Fortifying Our Souls And Overcoming Difficulties -- Pray Tahajjud And Recite The Quran

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate

The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam, from the very beginning of his Prophethood, after barely a few weeks of seeing Jibril alayhissalaam, was being warned of the very heavy burden and challenge ahead and how to prepare for it.

One of the first commandments is to pray in the night and recite the Quran with tarteel. Tarteel means slow, melodious voice, observing the rules of recitation and try your best to make it sound good.

Why in the night? Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala says because the virgil of the night is the most impactly and the best for recitation.

يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُزَّمِّلُ ﴿١﴾ قُمِ اللَّيْلَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا ﴿٢﴾ نِّصْفَهُ أَوِ انقُصْ مِنْهُ قَلِيلًا ﴿٣﴾ أَوْ زِدْ عَلَيْهِ وَرَتِّلِ الْقُرْآنَ تَرْتِيلًا ﴿٤﴾ إِنَّا سَنُلْقِي عَلَيْكَ قَوْلًا ثَقِيلًا ﴿٥﴾ إِنَّ نَاشِئَةَ اللَّيْلِ هِيَ أَشَدُّ وَطْئًا وَأَقْوَمُ قِيلًا ﴿٦﴾ إِنَّ لَكَ فِي النَّهَارِ سَبْحًا طَوِيلًا ﴿٧﴾ وَاذْكُرِ اسْمَ رَبِّكَ وَتَبَتَّلْ إِلَيْهِ تَبْتِيلًا ﴿٨

O you who wraps himself [in clothing], (1) Arise [to pray] the night, except for a little - (2) Half of it - or subtract from it a little (3) Or add to it, and recite the Qur'an with measured recitation. (4) Indeed, We will cast upon you a heavy word. (5) Indeed, the hours of the night are more effective for concurrence [of heart and tongue] and more suitable for words. (6) Indeed, for you by day is prolonged occupation. (7) And remember the name of your Lord and devote yourself to Him with [complete] devotion. (8) [Quran, Al Muzzammil 73:2-8]

This section really explains to us the necessity of doing extra actions of worship. Though it is not obligatory that you pray Tahajjud but at the same time the Quran is very clear that if you want to get to the highest levels of Jannah, the primary mechanism that you begin that journey is through the night prayer and reciting Quran especially at night during your Tahajjud solat.

إِنَّ رَبَّكَ يَعْلَمُ أَنَّكَ تَقُومُ أَدْنَىٰ مِن ثُلُثَيِ اللَّيْلِ وَنِصْفَهُ وَثُلُثَهُ وَطَائِفَةٌ مِّنَ الَّذِينَ مَعَكَ ۚ وَاللَّـهُ يُقَدِّرُ اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ ۚ عَلِمَ أَن لَّن تُحْصُوهُ فَتَابَ عَلَيْكُمْ ۖ فَاقْرَءُوا مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ ۚ عَلِمَ أَن سَيَكُونُ مِنكُم مَّرْضَىٰ ۙ وَآخَرُونَ يَضْرِبُونَ فِي الْأَرْضِ يَبْتَغُونَ مِن فَضْلِ اللَّـهِ ۙ وَآخَرُونَ يُقَاتِلُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّـهِ ۖ فَاقْرَءُوا مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنْهُ ۚ وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ وَأَقْرِضُوا اللَّـهَ قَرْضًا حَسَنًا ۚ وَمَا تُقَدِّمُوا لِأَنفُسِكُم مِّنْ خَيْرٍ تَجِدُوهُ عِندَ اللَّـهِ هُوَ خَيْرًا وَأَعْظَمَ أَجْرًا ۚ وَاسْتَغْفِرُوا اللَّـهَ ۖ إِنَّ اللَّـهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ ﴿٢٠

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. (20) [Quran, Al Muzzammil 73:20]

Allah praises those who stand in prayer at night (for two thirds or half or a third of it) and Allah commands the companions to recite whatever they can of the Quran at night and to give charity. All of this is also showing that the primary means of fortifying our souls and overcoming difficulties is the night prayer, reciting the Quran and of course the overall zikr of Allah. It is in these areas that our ranks are raised.

So, see what you can do in these areas. If you cannot do them regularly then at least do it occasionally. If you cannot do it every single night, start once a week or once every 2 weeks or once a month but have a regular routine and once in a while increase it. If you can't recite the Quran properly, go to a Quran teacher and start learning how to recite the Quran properly. Inshaa Allah you will start mastering it day by day, week by week, month by month. The science of tajweed is considered to be and it is the easiest science of Islam. All you need is some effort and determination.

May Allah grant us tawfiq (success) to the highest station. Aameen.

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wasallam.

And Allah knows best and is Most Wise, and He alone grants success, and to Him is the final return of all.

Wassalaam