عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللّهُ عَنْهُ: أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللّهِ صَلَّى اللّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: «يَعْقِدُ الشَّيْطَانُ عَلَى قَافِيَةِ رَأْسِ أَحَدِكُمْ -إِذَا هُوَ نَامَ- ثَلاَثَ عُقَدٍ، يَضْرِبُ عَلَى كُلِّ عُقْدَةٍ: عَلَيْكَ لَيْلٌ طَوِيلٌ فَارْقُدْ، فَإِنِ اسْتَيْقَظَ فَذَكَرَ اللّهَ تَعَالَى انْحَلَّتْ عُقْدَةٌ، فَإنْ تَوَضَّأَ انْحَلَّتْ عُقْدَةٌ، فَإِنْ صَلَّى انْحَلَّتْ عُقْدَةٌ، فَأَصْبَحَ نَشِيطًا طَيِّبَ النَّفْسِ، وَإلَّا أصْبَحَ خَبِيثَ النَّفْسِ كَسْلانَ» مُتَّفَقٌ عَلَيْهِ.
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Satan ties three knots at the back of the head of one of you when he sleeps, striking each knot [with the words]: 'You have a long night ahead, so sleep on.' If he wakes and remembers Allah the Exalted, one knot is undone; if he performs ablution, another knot is undone; and if he prays, another knot is undone, and he rises in the morning energetic and in good spirits. Otherwise he rises in the morning ill-tempered and sluggish." Agreed upon (al-Bukhari and Muslim).
الشرح · explanation
يعقد: من العقد وهو الربط والتوثيق، وقيل المراد هنا العقد حقيقة ويكون من باب عقد السحر الذي يؤثر على المسحور فيمنعه من القيام. قافية: مؤخر العنق، وقيل هي مؤخرة الرأس، وتخصيصها بالذكر لأنه محل الواهمة وهي أطوع القوى للإنسان. يضرب: أي يقول. عليك: أي بقي عليك. فارقد: أي نم. طيّب النفس: راضيًا. خبيث النفس: ثقيلها كريه الحال.
"He ties": from tying, which is binding and fastening; it is also said that what is meant here is literal knotting, of the kind of the knots of sorcery that affect the bewitched person and prevent him from rising. "The back (qafiyah)": the nape of the neck; it is also said to be the back of the head. It is singled out for mention because it is the seat of the faculty of imagination, which is the most compliant of a person's faculties. "He strikes": that is, he says. "You have [ahead]": that is, there remains for you. "So sleep on": that is, sleep. "In good spirits": content. "Ill-tempered": heavy of soul, in a foul state.
الدروس · lessons
أنّ الشيطان يسعى حثيثًا ليثبط المؤمن عن فعل الخير، وأنّ عدم القيام للصلاة في الليل استجابة للشيطان وتخاذل أمامه. الحثّ على الذكر والدعاء والصلاة في الليل. ذكر اللّهِ تعالى وعبادته تورث النشاط في النفس وانشراح الصدر وتطرد الكسل والخمول وتذهب الكرب والمقت، لأنّها تطرد الشيطان وهذه من وسوسته. المؤمن يسرّ بتوفيق اللّهِ تعالى له للقيام بطاعته، ويكتئب لتقصيره في درجات الفضل والكمال.
Satan strives earnestly to discourage the believer from doing good, and failing to rise for prayer at night is a response to Satan and a surrender before him. Encouragement to remembrance, supplication, and prayer at night. The remembrance of Allah the Exalted and His worship bring about energy in the soul and an expansion of the breast, and drive away laziness and lethargy and remove distress and aversion, because they repel Satan, and these afflictions are from his whispering. The believer rejoices in Allah's granting him success in fulfilling His obedience, and grieves over his shortcomings in the degrees of merit and perfection.