Wa alaykum salaam, Maria,
InshaAllah, any rakโahs (units of prayer) youโre going to perform after Isha prayer will count as qiyam (night prayer).
If you donโt think you can pray late at night due to your childโs situation, then pray two rakโahs after Isha prayer, and then pray witr. This will count as qiyam for you.
Narrated Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-โAs:
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: If anyone prays at night reciting regularly ten verses, he will not be recorded among the negligent; if anyone prays at night and recites a hundred verses, he will be recorded among those who are obedient to Allah; and if anyone prays at night reciting one thousand verses, he will be recorded among those who receive huge rewards. [Sunan Abi Dawood]
So, again, if you pray two rakโahs with 10 verses from the Qurโan, you will not be recorded among the negligent, and it will count as qiyam (night prayer).
Surat al-Fatiha is 7 verses. So, if you add another short surah from Juz โAmma (30th Juz of the Qurโan) you will satisfy the conditions of this hadith and fulfill a habit of regular night prayer.
If you want to follow the recommended way of praying shafโ and witr, then scholars say you can do the following:
Pray 3 rakโahs. In the first rakโah, recite โSabbih isma rabbika al-โaโlaโ (โGlorify the name of your Lord, the Most Highโ) (Chapter 87). In the second one, recite a Surat Al Kaferoon (Chapter 109). In the third rakโah, recite Surat al-Ikhlaas (Chapter 112).
Try to maintain this daily and you will get great rewards inshaโAllah and will be counted among those who pray qiyam regularly.
If you feel you can add more, when your child sleeps, pray as you please in the last third of the night. Just donโt pray witr again (the singular prayer).
Also, make sure during this periodโthe last third of the nightโthat you make dua and ask for forgiveness. This is to correspond with the following hadith:
Abu Huraira reported Allahโs Messenger (peace be upon him) as saying:
Our Lord, the Blessed and the Exalted, descends every night to the lowest heaven when one-third of the latter part of the night is left and says: Who supplicates Me so that I may answer him? Who asks Me so that I may give to him? Who asks Me forgiveness so that I may forgive him? [Sahih Muslim]
And remember to renew your intentions while taking care of your child. Raising a firm believer is, in-and-of-itself, a huge act of worship. Ask Allah to reward you and count your raising of your child for His sake as an act of worship, and He will ease your affairs and put barakah in your time and in your child.
May Allah facilitate all of your affairs for you
Thursday, Jan. 01, 1970 | 00:00 - 00:00 GMT
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