Qiyam al-Layl li-Saeed bin Wahf al-Qahtani
- Author died
- 1440 AH
- Editions
- Safir Press
Qiyam al-Layl: Fadluhu wa-Adabuhu wal-Asbab al-Mu'inah 'alayh fi Daw' al-Kitab wal-Sunnah (The Night Vigil Prayer: Its Virtues, Etiquettes, and Assisting Factors in Light of the Quran and Sunnah) is a concise jurisprudential and devotional treatise on the night prayer by the Saudi scholar Saeed bin Ali bin Wahf al-Qahtani (d. 1440 AH / 2018 CE) .
Composition and Context
The treatise is numbered as the twenty-ninth work in the author's published series of writings . Al-Qahtani finalized the manuscript on the morning of Friday, 9 Muharram 1421 AH (14 April 2000 CE) . In compiling the work, he aimed to provide a practical reference summarizing the legal rulings, spiritual merits, and recommended practices of voluntary nocturnal devotions .
Contents and Scope
The treatise covers the scope of voluntary night prayers across several interconnected topics :
- Tahajjud and Night Prayer (Qiyam al-Layl): Discusses the conceptual definition of tahajjud, the virtues and rewards of praying at night, its optimal times (highlighting the last third of the night), the number of rak'ahs, the recommended etiquettes, and the tangible and spiritual factors that assist a worshiper in waking up for prayer .
- The Virtues of Night Prayer: Details the textual merits of qiyam al-layl, including the Prophet's regular practice of standing in prayer until his feet swelled, its role as a leading cause for entering Paradise and attaining higher chambers within it, its praise in the Quran as a characteristic of true believers, its function in expiating sins, and its status as the most virtuous prayer after the obligatory prayers .
- Tarawih Prayer: Defines the Tarawih prayer in Ramadan, outlining its legal ruling, virtues, timing, number of units, and the legitimacy of offering it in congregation .
- Witr Prayer: Details the Witr prayer, its ruling, virtues, designated time, variants in performance and unit count, specific Quranic recitations, the qunut supplication, the supplications made following the final taslim, its role as the concluding segment of the night prayer, and the ruling on making up missed Witr for those who forget or oversleep .
Method and Sources
Al-Qahtani adheres to an evidence-based approach, substantiating every legal ruling and virtue with direct citations from the Quran and verified Prophetic Hadith . In weighing legal opinions and deriving preferences, the author states that he drew heavily upon the verdicts and legal determinations of his teacher, the Grand Mufti Abd al-Aziz ibn Baz .
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