Abu Qatada said God’s Messenger went out one night and found Abu Bakr praying in a low voice, and he passed ‘Umar who was raising his voice while praying. When they both were with the Prophet he said, “I passed you, Abu Bakr, when you were praying in a low voice.” He replied, “I made Him hear with whom I was holding intimate converse, Messenger of God.” He said to ‘Umar, “I passed you when you were raising your voice while praying.” He replied, “Messenger of God, I was wakening the drowsy and driving away the devil.” The Prophet said, “Raise your voice a little, Abu Bakr;” and he said to ‘Umar, “Lower your voice a little.” Abu Dawud transmitted it, and Tirmidhi transmitted something similar.

Abu Dharr said that God’s Messenger kept awake during the night till morning reciting one verse, which was, “If Thou punishest them they are Thy servants; and if Thou forgivest them Thou art the Mighty, the Wise”(Al-Qur’an; 5:118).Nasa’i and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, “When one of you prays the two rak'as of the dawn prayer, he should lie down on his right side.”** Cf. the third tradition in section 1 of this chapter.Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Masruq said he asked ‘A’isha what action was most pleasing to God’s Messenger and she replied that it was what one keeps on doing. He asked at what time he got up at night and she said it was at cockcrow. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Anas said, “We never wanted to see God’s Messenger praying at night without doing so, and we never wanted to see him sleeping without doing so.”**The tradition most probably means that he Prophet did not go to extremes in religious observances.Nasa'i transmitted it.

Humaid b. ‘Abd ar-Rahman b. ‘Auf said that one of the companions of the Prophet told how he decided when he was on a journey along with God’s Messenger that he must watch his prayer to see how he conducted it. When he had prayed the evening prayer, which is the 'atama, he lay down for a long period during the night, then awoke, looked at the horizon and said, “Our Lord, Thou hast not created this in vain…verily Thou dost not break Thy promise” (Al-Qur’an; 3:191,194). Then God's Messenger went to his couch from which he took out a toothstick, then poured out some water into a bowl from a skin vessel beside him, cleaned his teeth, and stood up and prayed, till it appeared to me that he prayed as long as he had slept. Then he lay down till it appeared to me that he slept as long as he had prayed. Then awakening and doing as he did the first time, he said the same as he had said. He did that three times before the dawn. Nasa’i transmitted it.

Ya'la b. Mamlak said he asked Umm Salama, the Prophet’s wife, about his recitation and prayer. She Said, “What have you to do with his prayer? He would pray, then sleep as long as he had prayed, then pray as long as he had slept, then sleep as long as he had prayed, till morning.” She then described his recitation and did so with an exposition word by word. Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi and Nasa’i transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Abbas told how the Prophet said when he got up during the night to pray, “O God, to Thee be the praise; Thou art supreme over the heavens and the earth and their inhabitants. To Thee be the praise; Thou art the Light of the heavens and the earth and their inhabitants. To Thee be the praise; Thou art the King of the heavens and the earth and their inhabitants. To Thee be the praise; Thou art the Truth, Thy promise is truth, the meeting with Thee is true, Thy word is true, paradise is true, hell is true, the prophets are true, Muhammad is true, the last hour is true. O God, to Thee I submit, in Thee I believe upon Thee I trust, to Thee I repent, by Thy help I have disputed, and to Thee I have come for decision, so forgive me my former and my latter sins, my secret and my open sins, and what Thou knowest better than I. Thou art He who brings forward, and Thou art He who defers. There is no god but Thee, and there is no other god than Thee.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

‘A’isha said that when the Prophet got up at night he began his prayer by saying, “O God, the Lord of Gabriel, Michael and Israfil, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, who knowest the unseen and the seen, Thou decidest among Thy servants concerning their differences. Guide me on account of different opinions regarding the truth by Thy permission; verily Thou guidest whom Thou wilt to a straight path.” Muslim transmitted it.

God is most great; there is no might and no power but in God,’ then says, ‘My Lord, forgive me’ (or he said, Then makes supplication), he will receive an answer; and if he performs ablution and prays, his prayer will be accepted.” Bukhari transmitted it.

‘A’isha told how God’s Messenger said when he awoke during the night, “There is no god but Thee. Glory be to Thee, O God, and praise be to Thee. I ask for Thy forgiveness of my sin, and I ask for Thy mercy. O God, increase me in knowledge, and do not let my heart swerve after Thou hast guided me. Grant me mercy from Thyself. Thou art indeed the munificent One.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Mu'adh b. Jabal reported God’s Messenger as saying, “If any Muslim goes to bed in a state of purity making mention of God, then is disturbed [from sleep] during the night and asks God for good, God will give it to him.” Ahmad and Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Shariq al-Hauzani told that he visited ‘A’isha and asked her what God’s Messenger said first when he rose during the night. Replying that he had asked her a question she had never been asked by anyone before, she said that when he rose during the night he said “God is most great” ten times, “Praise be to God” ten times, “Glory be to God, and praise be to him” ten times, “Glory be to the King most holy” ten times, he asked pardon from God ten times, said “There is no god but God” ten times, then said, “O God, I seek refuge in Thee from the distress of this world and from the distress of the day of resurrection” ten times, then he began the prayer. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri told that when God’s Messenger got up during the night he said, “God is most great,” then he would say, “Glory be to Thee, O God, and praise be to Thee; blessed be Thy name; exalted be Thine honour; there is no other god but Thee.” Then he would say, “God is most exceeding great;” then say, “I seek refuge in God, the Hearer and Knower, from the accursed devil, from his pricking, his blowing, and his sputtering.” Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud and Nasa’i transmitted it, Abu Dawud adding after “no other god but Thee,” that he would then say “There is no god but God” three times, and at the end of the tradition, that he would then recite some verses.

Rabi'a b. Ka‘b al-Aslami said he used to spend the night near the Prophet’s inner chamber and hear him say when he got up during the night, “Glory be to the Lord of the universe" for a long time. Then he would say, “Glory be to God and praise be to Him" for a longtime. Nasa’i transmitted it, and Tirmidhi who has something similar says that this is a hasan sahih tradition.

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, “When one of you goes to sleep the devil ties three knots at the back of his neck, sealing every knot with, ‘You have a long night, so sleep’. So if one awakes and mentions God a knot will be loosened, if he performs ablution a knot will be loosened, and if he prays a knot will be loosened, and in the morning he will be active and in good spirits; otherwise he will be in bad spirits and sluggish in the morning.”(Bukhari and Muslim.)

Al-Mughira said that the Prophet got up at night to such an extent that his feet became swollen. On being asked why he did this when his former and latter sins had been forgiven him, he replied, “Should I not be a grateful servant?” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Ibn Mas'ud said that a man was mentioned in the Prophet’s presence, and he was told that he continued sleeping till morning, never having got up to pray. He said, “That is a man in whose ear (or, in whose ears) the devil has urinated.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Umm Salama said that God’s Messenger awoke one night with a start and said, “Glory be to God. What treasures have been sent down tonight, and what trials have been sent down! Who will waken those who are in the inner chambers (meaning his wives) in order that they may pray? Many a woman who is clothed in this world will be naked in the next.” Bukhari transmitted it.

Our Lord who is blessed and exalted descends every night to the lowest heaven when two-thirds of the night have passed and says, “Who supplicates me so that I may answer him? Who asks of me so that I may give to him? Who asks my forgiveness so that I may forgive him?” (Bukhari and Muslim.) In a version by Muslim it is said that He then spreads out His hands and says, “Who will lend to One who is neither indigent nor unjust?"* till the dawn breaks.*The lending mentioned here is presumably the doing of good works.