Interrupting Sleep: The Divine Call
O heedless one, deceived by the softness of your beds and jeopardizing your eternal bliss! How much can you remember Allah during the noise and bustle of the day? Where do you seek the cure for your heart, weary from the sorrows of the transient world? Know that the greatest healing and most delightful union for Allah’s dearest servants lies hidden in the darkness of night. Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi (q.s.) reveals this secret in his work *Futuhat al-Makkiyya*: Those who perform the night prayer are not endowed with a special divine name, nor are they kept awake for Tahajjud, like those who spend the entire night in worship. The situation of one who interrupts their sleep and rises for Tahajjud is quite different. For Tahajjud consists of rising at night, then sleeping, rising again, sleeping again, and then rising. Leaving your bed in that sweetest moment of sleep, despite all the weight of your ego, is a manifestation of an inner divine call (name).
The Manifestation of the Name “The Truth” (Haqq) and Balance
Allah Almighty says in the Quran: “And rise up for prayer at night, as a special devotion to you” (Isra, 79). The one who rises for Tahajjud prayer has a special knowledge from the perspective of truth. In the state of Tahajjud, while searching for the strongest name upon which to rely in the sea of divine names, they encounter the Name “The Truth” (Haqq). Indeed, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to a companion who spent his entire year fasting and the night praying: “Your soul has a right over you, your eye has a right over you. Sometimes fast, sometimes don’t, sometimes pray, sometimes don’t.” Thus, those devoted to Tahajjud observe the right of sleep as well as the right of worship, acting not merely on impulse but according to the principle of giving (justice) what is due to everything. Instead of consuming the entire night in worship and oppressing their bodies, they achieve the most difficult thing by finding balance.
The Fruits and Secrets of the Night
O seeker of truth! Dawn is the most mysterious and bountiful moment of the universe. Ibn Arabi (q.s.) says in his poetry: “The pollen of a flower does not give you fragrance / Unless the dawn breeze brings it forth.” Just as rulers and kings have secret conversations and secrets hidden from the eyes of the people, so too does the Exalted Creator reveal immense secrets to His servants at dawn. Whoever interrupts their sleep and supplicates to their Lord in the night attains an insight that everyone else lacks. In that dark room, every tear shed on the prayer rug is actually a fruit of the soul’s longing for its Lord.
The Gentle Breeze of Dawn
Night prayer (Tahajjud) is not merely a physical act but an art of closing the heart to the world and opening it completely to the abode of the Hereafter and the beauty of Allah. While all people and creatures are in a deep sleep of heedlessness, your being awake and being able to say, “My Lord, here I am,” is the greatest proof that Allah loves you and has specially invited you into His presence. Do not miss that dawn breeze. The nourishment for your soul lies hidden in that silence. Those who push aside their beds will be the ones who sleep most peacefully in their grave beds. Fill your heart with the Name “The Truth” (Haqq) and illuminate the darkness of the night with your prostrations!