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What should I do during short nights, given the difficulty I find in performing Qiyam al-Layl (night prayer) due to fear of missing Fajr prayer in the mosque? And should I pray Witr before sleeping and make up for Qiyam al-Layl during the day?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

The questioner is advised not to abandon the night vigil (Qiyam al-Layl), even if it is short, because the most beloved of deeds are those that are most consistent, even if small. Care should be taken that the night vigil does not prevent one from performing the Fajr prayer, as obligatory prayers have a greater reward. It is recommended to sleep early and wake up in the last third of the night for prayer and supplication, as it is a blessed hour during which Allah descends to the lowest heaven. Prayer at that time is the best prayer after the obligatory ones. One should conclude their prayers with Witr. If one fears not waking up, they should pray Witr before sleeping, and then pray whatever is destined for them if they wake up. If one misses their night portion (wird), they should make it up during the day, but they should not intentionally miss it. One should balance between performing the night vigil and the Fajr prayer.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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