Q: I am pregnant, and I feel extremely tired. While reading Esha sometimes, I feel so sleepy and I find myself nodding off and my recitation cuts off, and I can’t remember where I stopped my recitation, so I start my whole surah again. Is my salaah acceptable like this? If not, when I do feel this way is it acceptable to not read my salaah and make qadhaa for it the next day? Can you give me a dua to read to give me the energy to have strength and stay awake until I have completed me Esha?
A:
If you read at least 3 verses or more of your Surah after Surah Faatihah then you don’t need to repeat the Surah from the beginning. Your Salaah will be valid even with that half or portion of the Surah.Delaying a Salaah that it becomes Qadhaa is sinful. A Salaah has to be performed in its proper time, even if the concentration is not full. Offering the Salaah in its proper time is more important than observing proper concentration. Ideally one should try to do both, but first and foremost is to perform the Salaah in the correct time.
You should either offer Eshaa Salaah as soon as the time of Eshaa enters, or rest for a while and thereafter offer the Eshaa Salaah. You should only do this if you are absolutely sure that you will wake up on time.
Although the Eshaa Salaah is valid up to the time Fajr begins, it is Makrooh to delay after half the night has passed. Eshaa performed after half of the night has passed merits less reward. It is best to perform it before a third of the night is over. (Deen ki Baatain P65).
Recite the following regularly (Surah Ebrahim verse 40):
رَبِّ اجْعَلْنِي مُقِيمَ الصَّلَاةِ وَمِنْ ذُرِّيَّتِي رَبَّنَا وَتَقَبَّلْ دُعَاء