This is part 4 of 8 of “The Book of Prayer - Travellers”, book 6 of Sahih Muslim — Hadith 1,723–1,772. The book is long enough that it is split across 8 pages so each one stays quick to load; the parts run in order and are linked at the foot of the page.
Abu Salama b. Abd al-Rahman asked 'A'isha about the (night) prayer of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) during the month of Ramadan. She said:The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) did not observe either in Ramadan or in other months more than eleven rak'ahs (of the night prayer). He (in the first instance) observed four rak'ahs. Ask not about their excellence and their length (i. e. these were matchless in perfection and length). He again observed four rak'ahs, and ask not about their excellence and their length. He would then observe three rak'ahs (of the Witr prayer). 'A'isha again said: I said: Messenger of Allah, do you sleep before observing the Witr prayer? He said: O 'A'isha, my eyes sleep but my heart does not sleep
Abu Salama asked 'A'isha about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) She said:He observed thirteen rak'ahs (in the night prayer). He observed eight rak'ahs and would then observe Witr and then observe two rak'ahs sitting, and when he wanted to bow he stood up and then bowed down, and then observed two rak'ahs in between the Adhan and lqama of the dawn prayer
Abu Salama reported that he asked 'A'isha about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (may peace he upon him) (during the night). The rest of the hadith is the same but with this exception that he (the Holy Prophet) observed nine rak'ahs including Witr
Abu Salama is reported to have said. I came to 'A'isha. I said:O mother, inform me about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). She said: His (night prayer) in Ramadan and (during other months) was thirteen rak'ahs at night including two rak'ahs of fajr
حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ نُمَيْرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي، حَدَّثَنَا حَنْظَلَةُ، عَنِ الْقَاسِمِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ عَائِشَةَ، تَقُولُ كَانَتْ صَلاَةُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مِنَ اللَّيْلِ عَشَرَ رَكَعَاتٍ وَيُوتِرُ بِسَجْدَةٍ وَيَرْكَعُ رَكْعَتَىِ الْفَجْرِ فَتِلْكَ ثَلاَثَ عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً .
It is reported on the authority of 'A'isha that the prayer of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) in the night consisted of ten rak'ahs. He observed a Witr and two rak'ahs (of Sunan) of the dawn prayer, and thus the total comes to thirteen rak'ahs
A'isha thus reported about the (night prayer) of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ):He used to sleep in the early part of the night, and woke up in the latter part. If he then wished intercourse with his wife, he satisfied his desire, and then went to sleep; and when the first call to prayer was made he jumped up (by Allah, she, i. e. 'A'isha, did not say" he stood up" ), and poured water over him (by Allah she, i. e. 'A'isha, did not say that he took a bath but I know what she meant) and if he did not have an intercourse, he performed ablution, just as a man performs ablution for prayer and then observed two rak'ahs
Masruq is reported to have asked 'A'isha about the action (most pleasing to) the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). She said:He (the Holy Prophet) loved (that action) which one keeps on doing regularly. I said (to 'A'isha): When did he pray (at night)? She replied: When he heard the cock crow, he got up and observed prayer
A'isha reported:When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had prayed the two rak'ahs (Sunan) of the dawn prayer, he would talk to me if I was awake, otherwise he would lie down
A'isha reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to offer prayer at night while she lay in front of him, and when the Witr prayer was yet to be observed, he would awaken her and she observed Witr
Masruq reported on the authority of 'A'isha that she said that the Messenger Of Allah (ﷺ) used to observe the Witr prayer every night, maybe in the early part of night, at midnight and in the latter part, finishing his Witr at dawn
Sa'd b. Hisham b. 'Amir decided to participate in the expedition for the sake of Allah, so he came to Medina and he decided to dispose of his property there and buy arms and horses instead and fight against the Romans to the end of his life. When he came to Medina, he met the people of Medina. They dissuaded him to do such a thing, and informed him that a group of six men had decided to do so during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) forbade them to do it, and said:Is there not for you a model pattern in me? And when they narrated this to him (Sa'd b. Hisham), he returned to his wife, though he had divorced her and made (people) witness to his reconciliation. He then came to Ibn 'Abbas and asked him about the Witr of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). Ibn 'Abbas said: Should I not lead you to one who knows best amongst the people of the world about the Witr of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)? He said: Who is it? He (Ibn 'Abbas) said: It is 'A'isha. So go to her and ask her (about Witr) and then come to me and inform me about her answer that she would give you. So I came to Hakim b. Aflah and requested him to take me to her. He said: I would not go to her, for I forbade her to speak anything (about the conflict) between the two groupS, but she refused (to accept my advice) and went (to participate in that corflict). I (requested) him (Hakim) with an oath to lead me to her. So we went to 'A'isha and we begged permission to meet her. She granted us permission and we went in. She said: Are you Hakim? (She recognised him.) He replied: Yes. She said: Who is there with you? He said: He is Sa'd b. Hisham. She said: Which Hisham? He said: He is Hisham b. 'Amir. She blessed him ('Amir) with mercy from Allah and spoke good of him (Qatada said that he died as a martyr in Uhud). I said: Mother of the Faithful, tell me about the character of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). She said: Don't you read the Qur'an? I said: Yes. Upon this she said: The character of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was the Qur'an. He said: I felt inclined to get up and not ask anything (further) till death. But then I changed my mind and said: Inform me about the observance (of the night prayer) of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). She said: Did you not recite:" O thou wrapped up"? He said: Yes. She said: Allah, the Exalted and the Glorious, made the observance of the night prayer at the beginning of this Surah obligatory. So the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him and his Companions around him observed this (night prayer) for one year. Allah held back the concluding portion of this Surah for twelve months in the Heaven till (at the end of this period) Allah revealed the concluding verses of this Surah which lightened (the burden of this prayer), and the night prayer became a supererogatory prayer after being an obligatory one. I said: Mother of the Faithful, inform me about the Witr of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). She said: I used to prepare tooth stick for him and water for his ablution, and Allah would rouse him to the extent He wished during the night. He would use the tooth stick, and perform ablution, and would offer nine rak'ahs, and would not sit but in the eighth one and would remember Allah, and praise Him and supplicate Him, then he would get up without uttering the salutation and pray the ninth rak'ah. He would then sit, remember, praise Him and supplicate Him and then utter a salutation loud enough for us to hear. He would then pray two rak'ahs sitting after uttering the salutation, and that made eleven rak'ahs. O my son, but when the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) grew old and put on flesh, he observed Witr of seven, doing in the two rak'ahs as he had done formerly, and that made nine. O my son, and when the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) observed prayer, he liked to keep on observing it, and when sleep or pain overpowered him and made it impossible (for him) to observe prayer in the night, he prayed twelve rak'ahs daring the day. I am not aware of Allah's Prophet (ﷺ) having recited the whole Qur'an during one single night, or praying through the night till morning, or fasting a complete month, except Ramadan. He (the narrator) said: I then went to Ibn 'Abbas and narrated to him the hadith (transmitted from her), and he said: She says the truth If I went to her and got into her presence, I would have listened to it orally from her. He said: If I were to know that you do not go to her. I would not have transmitted this hadith to you narrated by her
Sa'd b. Hisham reported:I went to 'Abdullah b. 'Abbas and asked him about the Witr prayer, and the rest of the hadith is the same as recorded in this event. She (Hadrat 'A'isha) said: Who is that Hisham? I said: Son of 'Amir. She said: What a fine man 'Amir was! He died as a martyr in the Battle of Uhud
Zurara b. Aufa reported that Sa'd b. Hisham was his neighbour and he informed him that he had divorced his wife and he narrated the hadith like the one transmitted by Sa'd. She ('A'isha) said:Who is Hisham? He said: The son of 'Amir. She said: What a fine man he was; he participated in the Battle of Uhud along with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). Hakim b. Aflah said: If I ever knew that you do not go to 'A'isha, I would not have informed you about her hadith (So that you would have gone to her and heard it from her orally)
A'isha reported that when the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) missed the night prayer due to pain or any other reason, he observed twelve rak'ahs during the daytime
وَحَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ خَشْرَمٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا عِيسَى، - وَهُوَ ابْنُ يُونُسَ - عَنْ شُعْبَةَ، عَنْ قَتَادَةَ، عَنْ زُرَارَةَ، عَنْ سَعْدِ بْنِ هِشَامٍ الأَنْصَارِيِّ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، قَالَتْ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِذَا عَمِلَ عَمَلاً أَثْبَتَهُ وَكَانَ إِذَا نَامَ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ أَوْ مَرِضَ صَلَّى مِنَ النَّهَارِ ثِنْتَىْ عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً . قَالَتْ وَمَا رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَامَ لَيْلَةً حَتَّى الصَّبَاحِ وَمَا صَامَ شَهْرًا مُتَتَابِعًا إِلاَّ رَمَضَانَ .
A'isha reported that when the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) decided upon doing any act, he continued to do it, and when he slept at night or fell sick he observed twelve rak'ahs during the daytime. I am not aware of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) observing prayer during the whole of the night till morning, or observing fast for a whole month continuously except that of Ramadan
Umar b. Khattab reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:Should anyone fall asleep and fail to recite his portion of the Qur'an, or a part of it, if he recites it between the dawn prayer and the noon prayer, it will be recorded for him as though he had recited it during the night
Zaid b. Arqam, on seeing some people praying in the forenoon, said:They well know that prayer at another time than this is more excellent, for Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: The prayer of those who are penitent is observed when your weaned camels feel the heat of the sun
Zaid b. Arqam reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) went out to the people of Quba' and saw them observing prayer; upon this he said:The prayer of the penitent should be observed when the young weaned camels feel heat of the sun
وَحَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى، قَالَ قَرَأْتُ عَلَى مَالِكٍ عَنْ نَافِعٍ، وَعَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ دِينَارٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، أَنَّ رَجُلاً، سَأَلَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَنْ صَلاَةِ اللَّيْلِ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " صَلاَةُ اللَّيْلِ مَثْنَى مَثْنَى فَإِذَا خَشِيَ أَحَدُكُمُ الصُّبْحَ صَلَّى رَكْعَةً وَاحِدَةً تُوتِرُ لَهُ مَا قَدْ صَلَّى " .
Ibn 'Umar reported that a person asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) about the night prayer. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:Prayer during the night should consist of pairs of rak'ahs, but if one of you fears morning is near, he should pray one rak'ah which will make his prayer an odd number for him
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، وَعَمْرٌو النَّاقِدُ، وَزُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، قَالَ زُهَيْرٌ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ بْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ سَالِمٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، سَمِعَ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ ح وَحَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبَّادٍ، - وَاللَّفْظُ لَهُ - حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، حَدَّثَنَا عَمْرٌو، عَنْ طَاوُسٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَا الزُّهْرِيُّ، عَنْ سَالِمٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، أَنَّ رَجُلاً، سَأَلَ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَنْ صَلاَةِ اللَّيْلِ فَقَالَ " مَثْنَى مَثْنَى فَإِذَا خَشِيتَ الصُّبْحَ فَأَوْتِرْ بِرَكْعَةٍ " .
Salim reported on the authority of his father that a person asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) about the night prayer. He said:It consists of pairs of rak'ahs, but if one fears morning is near, he should make it an odd number by praying one rak'ah
Abdullah b. 'Umar reported:A man stood up and said. Messenger of Allah, how is the night prayer? The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: The night prayer consists of pair, but if you apprehend the rise of dawn, make it odd number by observing one rak'ah
Abdullah b. 'Umar reported:A person asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as I stood between him (the Holy Prophet) and the inquirer and he said: Messenger of Allah, how is the night prayer? He (the Holy Prophet) said: It consists of pairs of rak'ahs, but if you apprehend morning, you should pray one rak'ah and make the end of your prayer as Witr. Then a person asked him (the Holy Prophet) at the end of the year and I was at that place near the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) ; but I do not know whether he was the same person or another person, but he (the Holy Prophet) gave him the same reply
This hadith his been narrated by Ibn 'Umar by another chain of trans- mitters but it does not have these words:" Then a person asked him at the end of the year," and what follows subsequently
وَحَدَّثَنِي هَارُونُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، حَدَّثَنَا حَجَّاجُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، قَالَ قَالَ ابْنُ جُرَيْجٍ أَخْبَرَنِي نَافِعٌ، أَنَّ ابْنَ عُمَرَ، كَانَ يَقُولُ مَنْ صَلَّى مِنَ اللَّيْلِ فَلْيَجْعَلْ آخِرَ صَلاَتِهِ وِتْرًا قَبْلَ الصُّبْحِ كَذَلِكَ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَأْمُرُهُمْ .
Nafi' reported Ibn 'Umar as saying:He who observed the night prayer should make Witr the end of his prayer before dawn. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to order them thus
وَحَدَّثَنِي زُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الصَّمَدِ، حَدَّثَنَا هَمَّامٌ، حَدَّثَنَا قَتَادَةُ، عَنْ أَبِي مِجْلَزٍ، قَالَ سَأَلْتُ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ عَنِ الْوِتْرِ، فَقَالَ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ " رَكْعَةٌ مِنْ آخِرِ اللَّيْلِ " . وَسَأَلْتُ ابْنَ عُمَرَ فَقَالَ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ " رَكْعَةٌ مِنْ آخِرِ اللَّيْلِ " .
Abu Mijlaz reported:I asked Ibn 'Abbas about the Witr prayer. He said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: It is a rak'ah at the end of the night prayer
Ibn 'Umar reported:A person called (the attention) of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as he was in the mosque, and said: Messenger of Allah, how should I make the rak'ahs of the night prayer an odd number? Upon this the Messenger of Allah (may peace he upon him) said: He who prays (night prayer) he should observe it in pairs, but if he apprehends the rise of morning, he should observe one rak'ah; that would make the number odd (for the rak'ahs) observed by him. This was narrated by Abu Kuraib 'Ubaidullah b. 'Abdullah and Ibn 'Umar did not make mention of it
Anas b. Sirin reported:I asked Ibn 'Umar to tell me about the practice of the Prophet (ﷺ) in regard to two rak'ahs before the dawn prayer: Should I make lengthy recitation in them? He said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to observe, the night prayer in pairs and then made the number odd by observing one rak'ah. I said: I am not asking you about it. He said: You are a bulky man, will you not show me the patience to narrate to you the hadith completely? The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to observe the night prayer in pairs and then made the number odd by observing one rak'ah, and then he observed two rak'ahs before dawn quite close to the call for prayer (Khalaf said:" Did you see [yourself the Prophet observing] the two rak'ahs before the dawn?" and he made no mention of prayer
Anas b. Sirin reported:I asked Ibn 'Umar like this (as recorded in the previous hadith) and he made this addition:" And he (the Holy Prophet) made the end of the night prayer as odd number by one rak'ah." And there is also (this addition):" Stop, stop, you are bulky
Ibn 'Umar reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:The night prayer consists of pairs and when you see the approach of dawn, make this number odd by one rak'ah. It was said to Ibn 'Umar: What does the (word) pair imply? He said: (It means) that salutation is uttered after every two rak'ahs
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الأَعْلَى بْنُ عَبْدِ الأَعْلَى، عَنْ مَعْمَرٍ، عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ أَبِي كَثِيرٍ، عَنْ أَبِي نَضْرَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " أَوْتِرُوا قَبْلَ أَنْ تُصْبِحُوا " .
Abu Sa'id (al Khudri) reported Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) as saying:Observe Witr prayer before it is morning. Abu Sa'id reported that they (the Prophet's Companions) asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) about Witr (prayer). (In reply to their inquiry) he said: Observe Witr prayer before it is morning
وَحَدَّثَنِي إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ مَنْصُورٍ، أَخْبَرَنِي عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ، عَنْ شَيْبَانَ، عَنْ يَحْيَى، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي أَبُو نَضْرَةَ الْعَوَقِيُّ، أَنَّ أَبَا سَعِيدٍ، أَخْبَرَهُمْ أَنَّهُمْ، سَأَلُوا النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَنِ الْوِتْرِ فَقَالَ " أَوْتِرُوا قَبْلَ الصُّبْحِ " .
Abu Sa'id reported that they (some of the Companions) of the Prophet (ﷺ) asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) about Witr. He said:Observe Witr before morning
Jabir reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:If anyone is afraid that he may not get up in the latter part of the night, he should observe Witr in the first part of it; and if anyone is eager to get up in the last part of it, he should observe Witr at the end of the night, for prayer at the end of the night is witnessed (by the angels) and that is preferable
Jabir reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:He who amongst you is afraid that he may not be able to get up at the end of the night should observe Witr (in the first part) and then sleep, and he who is confident of getting up and praying at night (i. e. Tahajjud prayer) should observe it at the end of it, for the recitation at the end of the night is witnessed*, and that is better. *: meaning, "by angels" (Sharh an-Nawawi)
Jabir reported:The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was asked about the prayer which was most excellent. He said: That in which the standing is longer. (This hadith is narrated by another chain of transmitters too)
Jabir said he heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) say:There is an hour during the night in which no Muslim individual will ask Allah for good in this world and the next without His giving it to him; and that applies to every night
Jabir reported:I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: There is an hour during the night in which no Muslim bondman will ask Allah for good in this world and the next but He will grant it to him
Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:Our Lord, the Blessed and the Exalted, descends every night to the lowest heaven when one-third of the latter part of the night is left, and says: Who supplicates Me so that I may answer him? Who asks Me so that I may give to him? Who asks Me forgiveness so that I may forgive him?
Text from the open hadith-api dataset. Hadith numbering follows that edition and can differ slightly from a printed copy — check the Arabic against a trusted mushaf of hadith before relying on a reference.