Self-Discipline

Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “When one of you falls asleep, Satan ties three knots at the back of his head, saying with each knot: ‘May you have a long night and sleep well.’ If he wakes up and remembers Allah, one knot is undone. If he performs ablution, another knot is undone. If he prays, the last knot is undone, and he rises energetic and in a good mood. Otherwise, he rises in a bad mood and lazy.”

The lesson derived from this hadith is that a servant cannot escape Satan’s schemes except by seeking help from Allah, the Majestic and Exalted, and by taking the necessary measures of protection and preservation. A person must strive to stand in prayer during the night, for the human soul is by nature inclined to evil; whoever obeys it in what it urges will be led to destruction.