Worship of the night of Meraj

 There is no disagreement of any kind among the scholars on the merit of night worship and its benefits.  The fact is that the command of night worship and offering Salaat in the night is established by the Holy Quran and the rigorously-authenticated Hadith.  The Companions, the Successors and the Imams and the saints of the Ummah have been spending their nights in worshipping and praying to Allah Most High.

 

All these have been detailed in the previous pages.  In this chapter, the excellence and importance of Shab Meraj will be specially described.

 

Shab Meraj is mentioned in Surah Dhuha

 

Almighty Allah has sworn by the night in the second verse of Surah Dhuha.  The Lord Almighty says:

 

Surah Dhuha-02

 

Various opinions have been given about the “night” mentioned in this verse.  ‘Allama Ismail Haqqi (May Allah shower His mercy on him) has given the following exegesis of this verse along with other interpretations:

 

Translation: It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat Imam Ja’afar Sadiq (May Allah be well pleased with him) that “Chaasht” means the time when Almighty Allah granted the honor of conversation to Hadhrat Moosa (May peace be upon him) and the “night” meant here is Sahih Muslim.  (Tafseer Ruh Al Bayan, Surah Dhuha, 02)

 

This exegesis has also been mentioned by Hadhrat Shah ‘Abdul ‘Azeez Dehlvi (May Allah shower His mercy on him) in his exegesis, Tafseer Fath Ul ‘Azeez:

 

Translation: Some exegetes have opined that “Dhuha” means the time of the birth of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) and the “night” means Shab Meraj.  (Tafseer Fath Ul ‘Azeez, Surah Dhuha-02, Pg. No. 281)

 

Shab Meraj is mentioned in Surah Fajr

 

Hadhrat Ismail Haqqi (May Allah shower His mercy on him) writes the various interpretations of the verse….. in Tafseer Ruh Al Bayan:

 

Translation:……….If this meaning is taken generally, it might mean any night and anyone who travels in the night.  The second interpretation is that this doesn’t mean any night, but means a special night and that is Shab Meraj and the traveler is not any traveler, but it means the one who travels in the spiritual realms for the proximity of Allah Most High and to see him, the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam).  As per this interpretation, the translation of this verse will be:  By the night of Meraj!  In which the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) traveled the spiritual realms.

 

Hadhrat Ismail (May Allah shower His mercy on him) writes further:

 

Translation: The wisdom behind swearing by Shab Meraj is that Allah Most High took His most special slave, the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) on a tour and through this, this night became more distinguished than all other nights.  This is a valued night, a night of eminence, closeness and union and vision and of ultimate beauty.  (Tafseer Ruh Al Bayan, Surah Fajr, 4)

 

There are no two opinions that when Allah Most High mentions a night, it shows the superiority and excellence of that night.  Thus, the night is spent in worship an prayer to gain the special blessings of that night and to fill one’s coffers with the mercy that descends that night.

 

Worship in Shab Meraj – Proof from the Hadith

 

In Hadith not only are the merits and excellence of Shab Qadr and Shab Bara'at, but the Hadith also mention the excellence of Shab Meraj and the rewards and benefits of worshipping in that night in great detail.  After learning of these details, readers can decide for themselves.  The claim that the Companions didn’t engage in worship on Shab Meraj is totally against the Hadith and against all verifiable fact.

 

Every Muslim will want to offer the Salaat which we have been exhorted to offer in Shab Meraj, at least once in the whole lifetime.  It is but the benevolence of Almighty Allah that to grant us this privilege, He gave us glad tidings through the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam).  Is it possible that after listening to this from the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) Himself, the Companions would simply while away the night although they were the very epitome of this verse:

 

Surah Sajdah-16

 

Excellence of offering 12 Raka’at of Salaat in Shab Meraj

 

There is a Hadith:

 

Translation: Hadhrat Anas bin Malik (May Allah be well pleased with him) relates from the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) that He (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said:  There is such a night in the month of Rajab in which virtues worth 100 years are written for those who act and that is the 27^th night of Rajab.  The person who offers 12 Raka’at of Salaat this night in such a way that he (or she) recites any Surah after Surah Fatiha, in units of 2 Raka’at each and finishes the Salaat and after finishing the Salaat, recites Subhan Allah 100 times, performs “Istighfaar” 100 times and sends Durood on the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) 100 times and asks for whatever good he (or she) wants of this world or the hereafter and fasts the next day, Almighty Allah will certainly accept all his supplications except that he makes supplicates for some disobedience (that supplication will not be accepted).  (Fadhaailil Auqaat Lil Baihaqui, Hadith No. 12; Shua’bul Iman, Hadith No. 3651; Jame’ Ul Ahadeeth, Hadith No. 41812; Jame’ Ul Kabeer, Hadith No. 171; Kanz Ul ‘Ummal, Hadith No. 35170. Ma Thabat As Sunnah, Pg. No. 70; Al Ghunya Lit Talibi Lit Tareeqil Haqq, Vol. 1, Pg. No. 182/183; Tafseer Durre Manthoor, Surah Tauba-36)

 

Excellence of the 27^th day and its worship

 

Hadhrat Ghouse Azam (May Allah be well pleased with him) has related a Hadith with his own chain of authority about the excellence of fasting on the 27^th day of Rajab:

 

Translation: Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (May Allah be well pleased with him) said:  The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said:  For the person who fasts on the 27^th of Rajab, the reward of fasting for 60 months is recorded.  (Al Ghunya Lit Talibi Lit Tareeqil Haqq, Vol. 1, Pg. No. 182)

 

There is another Hadith in the same book:

 

Translation: It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat Hasan Basri (May Allah shower His mercy on him), he says:  Hadhrat ‘Abdullah bin ‘Abbas (May Allah be well pleased with them) would put himself in seclusion (‘Itikaaf) on the 27^th of Rajab.  He would keep offering Salaat until Salaat Ul Zuhr.  When he would offer Salaat Ul Zuhr, he would move a bit to one side and offer 4 Raka’at.  In each Raka’at, he would recite Surah Fatiha and Surah Falaq and Surah Naas once each and Surah Qadr thrice and Surah Ikhlaas 50 times.  Then he would supplicate until Salaat Ul ‘Asr and would say:  This would be the custom of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) on this day.  (Al Ghunya Lit Talibi Lit Tareeqil Haqq, Vol. 1, Pg. No. 182)

 

The excellence of worship in Shab Meraj and of fasting on the 27^th of Rajab

 

Imam Abu Bakr Ahmed bin Hussain Baihaqui, Imam Suyuti, ‘Allama ‘Ali Muttaqi Al Hindi and Hadhrat Shah ‘Abdul Haq Muhaddith Dehlvi (May Allah shower His mercy on them) have reported a Hadith in their respective books:

 

Translation: It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat Salman Farsi (May Allah be well pleased with him), he says that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said:  There is such a day in the month of Rajab and such a night that whoever fasts on that day and stands up in worship in that night has as if fasted for 100 years and spent 100 years in worship and that is the 27^th night of Rajab.  (Fadhaailil Auqaat, Hadith No. 11; Shua’bul Iman, Hadith No. 3650; Jame’ Ul Ahadeeth, Hadith No. 14813; Al Jame’ Ul Kabeer, Hadith No. 172; Kanz Ul ‘Ummal, Hadith No. 35169; Maa Thabat As Sunnah, Pg. No. 70; Al Ghunya Lit Talibi Lit Tareeqil Haqq, Vol. 1, Pg. No. 182/183, Tafseer Durr Al Manthoor, Surah Tauba-36)

 

The aforementioned Hadith make it clear that spending Shab Meraj in worship is the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) and the Sunnah of the Companions.  Fasting on the 27^th of day leads to much excellence and reward.  Stopping people from these forms of worship and declaring it as a reprehensible innovation is not at all allowed by the Shariah.