Question:
The five daily prayers were made obligatory (Fard) on the night of Miraj. But there is a hadith in Muslim narrated by Aisha (RA) that before that, the night prayer (Tahajjud) was obligatory. So, was the night prayer made obligatory before Miraj?
Answer:
Someone asked Aisha (RA), the narrator asked, “Tell me about the night prayer of Rasulullah (SallAllahﷻu Alaihi Wasallam).” She said, “Have you not read Surah Al-Muzzammil?” The questioner said, “Yes, I have read it.” She then explained: Allahﷻ made standing in prayer at night obligatory at the beginning of this Surah.
The Prophetﷺ and his companions observed this as an obligation for one year. Then, at the end of the Surah, Allahﷻ abrogated it, making it non-obligatory. After that, night prayer became a recommended (Nafl) prayer.
This is the summary of the hadith. The question is based on this. The first verse of Surah Al-Muzzammil says: “O you who wraps himself [in clothing], arise [to pray] the night, except for a little – half of it or subtract from it a little or add to it.” The command verb “Qum” (arise) implies obligation according to Aisha (RA).
So, she says this made night prayer obligatory. The last verse (verse 20) of the same Surah abrogated this obligation. What does verse 20 say? It says: “Indeed, your Lord knows that you stand [in prayer] almost two-thirds of the night, or half of it, or a third of it, and [so do] a group of those with you.
And Allahﷻ determines the night and the day. He knows that you will not be able to keep count of it, so He has turned to you in forgiveness. So, recite what is easy of the Quran.” This verse shows a concession. It reduces the long hours and makes it easier. It doesn’t say the prayer is no longer required, but it lightens the burden. Aisha (RA) understood from this that the obligation was lifted.
However, this interpretation is not necessarily correct based on the text itself. The first verse commands night prayer, but a command does not always imply absolute obligation (Fard). It could be for recommendation. Even if we accept it was obligatory, the last verse does not remove the obligation; it merely reduces the amount. It says, “Recite what is easy of the Quran,” meaning you can pray less.
The prayer itself remains. Moreover, another verse in the Quran (Surah Al-Isra 17:79) made Tahajjud specifically obligatory for the Prophet ﷺas an additional duty. This indicates that night prayer existed before Miraj. For the ten years between his prophethood and Miraj, there was no five daily prayers. What did they pray? They prayed night prayer.
It was a command, but its nature (obligatory or recommended) is subject to scholarly interpretation. Aisha’s (RA) opinion is based on her understanding, but the Quranic text does not explicitly state that the obligation was lifted. The initial command was to pray long hours at night. The later verse made it easier, allowing one to pray less, but the prayer itself was not cancelled.
It was a reduction in the quantity, not the removal of the act itself. Also, the five daily prayers were made Fard on Miraj. Before that, the night prayer was the primary prayer. So, the answer is that the night prayer was commanded before Miraj, but its status (Fard or Nafl) is a matter of interpretation.
Conclusion
Night prayer existed as a command from Allahﷻ before the five daily prayers were made obligatory on Miraj. Its status changed from a potentially strict obligation (with long hours) to a highly recommended voluntary prayer (with flexible, shorter duration). Aisha’s (RA) interpretation is one scholarly view, but the text shows a reduction in quantity, not a complete cancellation of the act.
The obligation was not removed; the length was reduced. And Allahﷻ knows best.