What are the means which make it easy for Muslims performing the Qiyaam (night voluntary) prayer? How can we avoid Satan's control and urination in our ears during sleep? Would you please advise. May Allaah Reward you.

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.

In Ihyaa’ ‘Uloom Ad-Deen, Al-Ghazaali mentioned the means which facilitate for Muslims performing the Qiyaam prayer and divided them into two sections: apparent and hidden.

First: The apparent means include four things:

1-      Avoiding excessive eating. Otherwise, one will drink excessively and, consequently, he will be overtaken by deep sleep and will not be able to wake up to pray during the night.

2-      Avoiding work during the daytime which exhausts the body and weakens the nerves.

3-      Avoid committing sins during the daytime as they lead to harshness of the heart.

4-      Taking a nap during the day in order to be able to wake up for the voluntary prayer during the night.

We can add:

5-      Not to stay awake after the ‘Ishaa’ (night obligatory) prayer unless there is a need.

Second: The hidden means include four things as well:

1-      Keeping the heart safe from hatred against Muslims, Bid‘ahs (innovations in religion) and excessive worries concerning this world.

2-      Fearing Allaah and not having far reaching ambitions in this world.

3-      Knowing the virtue of performing Qiyaam by listening to Quranic verses, Hadeeths and reported citations.

4-      Love of Allaah and having strong faith that one invokes His Lord, Who Is Acquainted of him, during the prayer.