Answered by Shaykh Abdul-Karim Yahya, SunniPath Academy Teacher
I used to be very consistent in my awrad and Night Vigil Prayer (tahajjud) up until recently when I began studying (fiqh) and other sciences. As a result of my tight schedule, I sleep late (due to lessons mainly) and I am physically tired which has resulted in dropping my night prayer. Should I lighten my lessons so to give preference to the Night Vigil Prayer (tahajjud)?
In The Name of Allah, Most Merciful and Compassionate
May Allah shower His enabling grace (tawfiq), along with wellness (‘afiya), upon both your pursuit of knowledge and your worship.
Imam Ghazali (Allah have mercy on him) said: “A slave must have some worship along with [their seeking of] knowledge, otherwise their knowledge is just scattered dust.”[1] He also quoted al-Hasan al-Basri (may Allah’s mercy be upon him) who said: “Study this knowledge in a way that does not harm worship and pursue this worship in a way that does not harm knowledge.”[2]
The Scholars of our knowledge tradition say: “Someone who does not pray at night is not called a student of knowledge.” So general advice to all students is to maintain night prayers (tahajjud), but your shaykhs are the best ones to give counsel for the proper balance in your particular case. And Allah knows best and he alone gives success (tawfiq).
[1] Muhammad Bin Muhammad al-Ghazali, Minhaj al-‘Abidin Ila Jannah Rabbi al-‘Alamin (Damascus, al-Dar al-Dimashqiyyah, 1422 A.H.[2002]), p16.
[2] ibid.
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