Staying up all night to seek knowledge is better than voluntary night prayer

Fatwa Date : Muharram 28, 1437 / 11-11-2015

Question
Assalaamu alaykum. My question is the following: which of the two is better, pra
ying at night or staying up late at night to seek knowledge? Also, when did the
Salaf (pious predecessors) sleep when they remained awake all night? I do not th
ink that they used to waste the blessings of the morning?
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is
none worthy of worship except Allaah and that Muhammad sallallaahu `alayhi w
a sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) is His slave and Messenger.
It is better to do both; perform night prayers as well as engage in seeking know
ledge. It was reported that Imaam Ash-Shaafii may Allaah have mercy upon hi
m used to divide his nights into three sections: one third of the night for writ
ing, one-third for performing night prayer, and one-third for sleeping. However,
if it is difficult to do both, then seeking knowledge is better and more reward
able. Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen may Allaah have mercy upon him wrote:
"Seeking knowledge is better and more rewardable than any voluntary acts of wors
hip; it is better than performing the Dhuha prayer, night prayer, and all volunt
ary acts of worship. This is why Abu Hurayrah may Allaah be pleased with h
im used to devote his nights to memorizing hadeeth instead of performing night p
rayer. The Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his men
tion ) said to him in this regard, "Perform the Witr prayer before you sleep." H
e sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) approved o
f his act and did not forbid him from seeking knowledge at night, nor did he ord
er him to devote his night to performing the night prayer instead. This is a ver
y important rule for us to understand. Hence, when the seeker of knowledge engag
es in discussing, revising, studying, and memorizing the knowledge that he has a
cquired, then that is better than performing the night prayer and fasting..."
As for your inquiry as to when the Salaf slept since it has been reported that t
hey used to stay up all night devoting themselves to worship, it should be noted
that we know of no one of the early Muslim generations who used to stay up all
night every night, even if devoted to worship. Rather, they were keen on followi
ng the example of the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah ex
alt his mention ) in this regard, devoting part of the night to performing the n
ight prayer and part of it to sleeping as well. The Prophet sallallaahu `alayh
i wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) reproached the Companions who wa
nted to exaggerate in carrying out acts of worship. One of those Companions said
, "I will not sleep and will perform the night prayer all night long." As the ne
ws of that reached the Messenger of Allaah sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( m
ay Allaah exalt his mention ) he praised Allaah and then said, "What is the mat
ter with people who say such and such? I pray and I sleep, I fast and I break my
fast, and I marry women. Whoever turns away from my Sunnah is not of me (that i
s, is not one of my followers)." [Ahmad and others]
He sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) also repr
oached Abdullaah ibn Amr may Allaah be pleased with him for performing night
prayers all night long. He sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exal
t his mention ) said to him, "O Abdullaah! Have I not been informed that you fast
during the day and offer prayers all night?" Abdullaah may Allaah be pleased
with him replied, "Yes, O Messenger of Allaah!" The Prophet sallallaahu `al
ayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) said, "Do not do that; fast (
some days) and give up fasting (some days); offer prayers and also sleep at nigh
t, as your body has a right over you and your eyes have a right over you..."

Moreover, Urwah ibn Az-Zubayr reported that 'Aa'ishah, the wife of the Messenger
of Allaah may Allaah be pleased with them told him that (once) Hawlaa' bin
t Tuwayt ibn Habeeb ibn Asad ibn Abd Al-Uzza passed by her (at the time) when the
Messenger of Allaah sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his me
ntion ) was with her. 'Aaishah may Allaah be pleased with her said, "It is
Hawlaa bint Tuwayt and they say that she does not sleep at night." Upon this, t
he Messenger of Allaah sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his
mention ) said, "(Oh) she does not sleep at all at night! Choose an act that yo
u are capable of doing (continuously). By Allaah, Allaah would not grow weary, b
ut you will grow weary." [Muslim]
An-Nawawi may Allaah have mercy upon him commented on the hadeeth saying:
"The Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention )
declared his objection to such an act by expressing his surprise, (Oh) She doe
s not sleep at all at night! He sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah
exalt his mention ) clearly disliked such a practice and the way that she burde
ned herself. This is emphasized by the commentary of Imaam Maalik in his book Al
-Muwatta, which reads, The Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Alla
ah exalt his mention ) disliked such an act and his objection was manifest in hi
s facial expressions. This is proof upon which our School of Fiqh relies. Accord
ing to a group or most of the scholars of our school, it is disliked to perform
the night prayer all night long. It has been reported on the authority of some o
f the righteous predecessors, though, that there is no harm in that. This view
was also one of the reported views of Maalik, as long as the person does not sle
ep afterwards and then misses the Fajr prayer..." [Sharh Saheeh Muslim]
Rather, some scholars stated that performing the night prayer all night long is
not the practice of the righteous predecessors.
The Maaliki scholar Al-Hattaab may Allaah have mercy upon him wrote, "Shay
kh Zarrooq said about performing the night prayer all night long that scholars a
sserted that rendering it a habitual act without having a compelling reason is n
ot the practice of the righteous predecessors..." [Mawaahib Al-Jaleel]
For further information, please refer to fataawa 83503, 85246 and 237589.
Allaah Knows best.