal) said, '...wallazeena 'aamanooo 'ashaddu hubbal-lillaah...' (2:165) -- 'That those who believe, they're stronger in their love for Allah ('azza wa jal). And one of the things that is often said by the classical scholars and even scholars of our time, is that if we want to rectify this ummah, if we wanna change, if we really really care about this ummah, we really want to change this ummah, then we will not be able to do it except that which changed the beginning of this ummah. Then we have to look at the Sunnah of the Prophet [ﷺ] and how the companions did it, and it is in that, that we are gonna find our ummah come to life...and the thing about the companions, like I mentioned is that, what they had, and what is missing from our time, is that, that attribute of going above and beyond the bare minimum. And one of the questions, one of the most oft questions I get, from young people is, 'you know what, my imaan is just not doing too well, like I have a dip in my imaan and I just don't feel it anymore.' Or a lot of times, people whom start practicing Islam, they'll have this imaan high and they're doing really really well and then a time will come where they'll be like, 'you know, it just doesn't feel the same anymore.' Or a lot of times, reverts and converts will say, 'When I first became Muslim, it was the most amazing experience of my life, and I want that back. I want that experience back. And one of the first questions I ask these people is, 'How is your connection with Allah? How is your Qiyamul-Layl? When was the last time you got up in the middle of the night, or the last third of the night to pray to your Lord? When it comes to Qiyamul-Layl, one of the advices I often give and I give this advice because this was the advice that was given to me by my teachers is if you want to pray Qiyamul-Layl, all you have to do is just try it. And I'm not talking about spending a third of the night praying or half of the night praying, I'm saying get up 10 minutes before Fajr, just 10 minutes before Fajr. And we know that the Prophet [ﷺ] told us that it is the last third of the night where Allah ('azza wa jal) comes down to the lowest parts of the heaven and he asks, he says, 'which one of my servants is seeking for my forgiveness? That I may forgive them' and 'Which one of my servants is seeking my mercy that I may be merciful for them? Which one of my servants is asking of me, that I may give to them?' and that, that third of the night is still there in the last 10 minutes before Fajr.

Commentary by:- Ustadh Saad Tasleem