Tahajjud!

Tahjud Prayer from a Health Perspective
 
Tahjud prayer is the prayer that we do at night, usually at midnight or later. Tahajud prayer is also called shalatulail. This type of  prayer was common notably amongst the leaders of Islam during the time of the Prophet Sallelahu Alaihu Wasallam. The Prophet and his Companions were also known to do so. They never missed this prayer throughout their lives.
 
 In the Qur´an, there are many verses encouraging Muslims to perform the Tahajud prayer as an additional act of worship at night. There are also Sayings of the Prophet Sallelahu Alaihu Wasallam that emphasize the benefits of
 performing Tahjud prayer.
 
 In general, people need to sleep around six to eight hours a day. But this view has been rejected by western scientists, namely Dr Ray Meddis; a professor in the Department of Human Sciences, University of Technology, England, whereby he indicated that humans actually needs only three hours of sleep.
 
 Sleeping can be divided into two categories – the nap and deep sleep.  Whereas real sleep actually is deep sleep, which according to Western researchers it requires only three hours.
 
 Usually we often think that we do not get enough sleep at night. This is because we do not possess the knowledge as well as the rules that need to be followed when we are about to sleep. Proper sleep can save us time and enable us to perform acts of worship and other tasks.
 
 The ProphetSallelahu Alaihu Wasallam has shown us a good example on how to get proper sleep, together with his supplications, which have been explained as a  means of training one´s self to sleep as follows:
 
 1. Have light dinner so as to not make you hungry. If we eat a lot, it can cause us to become sleepy quickly and thus cause us to have difficulty waking up, and which will surely cause us to want to sleep some more.

2. Perform Ishak prayer before sleep.

 3. Tidy up the bed including the mattress, pillows and bed spread from dust and other dirt.

 4. Memorise supplications taught by the Prophet Sallelahu Alaihu Wasallam before
 sleeping and on waking up.
 

5. Reduce the amount of sleep from eight hours to seven hours during the first month, six hours during the second month, and five hours during the third month until we can sleep for only three hours.
 
 The way we sleep and wake also has its rules that need to be observed to maintain our health and to avoid all kinds of illnesses. As for those who like to jump out of bed when they wake up, they could end up with the risk of heart failure, than could kill them. This is opinion of one doctor from China; Dr. Huang Guoxiong from Lioning Medical College.
 
 The Qur´an makes mention of a group of people who would enter heaven as a result of their worship at night. Allah Almighty says in theQur´an to this effect:
 
 “As the righteous, they will be in the midst of gardens and springs, taking joy in the things which their Lord gives them, because, before then they lived a good life, they were in the habit of sleeping but little at night, and in the hour of early dawn, they pray for forgiveness” (Surah Dhariyat 51:15-18).
 
 Western philosophers have also described the benefits of less sleep to excel in work. When asked on what was their secret of success, they answered: “The woods are lovely, dark and deep but I have promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep”.
 
 “The heights by great men reached and kept were not attained by sudden fight. But while their companions sleep were toiling upwards in the night” (Longfellow).
 
 The success of great people where not achieved all at once, but the results of working hard to the late hours of the night, while their companions were fast asleep.
 
 From the logical point of view, we can never understand how Allah Almighty´s command brings about goodness.
 
 Tahjud prayer strengthens our faith, our soul and our mental in the preparation to face the complications of life.
 
 From a medical point of view we will be able to inhale oxygen that exists in the earth atmosphere between around three o´clock in the morning until dawn, apart from moving all muscles to freshen our body and to improve the blood flow. Both oxygen and muscle movement are important to ensure the well being of our body.
 
 This oxygen disappears from the earth´s atmosphere after sun rise and will only be available the next day. Only those who are already awakened during that time could enjoy the oxygen. Those who wake up late would not be able to enjoy the oxygen.
 
 This clearly shows us that they minimize their sleep to become successful in their lives.

Source: Friendly Email