LET’S OBSERVE NIGHTLY PRAYERS FOR SALVATION FROM GOD-IMAM TOURE

'Nightly worship' that involves prayers and supplication by people of all ages is an important undertaking in Islam. Though a voluntary activity, initiated by Prophet Mohammed (pbuh), all Muslims are enjoined to observe nightly prayers, to benefit spiritually with the chance to find favor with God Almighty. Imam Ibrahim Toure of the Ashongman Estates Jumma Mosque in Accra said this in a sermon to Muslims on Friday June 22. He explained that all those who pray regularly at night are likely to have their problems in their work places, marriage and health solved by God.

He advised all those who go to bed late to rescind from that and endeavor to get home early to be able to wake up to offer nightly prayers.

Nightly prayers are not easy to undertake because the periods after mid night are the times when people enjoy their sleep. However when people elect to worship God at the 'wee hours', they tend to get closer to God Almighty to the extent of being better people and changing their ways of lives to becoming pious. The Imam delivered his sermon in Arabic with translation in English and Hausa. He based his sermon on the nightly worship which he termed 'a special night training program' known in the Holy Quran as “Al –Tahajjud” or “Qiyam Al-Lail”

Imam Toure explained that “Tahajjud denotes the prayer said after waking up from sleep in the later portion of the night. It is not an obligatory prayer but it is the means of getting raised to a position of great glory.

This subject of nightly prayers he said is very important in everyone's life explaining that Allah (swt) instructed his prophet Mohammed (pbuh) to wake up at night and to get trained in a spiritual program. He referred to the Quran's Surah Al Muzzamil which said” the night training program is far better than that of the day. It is easy to be trained spiritually and physically during the day but very difficult to do the same after midnight. This is the time of deep sleep, relaxation and snoring. To wake up after midnight after being asleep does indicate that a person has already a strong will and a commitment to Islam. It also means that whoever is devoted to night prayers is sincere, hardworking and honest with the creator.

He indicated that Allah praises all those who wake up after midnight to perform night prayers and to recite zikr (remembrance of Allah).

He narrated a quotation from the Prophet Mohammed through Salman Al Farasi that “oh people wake up during the night and have night prayers as it is the method of the pious people before you; it is the way to bring you closer to your Lord; it is the method of wiping up your mistakes and sins; it is the process of preventing you from committing wrong; and it is the prescription to getting rid of diseases and sicknesses from the body.

He ended by saying that “dear Muslims let me remind myself and you to train ourselves in the art of waking up after midnight to be able to get closer to Allah; he prayed to Allah to guide everyone and to keep us on the straight path.

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