حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا إِسْرَائِيلُ، عَنْ أَبِي حَصِينٍ، عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ وَثَّابٍ، عَنْ مَسْرُوقٍ، قَالَ سَأَلْتُ عَائِشَةَ ـ رضى الله عنها ـ عَنْ صَلاَةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِاللَّيْلِ. فَقَالَتْ سَبْعٌ وَتِسْعٌ وَإِحْدَى عَشْرَةَ سِوَى رَكْعَتَىِ الْفَجْرِ.
I asked Aisha about the night prayer of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and she said, "It was seven, nine or eleven rak`at besides the two rak`at of the Fajr prayer (i.e. Sunna). "
حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُوسَى، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا حَنْظَلَةُ، عَنِ الْقَاسِمِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ ـ رضى الله عنها ـ قَالَتْ كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يُصَلِّي مِنَ اللَّيْلِ ثَلاَثَ عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً مِنْهَا الْوِتْرُ وَرَكْعَتَا الْفَجْرِ.
The Prophet (p.b.u.h) used to offer thirteen rak`at of the night prayer and that included the witr and two rak`at (Sunna) of the Fajr prayer.
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، عَنْ حُمَيْدٍ، أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ أَنَسًا ـ رضى الله عنه ـ يَقُولُ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يُفْطِرُ مِنَ الشَّهْرِ حَتَّى نَظُنَّ أَنْ لاَ يَصُومَ مِنْهُ، وَيَصُومُ حَتَّى نَظُنَّ أَنْ لاَ يُفْطِرَ مِنْهُ شَيْئًا، وَكَانَ لاَ تَشَاءُ أَنْ تَرَاهُ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ مُصَلِّيًا إِلاَّ رَأَيْتَهُ وَلاَ نَائِمًا إِلاَّ رَأَيْتَهُ. تَابَعَهُ سُلَيْمَانُ وَأَبُو خَالِدٍ الأَحْمَرُ عَنْ حُمَيْدٍ.
Sometimes Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) would not fast (for so many days) that we thought that he would not fast that month and he sometimes used to fast (for so many days) that we thought he would not leave fasting throughout that month and (as regards his prayer and sleep at night), if you wanted to see him praying at night, you could see him praying and if you wanted to see him sleeping, you could see him sleeping.
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Satan puts three knots at the back of the head of any of you if he is asleep. On every knot he reads and exhales the following words, 'The night is long, so stay asleep.' When one wakes up and remembers Allah, one knot is undone; and when one performs ablution, the second knot is undone, and when one prays the third knot is undone and one gets up energetic with a good heart in the morning; otherwise one gets up lazy and with a mischievous heart."
The Prophet (ﷺ) said in his narration of a dream that he saw, "He whose head was being crushed with a stone was one who learnt the Qur'an but never acted on it, and slept ignoring the compulsory prayers."
A person was mentioned before the Prophet (p.b.u.h) and he was told that he had kept on sleeping till morning and had not got up for the prayer. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Satan urinated in his ears."
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) (p.b.u.h) said, "Our Lord, the Blessed, the Superior, comes every night down on the nearest Heaven to us when the last third of the night remains, saying: "Is there anyone to invoke Me, so that I may respond to invocation? Is there anyone to ask Me, so that I may grant him his request? Is there anyone seeking My forgiveness, so that I may forgive him?"
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْوَلِيدِ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ،. وَحَدَّثَنِي سُلَيْمَانُ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ، عَنِ الأَسْوَدِ، قَالَ سَأَلْتُ عَائِشَةَ ـ رضى الله عنها ـ كَيْفَ صَلاَةُ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِاللَّيْلِ قَالَتْ كَانَ يَنَامُ أَوَّلَهُ وَيَقُومُ آخِرَهُ، فَيُصَلِّي ثُمَّ يَرْجِعُ إِلَى فِرَاشِهِ، فَإِذَا أَذَّنَ الْمُؤَذِّنُ وَثَبَ، فَإِنْ كَانَ بِهِ حَاجَةٌ اغْتَسَلَ، وَإِلاَّ تَوَضَّأَ وَخَرَجَ.
I asked `Aisha "How is the night prayer of the Prophet?" She replied, "He used to sleep early at night, and get up in its last part to pray, and then return to his bed. When the Mu'adh-dhin pronounced the Adhan, he would get up. If he was in need of a bath he would take it; otherwise he would perform ablution and then go out (for the prayer)."
I asked `Aisha, "How is the prayer of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) during the month of Ramadan." She said, "Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) never exceeded eleven rak`at in Ramadan or in other months; he used to offer four rak`at-- do not ask me about their beauty and length, then four rak`at, do not ask me about their beauty and length, and then three rak`at." Aisha further said, "I said, 'O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Do you sleep before offering the witr prayer?' He replied, 'O `Aisha! My eyes sleep but my heart remains awake'!"
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى، حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، عَنْ هِشَامٍ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي أَبِي، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ ـ رضى الله عنها ـ قَالَتْ مَا رَأَيْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقْرَأُ فِي شَىْءٍ مِنْ صَلاَةِ اللَّيْلِ جَالِسًا، حَتَّى إِذَا كَبِرَ قَرَأَ جَالِسًا، فَإِذَا بَقِيَ عَلَيْهِ مِنَ السُّورَةِ ثَلاَثُونَ أَوْ أَرْبَعُونَ آيَةً قَامَ فَقَرَأَهُنَّ ثُمَّ رَكَعَ.
I did not see the Prophet (ﷺ) reciting (the Qur'an) in the night prayer while sitting except when he became old; when he used to recite while sitting, and when thirty or forty verses remained from the Sura, he would get up and recite them and then bow.