Night Prayer

Beep Beep.

The alarm clock goes off.

I open my tired eyes and check the time

It reads 3:00 a.m.

I get up from bed and make my way to the bathroom to do wudu.

Before I roll open the prayer mat, I look out at the window

and see the beautiful night twinkling with stars,

as the moon shines bright.

I hear nothing outside,

And it is peacefully mesmerizing.

I finally opened my mat to pray Tahajjud.

I never used to pray Tahajjud when I was younger,

But this year I grew to understand its importance and beauty;

the ability to talk to Allah swt directly at night,

where no one else can hear your cries

as you seek forgiveness and let out everything in your soul.

You feel that connection in that dark, silent, beautiful night,

as you speak to Allah and only to Allah.

It’s as if you travel to a different universe where nothing related to the dunya exists

and only the akhirah exists.

I finish praying and making dua,

and I go back to sleep with a blissful smile on my face.

By Unaisah Quazi