He Would Wake His Family to Stand the Last Ten Nights in Prayer

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Chapter 39: Virtues of the Last Ten Days of Ramadhaan

Haafidh Ibn Rajab al-Hanbalee (d.795) [May Allaah have Mercy on him] says in his book Lataa'if al-Ma'aarif (Pg. 142-149)

He would wake his family to stand the last ten nights in prayer.
The Prophet [Peace and Blessings of Allaah be Upon him] would wake his family up to pray during the night, this would occur during the last ten nights of Ramadhaan and not the previous twenty nights.

This has been narrated in on the authority of Aboo Dharr [May Allaah be Pleased with him] in which he stated that the Prophet the Prophet [Peace and Blessings of Allaah be Upon him] would stand the twenty third and the twenty fifth in prayer and he would wake his women up to pray on the twenty seventh especially.

This is proof that waking up late to pray routinely is legislated so that we meet Layat al-Qadr.

It is also narrated by at-Tabaraanee from the authority of ‘Alee [May Allaah be Pleased with him] that the Prophet [Peace and Blessings of Allaah be Upon him] would wake his family up during the last ten nights of Ramadhaan, all them would stand the night in prayer.

Sufyaan ath-Thawree [May Allaah have Mercy on him] said, “It is beloved to me that during the last ten nights we stand in Tahajjud and to wake up your family, even the children, in prayer if they are able to stand during it.”

It is also authentically reported that the Prophet [Peace and Blessings of Allaah be Upon him] once went passed ‘Alee and Faatimah [May Allaah be Pleased with them both] one night and he admonished them saying, “Why don’t you stand the night in prayer?”

It is also authentically reported that he [Peace and Blessings of Allaah be Upon him] would wake up ‘Aaishah [May Allaah be Pleased with her] during the night to pray.

He [Peace and Blessings of Allaah be Upon him] would pray and during the night and when he would wish to complete it, he would wake up his family and if they were finding it hard to wake up, he would sprinkle water on their faces [Peace and Blessings of Allaah be Upon him].

It is narrated in the Muwatta that ‘Umar bin al-Khattab [May Allaah be Pleased with him] used to pray during the night as much as he was able, until half the night would pass and then he would wake up his family and say to them, ‘as-Salaah! as-Salaah!’ and he would recite to them the Aayah:

“And enjoin As-Salat(the prayer) on your family, and be patient in offering them [i.e. the Salat(prayers)].” [Taa-ha 20:132]

Habeeb Abee Muhammad [May Allaah have Mercy on them] used to say at night, “The night has gone and we have long way to go ahead and we have very little provision. The caravans of the righteous have gone and we have been left behind.”