In biographies of numerous Ahle Sunnat persons, it is mentioned that they recited a thousand units of prayers during twenty-four hours or only during a day. Like:
Abdur Rahman bin Aban bin Uthman bin Affan; he prayed a thousand
units of prayers every day.1
2. Abu Hanifah, leader of Hanafites; he prayed three hundred units of prayer
every night.
One day, when he was passing by, he heard a woman say to another woman:
This man prays 500 units of prayer every night. After that he began to recite 500 units of prayer every night.
One day, he passed by some children; one of them said: “This man recites a
thousand units of prayer every night.” Abu Hanifah said: “I made an intention to
recite a thousand units of prayer every night and not to sleep all night.”2
If the habit of remaining awake whole nights is not recommended, on the
contrary it is proved as detestable and is opposed to Sunnah of Prophet, as Ibne
Taymiyyah thinks; then how Ahle Sunnat books are full of episodes, in which
this act is regarded as meritorious by important personalities? Persons like:
1. Hasan Basri, companion of companions (d. 110 A.H.). For forty years, he
prayed the Morning Prayer with same ablution with which he had prayed the
Night (Isha) Prayer.3
2. Leader of Hanafites, Noman: For forty years, he prayed the Morning
Prayer with the ablution, with which he had prayed the Night (Isha) Prayer.4
3. Abul Hasan Ashari: For twenty years, he prayed the Morning Prayer with
the ablution, with which he had prayed the Night (Isha) Prayer.5
In addition to that according to Ahle Sunnat it is proved that it is not
necessary for the Prophet to have performed an act in order that it should be
become a Sunnah. On the contrary, if any member of Islamic Ummah performs,
an act it becomes a Sunnah. On the basis of this, what is the problem if Ameerul
Momineen (a.s.) should be the first to introduce the practice of praying a
thousand units of prayers every twenty-four hours, as Baji, Suyuti, Sakatwari and
others have mentioned?
In addition to that the first to make Tarawih prayers Sunnah was Umar bin
Khattab during the year 14 A.H.6 The first to hold congregational Tarawih
prayers was Umar.7 It was his innovation to hold congregational Tarawih prayers
during the month of Ramadhan and he said it was a good innovation!8
Umar was the first to award eighty lashes for drinking liquor.9 There are numerous
instances, in which Umar bin Khattab invented Sunnah for others to emulate.
In the same way, the practice (Sunnah) of wishing on Eids was started by
Umar bin Abdul Aziz as mentioned by Hafiz Ibne Asakir in his Tarikh.10
Have they have not narrated the following authentic tradition of Messenger
of Allah (s.a.w.a.): “It is necessary for you to act according to my practice and
practice of my Righteous Caliphs.” Perhaps this tradition is correct, but there is a barrier between them and Ameerul Momineen Ali (a.s.) and they only regard this
tradition only to imply Caliphs other than Ali!11
In order to dispel the views of Ibne Taymiyyah and those, who have spun
falsehoods like him, Shaykh Muhammad Abdul Hayy Hanafi has written a
treatise entitled Iqamatul Hujjah Alaa Anna Iksar fit Tabbad Laisa bi Bidat, in
which he has listed the companions and companions of companions, who prayed
excessively and spent their lives in that practice. This treatise contains many
points and should not be underestimated, It was printed in 1311 in India. In this
book, he writes:12
“The gist of the matter is that I have adopted the view of senior scholars,
which is as follows: Remaining awake the whole nights, completing one or more
Qurans during twenty-four hours, praying a thousand or more units of prayers,
mortification and rigor were not heresies, and they are not prohibited in Shariah,
on the contrary, they are recommended and righteous acts…”
As for the claim that such a thing is not possible, his aim in regarding this
act as difficult is due to his nature and having laziness for worship, because, one,
who has never tasted these acts and who is away from the acts of pious, thinks
that it is impossible, but one, who has tasted the sweetness of divine obedience
and worship, regards performance of these acts common place