Weekly Classroom Themes – Secondary

Sleeping Habits

In the Name of Allah; Most-Merciful, Most-Compassionate.

The sleeping patterns and habits of the Prophet – peace and blessings be upon him.

Today most of us are almost completely reliant upon alarm clocks. However, in the life of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) there was no such thing, rather they naturally woke up and/or were woken up. Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) tells us that in the middle of the night the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would wake up naturally to pray in the night.

This is an important study for many reasons, it was these sleeping habits that even affected performance in battles. For example, when the Muslims were told: “Be patient. You will not sleep tonight” and a battle continued until the time of fajr. By the mercy of Allah the companions had become used to praying throughout the night and thus were able to continue until this time, and it was then that victory was granted.

In the ayat ul kursi (2:255) Allah says that no drowsiness overtakes Him – subhannahu wa ta’ala. Tiredness and sleepiness is a weakness and is a characteristic of humanness, and Allah is far removed from that; how Perfect is He. The true rest and relaxation is in the next life, so let us seek refuge with Allah from laziness. Let us strive with all our efforts to use all our time seeking the pleasure of Allah, striving in His cause and working to bring ourselves closer to our Lord. This Ummah has been blessed in the morning period, after fajr and onwards, by the supplication of Allah’s Messenger – peace and blessings be upon him.

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to teach the companions (may Allah be pleased with them) how to sleep, and how to adjust and perfect their sleeping habits. He (peace and blessings be upon him) instructed them to make wudu’ before sleep, to lie on the right side, to make du’a before sleeping, to make du’a upon waking, and to pray at home. And, Allah says:

“Indeed, your Lord knows, [O Muhammad], that you stand [in prayer] almost two thirds of the night or half of it or a third of it, and [so do] a group of those with you. And Allah determines [the extent of] the night and the day. He has known that you [Muslims] will not be
able to do it and has turned to you in forgiveness, so recite what is easy [for you] of the Qur'an. He has known that there will be among you those who are ill and others traveling throughout the land seeking [something] of the bounty of Allah and others fighting for the cause
of Allah. So recite what is easy from it and establish prayer and give zakah and loan Allah a goodly loan. And whatever good you put forward for yourselves - you will find it with Allah. It is better and greater in reward. And seek forgiveness of Allah. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.” (73:20)

Muhammad al Shareef (may Allah reward him) explains some basic tips so that we can improve our sleeping patterns and habits. He suggests:

(1) Sleep early, and based upon a natural cycle. This is difficult in our times as we mostly work 9-5, whereas the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his companions began at the time of fajr. Likewise we must reflect on our priorities as often our lives are busied with things of no benefit to us. Sleep after salaat ul isha. Avoid sleeping on the stomach. Don't sleep after asr.

(2) Avoid things that alter natural sleep patters: Caffeinated drinks, Coffee, sodas, unhealthy foods, overeating, television, video games, over-use of computers.

(3) Don't sleep after fajr. Use the morning as this time is blessed, don’t let it pass by during your sleep.

(4) Praise Allah and seek Refuge with Him. Praise Allah and seek refuge with Him when you feel tiredness or are about to push the snooze button. Finally, force oneself to make wudu’. And lastly pray two rak’ah. The three knots of shaytan are undone and tiredness will be removed by Allah’s mercy.

(5) Pray at night. And, sleep before fajr after qiyyam.

(6) Stay away from the disobedience of Allah.

May Allah bless all of us in our time. And Allah knows best.

Questions:

What are some other ways we can improve our sleeping patterns and habits?

What steps should we take in order to better perform night prayers?

Week 17

Islamic Chivalry (Futuwwa)

In the Name of Allah; Most-Merciful, Most-Compassionate.

Chivalry could be defined in a multitude of ways; what follows in an attempt to describe chivalry from an Islamic perspective and with a few examples - as explained and taught by our scholars, may Allah preserve them.

Chivalry is an internalized power or strength possessing insight that reacts in order to give victory to Truth. Sincerity is its final goal, good character is its guide, mercy is its inward aspect and bringing about change is its outward manifestation. Anything that does not combine all of these attributes is not chivalry. It is the ability to differentiate intentions; to know when a decision is made for personal reasons and that which is done for the Truth. Chivalry is the ability to bring about positive change to the self and society based on truth and for the sake of truth.

Blind power is not chivalry; insight is required for self-correction, even in the case of mistakes. Demonstration of power is not its goal or method, except when used to uphold and give victory to the Truth. Responding to ones desires with a resounding ‘no’ is an aspect of internal chivalry, and that is why the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said that the strong man is the one who can overcome his own self when he is angry.

The champion and leader of the people of chivalry is our beloved Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him); he was never angry for himself but only became angry for the sake of Allah while upholding and protecting the Truth. When animal entrails were thrown on his back (peace and blessings be upon him) he did not take out personal vengeance. Today such a person is considered weak, however chivalry is based upon principles - principles which are not broken for bane or mundane challenges. When the religion of Islam was attacked and insulted Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) stood against that - strongly and firmly. He reacted to give victory to the Truth and this is chivalry. Transgression and oppression have nothing to do with chivalry. Taking another person's right is not chivalry. Rather, it is based upon principles. It is enacted through good conduct and mercy, it is built with insight and a struggle to give victory to Truth.

Having insight and wisdom allows for a person of chivalry to realize that power is to be used selectively and wisely. We can find endless examples in the Prophetic Biography and from the Companions. For example, Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) in how he embraced Islam, how he made hijra in open daylight or how he walked the streets as leader of the Muslims to ensure their safety and satisfaction. Or, Fatima (may Allah be pleased with her) who, as a young girl, stood up to remove the filth that was dumped on the Prophet (peace be upon him) by the enemies of Islam while he was praying.

May Allah build us in chivalry. May He bless us with its understanding and honour this Ummah with its implementation internally and externally.

Week 18