The Book of Prayer - Travellers

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Aisha reported: When the Prophet (ﷺ) had prayed the two sunnah rak'ahs of dawn, he would talk with me if I was awake; otherwise, he would lie down.

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Aisha narrated a similar hadith through another chain.

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Aisha reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to pray at night. When he was going to perform witr, he would say, ‘Get up and perform witr, Aisha.’

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Aisha reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to pray at night while she lay across in front of him. When only the witr prayer remained, he would wake her so that she could perform witr.

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Aisha reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) performed the witr prayer every night, completing it before dawn.

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Aisha reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) performed the witr prayer every night, sometimes in the early, middle, or late part of the night, and his witr would end before dawn.

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Aisha reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to perform witr every night, sometimes completing it at the end of the night.

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Sa'd ibn Hisham ibn Amir intended to go on an expedition in the path of Allah. He came to Medina and planned to sell his property there to buy weapons and horses and fight the Romans until he died. The people of Medina discouraged him, saying that six men had intended to do this during the lifetime of the Prophet (ﷺ), but he had forbidden them, saying, ‘Is there not an example for you in me?’ When Sa'd heard this, he returned to his wife—whom he had divorced—and took witnesses to his reconciliation with her. He then went to Ibn Abbas and asked him about the witr prayer of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). Ibn Abbas said, ‘Shall I direct you to the person on earth who knows most about the Messenger of Allah's witr?’ Sa'd asked who, and Ibn Abbas replied, ‘Aisha. Go and ask her, then come back and tell me her answer.’ Sa'd went to Hakim ibn Aflah and asked him to accompany him. Hakim said, ‘I will not go near her. I had advised her not to say anything about those two factions, but she insisted on joining them.’ Sa'd swore that he should come, so Hakim accompanied him. They sought Aisha's permission and entered. She recognized Hakim and asked who was with him. He said it was Sa'd ibn Hisham ibn Amir. She prayed for mercy for his father and spoke well of him. Qatadah noted that Hisham had been killed at Uhud. Sa'd said, ‘Mother of the Believers, tell me about the character of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).’ She asked, ‘Do you not read the Quran?’ He said, ‘Yes.’ She said, ‘The character of the Prophet of Allah (ﷺ) was the Quran.’ Sa'd intended to leave without asking anyone anything else, but then changed his mind and asked about the Prophet's night prayer. Aisha asked, ‘Do you not read “O you who wraps himself [in a cloak]”?’ He said, ‘Yes.’ She said, ‘At the beginning of this surah, Allah prescribed night prayer. The Prophet of Allah (ﷺ) and his Companions prayed it for a year. Allah held back the closing verses of the surah in heaven for twelve months, then revealed its conclusion, easing the obligation. After it had been obligatory, night prayer became voluntary.’ Sa'd then asked about the Messenger of Allah's witr. Aisha said: We would prepare his tooth-stick and water for ablution. Allah would wake him at whatever time of the night He wished. He would use the tooth-stick, perform ablution, and pray nine rak'ahs, sitting only at the eighth. There he would remember and praise Allah and supplicate Him, then stand without giving the salutation and pray the ninth rak'ah. He would then sit, remember and praise Allah and supplicate Him, and give the salutation aloud enough for us to hear. After giving the salutation, he would pray two rak'ahs sitting; that made eleven. “My son, when the Prophet of Allah (ﷺ) grew older and heavier, he performed witr with seven rak'ahs, and did with the two rak'ahs what he had done before; that made nine. My son, when the Prophet of Allah (ﷺ) performed a prayer, he loved to keep it up consistently. If sleep or illness prevented him from praying at night, he would pray twelve rak'ahs during the day. I do not know of the Prophet of Allah (ﷺ) reciting the whole Quran in one night, praying through a night until morning, or fasting a whole month other than Ramadan.” Sa'd went back to Ibn Abbas and told him her report. Ibn Abbas said, “She has spoken the truth. Had I been able to visit her, I would have gone so she could tell it to me directly.” Sa'd said, “Had I known you would not visit her, I would not have related her report to you.”

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Zurara ibn Awfa reported that Sa'd ibn Hisham divorced his wife, then set out for Medina to sell his property. He related the hadith in similar terms.

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Sa'd ibn Hisham said: I went to 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas and asked him about the witr prayer. He related the hadith with its story. In it, 'A'ishah asked, ‘Who is Hisham?’ I said, ‘Ibn 'Amir.’ She said, ‘'Amir was an excellent man; he was martyred at Uhud.’

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Zurara ibn Awfa reported that Sa'd ibn Hisham was his neighbor and told him that he had divorced his wife. He related the hadith in the sense of Sa'd's report. In it, 'A'ishah asked, ‘Who is Hisham?’ He said, ‘Ibn 'Amir.’ She said, ‘What an excellent man he was; he was martyred alongside the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) at Uhud.’ Hakim ibn Aflah said, ‘Had I known that you would not go in to see her, I would not have told you her hadith.’

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

'A'ishah reported that when the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) missed his night prayer due to illness or another reason, he would pray twelve rak'ahs during the day.

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

'A'ishah reported that when the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) undertook a deed, he kept it up. If he slept through the night or fell ill, he would pray twelve rak'ahs during the day. She said, “I never saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) pray through an entire night until morning, nor did he fast an entire month consecutively, except Ramadan.”

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

'Umar ibn al-Khattab reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “If anyone sleeps through his customary portion [of Qur'an], or some of it, and 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.”

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Zayd ibn Arqam saw people praying the forenoon prayer and said, “They know that prayer at another time is better.” The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “The prayer of the oft-returning penitents is when the young camels feel the heat of the sun.”

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Zayd ibn Arqam reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) went out to the people of Quba while they were praying, and said, “The prayer of the oft-returning penitents is when the young camels feel the heat of the sun.”

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Ibn 'Umar reported that a man asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) about the night prayer. He replied, “The night prayer is in pairs. When one of you fears that dawn is near, let him pray one rak'ah to make what he has prayed an odd number.”

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Ibn 'Umar reported that a man asked the Prophet (ﷺ) about the night prayer. He replied, “It is in pairs; when you fear dawn, pray one rak'ah as witr.”

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

'Abdullah ibn 'Umar reported that a man stood and asked, “Messenger of Allah, how should the night prayer be performed?” The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “The night prayer is in pairs; when you fear dawn, pray one rak'ah as witr.”

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

'Abdullah ibn 'Umar reported that a man asked the Prophet (ﷺ) about the night prayer while I stood between him and the questioner. The Prophet (ﷺ) replied, “It is in pairs; when you fear dawn, pray one rak'ah and make the end of your prayer witr.” A year later, another man asked him while I was in the same place beside the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). I do not know whether it was the same man or someone else, but he gave him the same answer.