I have traveled across the world and recently visited eight countries in Africa. There, markets close after 5 PM, while here, people go shopping at 9 PM. My Lord created the night for sleep and the day for work, yet here, markets don’t even open until noon—such a misfortune!
My Prophet ﷺ said: "Blessings have been placed in the early hours of my Ummah."
My Prophet ﷺ also said: "Seek your sustenance in the morning."
Do not be heedless about your sustenance in the early hours; do not sleep through it.
Now, a businessman sleeps in the morning while markets remain open till 11 PM. He stays away from his children and wife, closes his shop at 11 PM, eats dinner at midnight, and by then, his children are either asleep or engrossed in TV and mobile devices. He eats at midnight and then sleeps, turning his food into poison. His stomach bloats, and then he complains about his health.
Then come diseases—high blood pressure, diabetes, heart problems, digestive issues—all consequences of defying nature’s rhythm. If markets closed at sunset and people woke up early, I swear by Allah, even power shortages would disappear!
In Europe, America, China, and Africa—everywhere I’ve traveled—markets shut down by 5 PM, and by 9 PM, there is complete silence. But here, at 9 PM, places like Liberty Market are so crowded that passing through is impossible. What an injustice! You neither understand religion nor worldly affairs. You are failing in both.
"There is no gathering after Isha." (Hadith)
My Prophet ﷺ commanded us to sleep after Isha and wake up for Tahajjud.
Those who sleep after midnight do not get proper body repair during sleep. Sleeping during the day does not compensate either. Sleep functions like a repairman for the body, but when you sleep late or miss Fajr, that repair doesn’t happen. However, if you sleep by 10 PM, your body fully recovers, and you wake up refreshed at dawn.
Staying up all night and sleeping during the day brings ruin. It destroys energy and productivity.
The government here tried to enforce a 10 PM market closure, which helped a little; otherwise, weddings used to start at 10 PM, and dinner was served at 1 AM!
The very Ummah that was taught the value of time has wasted it, while those who neither had the Quran nor a Prophet utilized time efficiently and became world leaders, enslaving us in the process.
O brothers! Neither our worldly affairs are in order, nor our faith.
Sleep early at night, so you can peacefully pray Fajr and Tahajjud. Spend some time with the Quran, read about the life of the Prophet ﷺ, learn about righteous people and scholars, study the history of the saints, and most importantly, honor and respect your parents.
Continue Reading: Audio: Raat ko Jaldi Soya Karo - Maulana Tariq Jameel (Urdu)