Hadith Details

Discover timeless wisdom from the authentic teachings of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Read this hadith in Arabic and English, share it with others, or explore related narrations from the same chapter.

Sunan Abi Dawud

كتاب الصلاة

Prayer (Kitab Al-Salat)

Chapter 2Hadith 422

حَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدٌ، حَدَّثَنَا بِشْرُ بْنُ الْمُفَضَّلِ، حَدَّثَنَا دَاوُدُ بْنُ أَبِي هِنْدٍ، عَنْ أَبِي نَضْرَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ، قَالَ صَلَّيْنَا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم صَلاَةَ الْعَتَمَةِ فَلَمْ يَخْرُجْ حَتَّى مَضَى نَحْوٌ مِنْ شَطْرِ اللَّيْلِ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ خُذُوا مَقَاعِدَكُمْ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَأَخَذْنَا مَقَاعِدَنَا فَقَالَ ‏"‏ إِنَّ النَّاسَ قَدْ صَلَّوْا وَأَخَذُوا مَضَاجِعَهُمْ وَإِنَّكُمْ لَنْ تَزَالُوا فِي صَلاَةٍ مَا انْتَظَرْتُمُ الصَّلاَةَ وَلَوْلاَ ضَعْفُ الضَّعِيفِ وَسَقَمُ السَّقِيمِ لأَخَّرْتُ هَذِهِ الصَّلاَةَ إِلَى شَطْرِ اللَّيْلِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

We observed the prayer after nightfall with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), and he did not come out till about half the night had passed. He then said: Take your places. We then took our places. Then he said: The people have prayed and gone to bed, but you are still engaged in prayer as long as you wait for the prayer. Were it not for the weakness of the weak and for the sickness of the sick. I would delay this prayer till half the night had gone.

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What is hadith in Islam?
A hadith is a narration of what Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, did, or approved. Hadith complement the Quran and help Muslims understand how to practice their faith in daily life. Each entry on Random Hadith shows the Arabic text, English translation, and full citation so you can read and verify the source.
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Where does this hadith come from?
Each narration displayed on Random Hadith includes its book, chapter, and hadith number. These references point to established Islamic collections such as Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, and the Sunan works. You can use the citation to locate the same report in printed editions or to explore related hadiths from the same chapter on this site.
When Allah wants two hearts to meet, what is the hadith?
A widely quoted teaching states that when Allah wants two people to meet, He makes their paths converge — often summarized as when He wants two hearts to meet, they will meet. Muslims frequently reflect on this narration as a reminder of divine decree (qadar), trust in Allah's plan, and patience regarding relationships and life events. Always verify wording and grading with qualified scholars and authentic sources.