________________________________________________________________________ | w w w |\ | || || | || |\ | o_,_7 _|| . _o_7 _|| 4_|_|| o_w_, |\ | ( : / (_) / ( . |\ | |\ | || || | || |T | | || | |\ | . _, _8 |_D_|| . _,_,_,_D_|| 4_|| q ]_o_7_o _|_c 4_|_|| _|,_p q |\ | (_): / (_): . : / (_S (_S / |\ | |\ | In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the All-Merciful |\ | Greeting of Allah be upon Muhammad and the pure members of his House |\ |_______________________________________________________________________|\ Salaamun Alaykum The following question on Namaaz-e-Shab was kindly answered by Ma'alim Mustafa Jaffer. Jazakallah With Duas and Salaams Maqbul Rahim Acting Moderator for ABDG-A ................................................................................ . Question: My question is about Namaz-e-Shab. Please inform me the time within which Namaz-e-Shab can be offered, what are the prayers (to be offered) in Namaz-e-Shab. I am in taqleed of Al-Sayyed Ali Seestani. Answer: In the name of the Almighty "The time for Namaz-e-Shab is from midnight till Adhaan for Fajr prayers, and it is better to offer it nearer the time of Fajr prayers." Mas'alah 781 Pg 151 Ay.Seestani's Resalah in English by WF. Also in his Mas'alah 782 on the same page it is stated that " A traveller (i.e. one on a journey), and a person who finds it difficult to offer Namaaz-e-Shab after midnight, can offer it before midnight." Namaz-e-shab is eight rakaats (four times two rakaats) followed by two rakaat Namaz-e-Shaf' and thereafter one rakat Namaz-e-Witr making a total of eleven rakaats. The essence of the whole namaz-e-shab lies in the last two prayers, the namaz-e-shaf and witr. In namaz-e-witr (which is only one rakaat), there is a qunoot in which the left hand is raised and the right hand used to hold the tasbeeh used for keeping count of the dhikr to be recited. It is recommended that the following be recited in the qunoot: a) Laa ilaaha illallaahul Halimul Karim Laa ilaaha illallaahul Aliyyul Azim Subhaanallaahi Rabbus Samaawaatis Sab' wa Rabbul Arzinas Sab' wa maa fihinna wa maa baynahunn wa Rabbul 'Arshil Azim Wal Hamdul lillaahi Rabbil 'Aalamin Wa swallallaahu 'Alaa Muhammadin wa Aalihit Taahirin. b) Allaahummagh Firli.....(mention forty names of relatives and friends who you want Allah to forgive) c) Astaghfirullaaha Rabbi wa atubu Ilayh (70 times) d) Haadhaa Maqaamul 'Aaidhi bika minannaari Yaa Rab (7 times) e) Al-'Afwa (300 times) and then complete the namaz in its normal way. May the Almighty grant all of us the strength and tawfiq to recite this prayer and may He accept the same. Mustafa Jaffer ...............................................................................