This is part 3 of 3 of “Prayer (Kitab Al-Salat): Voluntary Prayers”, book 5 of Sunan Abu Dawud — Hadith 1,350–1,370. The book is long enough that it is split across 3 pages so each one stays quick to load; the parts run in order and are linked at the foot of the page.
حَدَّثَنَا مُوسَى، - يَعْنِي ابْنَ إِسْمَاعِيلَ - حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادٌ، - يَعْنِي ابْنَ سَلَمَةَ - عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو، عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، رضى الله عنها : أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَانَ يُصَلِّي مِنَ اللَّيْلِ ثَلاَثَ عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً يُوتِرُ بِسَبْعٍ أَوْ كَمَا قَالَتْ، وَيُصَلِّي رَكْعَتَيْنِ وَهُوَ جَالِسٌ، وَرَكْعَتَىِ الْفَجْرِ بَيْنَ الأَذَانِ وَالإِقَامَةِ .
Narrated 'Aishah:The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to pray thirteen rak'ahs during the night, observing the witr prayer with nine (or as she said). He used to pray two rak'ahs while sitting and pray two rak'ahs of the dawn prayer between the adhan and the iqamah
Narrated 'Aishah: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to observe the witr prayer with nine rak'ahs. Then he used to pray seven rak'ahs (of witr prayer). He would pray two rak'ahs sitting after the witr in which he would recite the Qur'an (sitting). When he wished to bow, he stood up and bowed and prostrated. Abu Dawud said: These two traditions have been transmitted by Khalid b. 'Abd Allah al-Wasiti. In his version he said: 'Alqamah b. Waqqas said: O mother, how did he pray the two rak'ahs ? He narrated the rest of the tradition to the same effect
Narrated Aisha, Ummul Mu'minin: Sa'd ibn Hisham said: I came to Medina and called upon Aisha, and said to her: Tell me about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). She said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to lead the people in the night prayer, and then go to his bed and sleep. When midnight came he got up, went to answer the call of nature and to perform ablution with water. Having performed ablution, he entered the mosque and prayed eight rak'ahs. To my mind he performed the recitation of the Qur'an, bowing and prostrating equally. He then observed witr with one rak'ah and prayed two rak'ahs sitting. Then he lay down on the ground. Sometimes Bilal came to him and called him for prayer. He then dozed, and sometimes I doubted whether he dozed or not, till he (Bilal) called him for prayer. This is the prayer he offered till he grew old or put on weight. She then mentioned how he put on weight as Allah wished
Abd Allah b. 'Abbas said that he slept with the Prophet (ﷺ). He saw that he (the Prophet) awoke, used tooth-stick, performed ablution, and recited:"In the creation of the heavens and earth" [3:190] to the end of the surah. Then he stood up and prayed two rak'ahs in which he prolonged the standing, bowing, and prostrations. He then uttered turned away and slept till he bagan to snore. This he did three times. This made six rak'ahs in all. He would use tooth-stick, then perform ablution, and recite those verses. He then observed the witr prayer. The version of 'Uthman has: with three rak'ahs. The mu'adhdhin then came to him and he went out for prayer. The version of Ibn 'Isa adds: He then observed witr prayer ; then Bilal came to him and called him for prayer when the dawn broke. He then prayed the two rak'ahs of the dawn prayer. He then went out for prayer. Then both the narrators were agreed: He beagan to supplicate saying: O Allah, place light in my heart, light in my tongue, light in my hearing, light in my eyesight, light on my right hand, light on my left hand, light in front of me, light behing me, light below me, O Allah, give me abundant light
The above tradition has also been transmitted by Husain through a different chain of narrators in like manner. This version has the words:"And give me abundant light." Abu Dawud said: This tradition has been transmitted by Abu Khalid al-Dalani from Habib and Salamah b. Kuhail from Abu Rishdin from Ibn 'Abbas in a similar manner
Narrated Fadl b. 'Abbas: I spent a night with the Prophet (ﷺ) to see how he prayed. He got up, performed ablution and prayed two rak'ahs. His standing was like his bowing (i.e. equal in duration), and his bowing was like his prostration (equal in length). Then he slept. Afterwards he awoke, performed ablution, and used tooth-stick. He then recited five verses from Surah Al-'Imran : "In the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of night and day". He went on doing so till he prayed ten rak'ahs. He then stood up and prayed one rak'ah observing witr with it. In the meantime the mu'adhdhin called to prayer. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) stood up after the mu'adhdhin had kept silent. He prayed two light rak'ahs and remained sitting till he offered the dawn prayer. Abu Dawud said: A part of the tradition transmitted by Ibn Bashshar remained hidden from me
Narrated Ibn 'Abbas:I spent a night with my maternal aunt Maimunah. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came after the evening has come. He asked: Did the boy pray ? She said: Yes. Then he lay down till a part of night had passed as much as Allah willed; he got up, performed ablution and prayed seven or five rak'ahs, observing witr with them. He uttered the salutation only in the last of them
Narrated Ibn 'Abbas:I spent a night in the house of my maternal aunt Maimunah, daughter of al-Harith. The Prophet (ﷺ) offered the night prayer. He then came and prayed four rak'ahs and slept. He then stood up and prayed. I stood at his left side. He made me go round and made me stand at his right side. He then prayed five rak'ahs and slept, and I heard his snoring. He then got up and prayed two rak'ahs. Afterwards he came out and offered the dawn prayer
Sa'id b. Jubair said that Ibn 'Abbas told him:He (the Prophet) got up and prayed eight rak'ahs in pairs, and then observed witr with five rak'ahs and he did not sit between them
Narrated 'Aishah:The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to pray thirteen rak'ahs, observing six rak'ahs in pairs including the two rak'ahs of dawn prayer. He would observe witr and five rak'ahs. He sat only in the last of them
Narrated 'Aishah: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) offered the night prayer and then prayed eight rak'ahs standing, and two rak'ahs between the two adhans (i.e. the adhan for the dawn prayer and the iqamah). He never left them. Jaf'ar b. Musafir said in his version: (He prayed) the two rak'ahs sitting between the two adhans. He added the word "sitting
Abd Allah b. Abi Qais said that he asked 'Aishah:How many rak'ahs would the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) pray observing the witr ? She said: He used to observe the witr with four and three, six and three, eight and three, and ten and three rak'ahs never observing less than seven or more than thirteen. The narrator Ahmad added in his version: He would not observe the witr with two rak'ahs before the dawn. I asked: With what would he observe the witr ? She said: He would never leave it. The version of Ahmad does not mention the words "six and three (rak'ahs)
حَدَّثَنَا مُؤَمَّلُ بْنُ هِشَامٍ، حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، عَنْ مَنْصُورِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ الْهَمْدَانِيِّ، عَنِ الأَسْوَدِ بْنِ يَزِيدَ، : أَنَّهُ دَخَلَ عَلَى عَائِشَةَ فَسَأَلَهَا عَنْ صَلاَةِ، رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِاللَّيْلِ . فَقَالَتْ : كَانَ يُصَلِّي ثَلاَثَ عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً مِنَ اللَّيْلِ، ثُمَّ إِنَّهُ صَلَّى إِحْدَى عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً، وَتَرَكَ رَكْعَتَيْنِ ثُمَّ قُبِضَ صلى الله عليه وسلم حِينَ قُبِضَ وَهُوَ يُصَلِّي مِنَ اللَّيْلِ تِسْعَ رَكَعَاتٍ، وَكَانَ آخِرُ صَلاَتِهِ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ الْوِتْرَ .
Narrated Aisha, Ummul Mu'minin: Al-Aswad ibn Yazid said that he entered upon Aisha and asked her about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) during the night. She said: He used to pray thirteen rak'ahs during the night. Then he began to pray eleven rak'ahs and left two rak'ahs. When he died, he would pray nine rak'ahs during the night. His last prayer during the night was witr
The client of Ibn 'Abbas said that he asked him:How would the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) pray during the night ? He replied: I spent a night with him when he was with Maimunah. He slept and awoke when half the night or one-third of it had passed. He stood up and went to a leather bad containing water. He performed ablution and I also performed ablution with him. He then stood up and I also stood at his left side. He made me stand at his right side. He then put his hand upon my head, as he was touching my ear and awakening me. He then prayed two light rak'ahs and recited Surah al-Fatihah in each of them, and uttered the salutation. He then prayed eleven rak'ahs observing the witr and slept. Then Bilal came to him and said: Prayer, Messenger of Allah. He got up and prayed two rak'ahs, and then led the people in the prayer
Sahih· Al-Albani
Sahih· Muhammad Muhyi Al-Din Abdul Hamid
Sahih· Shuaib Al Arnaut
Sahih Bukhari (992) Sahih Muslim (763)· Zubair Ali Zai
Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas: I spent a night with my maternal aunt Maymunah. The Prophet (ﷺ) got up to pray at night. He prayed thirteen rak'ahs including two rak'ahs of the dawn prayer. I guessed that he stood in every rak'ah as long as one could recite Surah al-Muzzammil
Khalid al-Juhani said:I shall watch the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) at night. I slept at the threshold of his door or of his tent. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prayed two light rak'ahs, and then prayed two long, long, long rak'ahs. He then prayed two rak'ahs that were not so long as the two rak'ahs before them ; he then prayed two rak'ahs that were less in duration, than the rak'ahs before them; again he prayed two rak'ahs that were less in length then the preceding rak'ahs; he then prayed two rak'ahs that were less in length than the previous rak'ahs. This made altogether thirteen rak'ahs
حَدَّثَنَا الْقَعْنَبِيُّ، عَنْ مَالِكٍ، عَنْ مَخْرَمَةَ بْنِ سُلَيْمَانَ، عَنْ كُرَيْبٍ، مَوْلَى ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ أَنَّ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عَبَّاسٍ، أَخْبَرَهُ : أَنَّهُ، بَاتَ عِنْدَ مَيْمُونَةَ زَوْجِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَهِيَ خَالَتُهُ - قَالَ - فَاضْطَجَعْتُ فِي عَرْضِ الْوِسَادَةِ، وَاضْطَجَعَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَأَهْلُهُ فِي طُولِهَا، فَنَامَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم حَتَّى إِذَا انْتَصَفَ اللَّيْلُ - أَوْ قَبْلَهُ بِقَلِيلٍ، أَوْ بَعْدَهُ بِقَلِيلٍ - اسْتَيْقَظَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَجَلَسَ يَمْسَحُ النَّوْمَ عَنْ وَجْهِهِ بِيَدِهِ، ثُمَّ قَرَأَ الْعَشْرَ الآيَاتِ الْخَوَاتِمَ مِنْ سُورَةِ آلِ عِمْرَانَ، ثُمَّ قَامَ إِلَى شَنٍّ مُعَلَّقَةٍ فَتَوَضَّأَ مِنْهَا فَأَحْسَنَ وُضُوءَهُ، ثُمَّ قَامَ يُصَلِّي، قَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ : فَقُمْتُ فَصَنَعْتُ مِثْلَ مَا صَنَعَ، ثُمَّ ذَهَبْتُ فَقُمْتُ إِلَى جَنْبِهِ، فَوَضَعَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَدَهُ الْيُمْنَى عَلَى رَأْسِي فَأَخَذَ بِأُذُنِي يَفْتِلُهَا، فَصَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ، ثُمَّ رَكْعَتَيْنِ، ثُمَّ رَكْعَتَيْنِ، ثُمَّ رَكْعَتَيْنِ، ثُمَّ رَكْعَتَيْنِ، ثُمَّ رَكْعَتَيْنِ، قَالَ الْقَعْنَبِيُّ : سِتَّ مَرَّاتٍ، ثُمَّ أَوْتَرَ، ثُمَّ اضْطَجَعَ، حَتَّى جَاءَهُ الْمُؤَذِّنُ فَقَامَ فَصَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ خَفِيفَتَيْنِ، ثُمَّ خَرَجَ فَصَلَّى الصُّبْحَ .
Narrated 'Abd Allah b. 'Abbas:That he spent a night with Maimunah, wife of the Prophet (ﷺ), who was also his (Ibn 'Abbas's) maternal aunt. I lay towards the width of the pillow and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and his wife slept towards its length. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) slept. When half the night passed, or a little before it or a little after it, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) awoke and began to rub his face (eyes) to remove the sleep. He then recited ten verses from the last part of Surah 'Al-Imran. Hen then came to a bag of water that was hanging. He performed ablution from it and performed his ablution well. He then stood up and prayed. I also got up and did as he did. I then went and stood at his side. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) placed his right hand upon my head and took me by my ear twisting it. He then prayed two rak'ahs, then two rak'ahs, then two rak'ahs, then two rak'ahs, then two rak'ahs, then two rak'ahs. The narrator al-Qa'nabi said: Six times. He observed the witr prayer, and then slept until the mu'adhdhin came. He got up and prayed two light rak'ahs and then came out and offered the dawn prayer
Sahih· Al-Albani
Sahih· Muhammad Muhyi Al-Din Abdul Hamid
Sahih· Shuaib Al Arnaut
Sahih Bukhari (992) Sahih Muslim (763)· Zubair Ali Zai
حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا اللَّيْثُ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَجْلاَنَ، عَنْ سَعِيدٍ الْمَقْبُرِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، - رضى الله عنها - أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ : " اكْلَفُوا مِنَ الْعَمَلِ مَا تُطِيقُونَ، فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يَمَلُّ حَتَّى تَمَلُّوا، وَإِنَّ أَحَبَّ الْعَمَلِ إِلَى اللَّهِ أَدْوَمُهُ وَإِنْ قَلَّ " . وَكَانَ إِذَا عَمِلَ عَمَلاً أَثْبَتَهُ .
Narrated 'Aishah:The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: Choose such actions as you are capable of performing, for Allah does not grow weary till you do. The acts most pleasing to Allah are those which are done most continuously, even if they amount to little. Whenever he began an action, he would do it continuously
Sahih· Al-Albani
Sahih· Muhammad Muhyi Al-Din Abdul Hamid
Sahih· Shuaib Al Arnaut
Sahih Bukhari (5861) Sahih Muslim (782)· Zubair Ali Zai
Narrated 'Aishah:The Prophet (ﷺ) called 'Uthman b. Maz'un. When he came to him, he said: 'Uthman, did you dislike my practice ? He said: No, by Allah, but I seek your practice. He said: I sleep, I pray, I keep fast, I (sometimes) leave fast, and I marry women. Fear Allah, 'Uthman, your wife has a right on you, your guest has a right on you, your self has a right on you ; you should keep fast and (sometimes) leave fast, and pray and sleep
حَدَّثَنَا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا جَرِيرٌ، عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، عَنْ عَلْقَمَةَ، قَالَ : سَأَلْتُ عَائِشَةَ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَمَلُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم هَلْ كَانَ يَخُصُّ شَيْئًا مِنَ الأَيَّامِ قَالَتْ : لاَ، كَانَ كُلُّ عَمَلِهِ دِيمَةً، وَأَيُّكُمْ يَسْتَطِيعُ مَا كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَسْتَطِيعُ
Alqamah said:'Aishah was asked about the actions of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). Did he perform some actions exclusively on some particular days ? She said: No, he performed his actions regularly. Which of you has the strength as much as the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had ?
Sahih· Al-Albani
Sahih· Muhammad Muhyi Al-Din Abdul Hamid
Sahih· Shuaib Al Arnaut
Sahih Bukhari (6466) Sahih Muslim (783)· Zubair Ali Zai
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.