Bihori: Alone in the Darkness of the Night

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

وَمِنَ اللَّيْلِ فَتَهَجَّدْ بِهِ نَافِلَةً لَّكَ عَسَىٰ أَن يَبْعَثَكَ رَبُّكَ مَقَامًا مَّحْمُودًا

'And for a part of the night, pray Tahajjud (keep vigil) therewith as a Nafilat (supererogatory devotion) for you. It may be that your Lord will raise you to a praiseworthy station.'

(Surat al-Isra’: 79)

This article was written by Ra'sul Hududil Mayameen Janab Syedi Aziz Bhaisaheb Qutbuddin in 2014.

As we approach the Layali Faazela in Shehrullah (17mi, 19mi and 21mi raat), and then Lailatul Qadar, we must occupy ourselves with the ‘ibaadat of Allah Ta'ala in these auspicious nights. Our Mawaali Tahereen have guided us to the manner in which we should do bandagi and pray Tahajjud as per the injunction in the Quran quoted above, "And for a part of the night, pray Tahajjud (keep vigil) therewith as a Nafilat (supererogatory devotion) for you. It may be that your Lord will raise you to a praiseworthy station" (Surat ul-Isra’: 79). In that vein we are pleased to present the Bihori section on Fatemidawat.com - a guide to praying Bihori with accompanying text and audio as well as a translation of Munajaat ‘ya zal-ma’aali and Nisful Layl Doas. Rasulullah SA was known to put away his mattress in the last 10 days of Ramadaan. Imam Ali Zainul-Aabedeen SA was known to pray 1000 Rak’ats every night. Syedna Taher Saifuddin prayed two Rak’ats for tayseer-e-umuril mu’mineen (namaaz for the easing of the matters and difficulties for all Mumineen) every night along with Shafa’ Namaaz. Syedna Burhanuddin followed in Syedna Taher Saifuddin’s tradition and the image and sound of Syedna Burhanuddin praying Bihori in Lailatul Qadar and reciting Doas is still in our eyes and ears. For decades Syedna Qutbuddin TUS prays Bihori every single night in Shehrullah and does doa for all Mumineen. We are but humble followers of Rasulullah, the Imams and their Du’aat and cannot match their piety (and stamina) in ibaadat. But we are their followers and we must try to the best of our capacity to emulate their example. Especially in Shehrullah.

The doas following the namaaz of Nisful Layl capture the essence of Bihori: “Maula, my Maula, the stars have set, and eyes have closed in sleep, but you are a Living, Standing, King. Maula, my Maula, other kings have locked their doors, secured by their guards and sentries, and retired to their chambers, and lovers have shut out all others. But your door is open to supplicants. So here I am, a supplicant at your door, a saa’il at your door…” As worldly benefactors sleep, as the material world fades, and as we sit alone in the darkness of the night, we remember and supplicate to the Almighty. This is the essence of Bihori and Tahajjud, to remember that one day we will face the Almighty with nothing but our deeds. As we recite in the doa after Shafa: "grant me your rehmat on the day that I come in front of you, carrying my deeds. On a day when everyone will have forsaken me, yes – even my mother and father, and my children for whom I worked and toiled. My Maula my maula, if you do not grant me rehmat, who will?” The day to day necessities of life, family, social and work issues and the general grind of the materialistic day and night make the inevitable day that we have to face the Almighty fade into the distant (sometimes too distant) future. The now and the present takes precedence of the unknown future. The pressures of society and expediency become more important than the importance and conviction to do what is right. As we pray Bihori in the darkness of the night, let each one of us contemplate on this. The consequences of our choices and actions (or inaction) we must face. May Allah Ta’ala give us tawfeeq and guidance to do what is right.