The Book of Prayer - Travellers

Sahih Muslim 757 b

Hadith Text

I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: There is an hour during the night in which no Muslim bondman will ask Allah for good in this world and the next but He will grant it to him.

Commentary

This blessed hadith reveals a profound divine mercy wherein Allah has designated a specific hour during the night when supplications are assured acceptance. The scholars have differed regarding the precise identification of this hour, with the majority holding it to be the last third of the night, based on the hadith: "Our Lord descends to the lowest heaven every night and says: 'Who is calling upon Me that I may answer him?'"

The phrase "Muslim bondman" encompasses all believers regardless of status, emphasizing Allah's comprehensive mercy. "Good in this world and the next" includes all permissible requests - from worldly provisions to spiritual elevation, forgiveness, and Paradise. The condition is that the supplication must be for lawful matters not involving sin or severing kinship ties.

This hadith encourages night vigil (tahajjud) and demonstrates Allah's boundless generosity. The indefinite mention of "an hour" motivates believers to increase their nightly worship throughout the year, seeking this blessed moment of divine response.

Scholarly Insights

Imam An-Nawawi comments that this hour's concealment motivates persistent worship, just as Laylat al-Qadr's exact night is hidden to encourage seeking it throughout Ramadan.

Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali notes that the combination of a humble heart, night's stillness, and distance from worldly distractions creates perfect conditions for supplication's acceptance.

The condition "will ask Allah" emphasizes tawhid - directing requests solely to Allah without intermediaries - and demonstrates the proper etiquette of reliance upon the Creator alone.