Maulana Wahiduddin Khan | The Sunday Guardian | September 16, 2018

The chapter of the Quran entitled Al-Muzammil (The Wrapped One) commences with these verses: "O you who are wrapped up in your mantle, stand up to pray for much of the night. It may be half the night or a little less than that or a little more, but recite the Quran slowly and distinctly. For We are about to send down to you a message of considerable gravity. Surely, getting up at night [for worship] is the most potent means of subduing the self and most suitable for the word [of prayer]. You have by day prolonged occupations [with Dawah work]. Remember the name of your Lord, and devote yourself to Him wholeheartedly." (73:1-8)

From these verses it is clear that God requires people to be so devoted to the divine service that they rise at night in order to perform their duties to the Lord.

To forsake one's sleep and spend the night hours in pursuit of a cause indicates the highest level of dedication; it shows that one has associated oneself utterly with the object of one's dedication and will soon be in a position to represent it in the world.

[Highlight1]

This applies to worldly pursuits also.

Almost all the individuals who have reached great heights in any field have been those who were willing to stay awake at nights in order to gain proficiency in it.

To become a true believer is to become a personification of Islam in the eyes of the world; it is to become so associated with Islam that one is fit to carry its message to far corners of the globe.

This requires intense preparation, which must be conducted in a spirit keen enough to fuel one for work through the night hours.

Success does not come in mundane fields without such dedication.