50 Benefits From A Hadith On ^DOUBLE^ Qiyam-Ul-Layl!

بسم الله الرحمان الرحيم.

الحمد لله و الصلاة و السلام على رسول الله.

The Hadith-

It was narrated that Qais bin Talq said:

“My father, Talq bin ‘Ali visited me one day in Ramadan and stayed with us until the evening (and he broke his fast with us). He led us in praying Qiyam that night and prayed witr with us. Then he went down to a masjid and led his companions in prayer until only witr was left. Then he told a man to go forward and said to him: ‘Lead them in praying witr, for I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: There should not be two witrs in one night.”

Sunan An-Nasai 679. Sunan Abi Dawud 1439. (Sunnah.com) (Sahih according to Shaikh Al-Albani.)

Benefits:

1. This Hadith is about a Sahabi visiting his son.

2. This Hadith is about the Fiqh of Qiyam ul Layl.

3. The Hadith is very important since it speaks about what occured in the month of Ramadan.

4. Sahabi, Talq bin Ali (رضي الله عنه), led his family in Qiyam ul Layl.

5. This shows that the Sahaba would lead their families in worship in the virtuous month of Ramadan.

6. Praying Qiyam ul Layl at home in Ramadan with the family is thus proven from the Sahaba.

7. Praying Qiyam ul Layl at home in Ramadan with the family is thus proven from the Sahaba, even if Masajid are present where the Qiyam ul Layl/ Taraveeh is being held.

8. Talq bin Ali (رضي الله عنه) ended with Witr. (So apparently he couldn’t pray again according to what most people assert.)

9.It is not necessary that a man always leaves the Witr for the end of the night. It is however highly recommended to make it the last prayer.

10. Talq bin Ali (رضي الله عنه) then headed to a Masjid. This shows that the Sahaba filled the Masajid in Ramadan.

11. He (رضي الله عنه) led his companions (friends) in ‘another’ Qiyam-ul-Layl. This shows that praying the Qiyam ul Layl in the Masajid is also proven from the Sahaba.

12. He (رضي الله عنه) became the Imam two times during the same night. This proves that a man can lead two congregations of the Qiyam ul Layl or Taraveeh in the very same night.

13. He (رضي الله عنه) prayed another Qiyam ul Layl/Taraveeh after Witr.

14. Praying after witr is not Haram or sinful. (It is only Mustahab and better to end with Witr.)

15. He (رضي الله عنه) led them in Qiyam ul Layl but did not lead them in praying Witr. This shows that an Imam may chose not to lead a congregation in Witr.

16. He did not pray another Witr acting upon the Hadith that there shouldn’t be two Witrs in one night.

17. He did not pray another Witr acting upon the Hadith that there shouldn’t be two Witrs in one night (Previous point). This shows that the Sahaba did not innovate or do anything against the Sunnah.

18. Since the Sahaba did not go against the Sunnah, Talq bin Ali’s praying Qiyam ul Layl/ Taraveeh more than once shows us that the issue of praying at night (Qiyam ul Layl/Taraveeh) is flexible and not rigid.

19. Talq bin Ali’s family knew about this ‘doubled’ Qiyam ul Layl, and they didn’t oppose him or retort him for this action.

20. Talq bin Ali’s companions also got to know that Talq bin Ali has already prayed the Qiyam ul Layl and Witr once before praying in the Masjid. But they too didn’t criticise him for this.

21. When the family and companions of Talq bin Ali saw this act of his and were silent about it, it means that all of them, agreed upon the fact that the Qiyam ul Layl is a flexible issue and one can repeat his Qiyam ul Layl again and again with multiple congregations.

22. Talq bin Ali (رضي الله عنه) made someone else lead the congregation for Witr. This shows that the same set of people may pray Qiyam ul Layl behind two different Imams.

23. Point 21 also shows that it is not Wajib for the same Imam to conclude with the Witr of the Qiyam ul Layl. Rather that is only Mustahab.

24. Point 21 shows that one praying behind the Imam, may lead the very congregation he was a part of.

25. The Sahabi, Talq bin Ali (رضي الله عنه) narrated a Hadith while excusing himself from leading the Witr. This shows that the Sahaba presented proofs for their actions.

26. Point 24, also showed that the Sahaba earnestly memorized and conveyed the Ahadith of the Prophet ﷺ.

27. This Athar (narration) shows how the students of the Sahaba memorized important and beneficial incidents from the lives of the Sahaba.

28. Since the Sahaba were earnest in cultivating their family and companions upon the Sunnah, what can be safely assumed is that Talq bin Ali (رضي الله عنه) prayed 11 Rakahs with his family, like what the Prophet ﷺ usually did.

29. In the same note, he (رضي الله عنه) may have also prayed 8 or 10 Rakahs with his companions in the Masjid, considering that the Witr he didn’t repeat may be 3 or 1 Rakah.

30. This means that he had most probably prayed more than 11 Rakah in one night and a maximum of 19 or 21 Rakahs in total.

31. This is a refutation of the Scholars who say that praying more than 11 is a Bidah.

32. This is also a refutation of the Scholars who say that praying less than 23 (20+3) is against the Ijma of the Sahaba, since his family may have prayed 11 like the Prophet ﷺ. If the scholars (who say that 23 is Ijma) argue that perhaps the family prayed 23 and not 11, the narration still refutes them as Talq bin Ali may have thus prayed more than 23! Thus Talq (رضي الله عنه) is not against Ijma, rather there is no such Ijma.

33. The actions of the Sahaba in general are the best way the Ahadith are to be applied and understood, especially if no one had opposed them while they did that.

34. This narration shows the benefit of studying the actions of the Sahaba alongside studying the Ahadith of the Prophet ﷺ.

35. The silence of the other people in this narration asserts that it was agreed upon by the Muslims in the lifetime of the Sahaba, that they were the best Fuqaha of the Ummah.

36. Talq bin Ali (رضي الله عنه) had memorized either the entire Quran or the greatest portion of the Quran from amongst his people, hence he was made the Imam.

37. Talq bin Ali (رضي الله عنه) had ‘heard’ a Hadith from the Prophet ﷺ, unlike many other Sahaba who had just seen the Prophet ﷺ.

38. Even though the Prophet ﷺ said that one who completes the Qiyam ul Layl with the Imam, gets the reward of praying all night, Talq bin Ali (رضي الله عنه) still opted to pray more. This means that even if one is according to some actions- like praying Isha and Fajr in Jama’at or a single set of Taraveeh prayers with the Imam- rewarded akin to standing in Qiyam ul Layl the entire night, this shouldn’t stop one from worshipping Allah through Nawafil Salah at night.

39. This Hadith is a proof that the one who prays the Qiyam ul Layl at night besides praying the Isha and Fajr in congregation is rewarded more than the one who prays only the Isha and Fajr in congregation. That is why Talq (رضي الله عنه) led his family in Qiyam ul Layl.

40. And thus, the one who prays the Qiyam ul Layl twice is better than the one who prayed once behind the Imam. Like Talq bin Ali (رضي الله عنه).

41. It is not obligatory or encouraged to end the Qiyam ul Layl with a Witr prayer if one has already prayed it.

42. It is not necessary to finish the entire Qiyam ul Layl behind a single Imam, it is only Mustahab to do so. This narration shows that with or without a reason one can stop a prayer in between and leave the congregation as an Imam or a Ma’moom (one praying behind).

43. The Sahaba did not miss any opportunity to increase their prostrations (Sujood) in the Path of Allah. We too thus should opt for praying more than settling for less.

44. The narration shows that Talq bin Ali (رضي الله عنه) did not force his son to come to the Masjid along with him after his son completed the Taraveeh and Witr behind him. This makes us infer that the Sahaba did not force their children to do more than what is obligatory and generally superogatory (mentioned in the Sunnah).

45. Talq bin Ali (رضي الله عنه) broke his fast with his family.

46. We learn from this narration the name of a Tabai, Qays bin Talq bin Ali.

47. We learn from this narration the name of a Sahabi – Talq bin Ali (رضي الله عنه).

48. Increase in love for the Sahaba after we learn from them their statements, actions and understating of The Shariah.

49. Benefit of opening up and reading books of Hadith with your own eyes. As not every Aalim or student of knowledge is aware of the hidden pearls in the books of Ahadith.

50. This Hadith brings peace and tranquillity in the heart with regards to the issue of praying the Qiyam ul Layl.

و الصلاة و السلام على رسول الله و على آله و أصحابه أجمعين.

25th Ramadan 1441.

19th May 2020.

-Abu Muaaz Mohammed Manna.