The Book of Qiyam Al-Lail (The Night Prayer) and Voluntary Prayers During the Day

كتاب قيام الليل وتطوع النهار

Chapter 15: Mentioning the prayer of Prophet Musa and the different reports from Sulaiman At-Taimi about it

Mu'tamir said

"I heard my father say: I heard Anas say: 'One of the companions of the Prophet (ﷺ) told me that on the Night Journey, the Prophet (ﷺ) passed by Musa, peace be upon him, and he was praying in his grave.'"

Chapter 16: Staying up at night (in prayer)

It was narrated from 'Abdullah bin Khabbab bin Al-Aratt, from his father who had been present at Badr with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), that

He watched the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) one night when he prayed all night until Fajr time. When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said the taslim at the end of his prayer, Khabbab said to him: 'May my father and mother be ransomed for you O Messenger of Allah, last night you offered a prayer the like of which I have never seen you offer." The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Yes indeed. This is a prayer of hope and fear in which I asked my Lord, the Mighty and Sublime, for three things, of which He gave me two and did not grant me one. I asked my Lord not to destroy us with which he destroyed the nations before us, and He granted me that. And I asked my Lord not to let an enemy from without prevail over us, and He granted me that. And I asked my Lord not to divide us into warring factions and He did not grant me that."

Chapter 18: What is done when one begins the prayer standing and mentioning the differences with those who reported from 'Aisha concerning it

It was narrated that 'Aishah said

"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to pray for a long time at night. If he started to pray standing, he would bow standing and if he started to pray sitting, he would bow sitting."

Chapter 5: Encouragement to pray Qiyam Al-Lail

It was narrated that Abdullah said

"A man said: 'O Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). So-and-so slept and missed the prayer yesterday until morning came.' He said: 'The Shaitan has urinated in that one's ears.'"

It was narrated that Abu Hurairah said

"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'May Allah (SWT) have mercy on a man who gets up at night and prays, then he wakes his wife and she prays, and if she refuses he sprinkles water in her face. And may Allah (SWT) have mercy on a woman who gets up at night and prays, then she wakes her husband and prays, and if he refuses she sprinkles water in his face.'"

Chapter 9: With what Qiyam should begin

It was narrated that 'Asim bin Humaid said

"I asked 'Aishah with what did he- meaning the Prophet (ﷺ)- start Qiyam Al-Lail? She said: 'You have asked me something which no one before you has asked. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to say the takbir ten times, the tahmid ten times, the tasbih ten times, and the tahlil ten times, and pray for forgiveness ten times, and say: Allahummaghfirli, wahdini, warzuqni wa 'afini. A'udhu billahi min diqil-maqami yawmal-qiyamah (O Allah, forgive me, guide me, grant me provision and good health. I seek refuge with Allah from the difficulty of standing on the Day of Resurrection.)"

It was narrated that Rabi'ah bin Ka'b Al-Aslami said

"I used to stay overnight at the Prophet's (ﷺ) apartment and I used to hear him when he prayed Qiyam at night saying: 'Subhan Allahi Rabil-Alamin (Glory be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds)' for a long time, then he said: 'Subhan Allah wa bi hamdih (Glory and praise be to Allah) for a long time."

Chapter 10: Using siwak when getting up to pray at night

It was narrated that Hudhaifah said

"When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) got up to pray tahajjud at night, he would brush his teeth with the siwak.

Chapter 13: Mentioning the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (SAW) at night

It was narrated that Anas said

"Every time we wanted to see the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) praying at night we saw him, and every time we wanted to see him sleeping, we saw him."

It was narrated from Ya'la bin Mamlak that he asked Umm Salamah, the wife of the Prophet (ﷺ) about the recitation and prayer of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). She said

"What do you want to know about his prayer (I.e., you can never match it)? He used to pray, then sleep for as long as he had prayed, then he would pray as long as he had slept, then he would sleep as long as he had prayed, until dawn came." Then she described to him his recitation, and she described a clear recitation in which every letter was distinct.

Chapter 17: The differing narrations from 'Aishah regarding staying up at night (in prayer)

It was narrated from Aishah that

The Prophet (ﷺ) came in to her and there was a woman with her. He said: "Who is this?" She said: "So-and-so, and she does not sleep." And she told him about how she prayed a great deal. He said: "Stop praising her. You should do what you can, for by Allah (SWT), Allah never gets tired (of giving reward) until you get tired. And the most beloved of religious actions to Him is that in which a person persists."

Chapter 18: What is done when one begins the prayer standing and mentioning the differences with those who reported from 'Aisha concerning it

It was narrated that Aishah said

"I never saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) pray sitting down until he grew old. Then he would pray sitting down and when there were thirty or forty verses left, he would stand up and recite them, then bow."

Chapter 19: Sitting while performing voluntary prayers, and mentioning the differences reported from Abu Ishaq regarding that

It was narrated that Abdullah bin Shaqiq said

"I said to Aishah: 'Did the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) pray sitting down?' She said: 'Yes, after the people had worn him out.'"

Chapter 6: The virtue of Night Prayer

It was narrated from Humaid bin 'Abdur-Rahman- that is Ibn 'Awf, that Abu Hurairah said

"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'The best fasting after the month of Ramadan is the month of Allah, Al-Muharram, and the best prayer is prayer at night.'"

Chapter 14: Mentioning the prayer of Prophet Dawud, peace be upon him, at night

It was narrated from 'Amr bin Aws that he heard Abdullah bin Amr bin Al-'As say

"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'The most beloved of fasting to Allah is the fasting of Dawud, peace be upon him. He used to fast one day and not the next. And the most beloved of prayer to Allah (SWT) is the prayer of Dawud. He used to sleep half the night, spend one-third of the night in prayer and sleep for one-sixth of it.'"

Chapter 17: The differing narrations from 'Aishah regarding staying up at night (in prayer)

It was narrated that Ziyad bin Ilaqah said

"I heard Al-Mughirah bin Shu'bah say: 'The Prophet (ﷺ) stood (in prayer at night) until his feet swelled up, and it was said to him: Allah has forgiven your past and future sins. He said: "Should I not be a thankful slave?'"

Chapter 18: What is done when one begins the prayer standing and mentioning the differences with those who reported from 'Aisha concerning it

It was narrated hat Aishah said

"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to pray standing and sitting. If he started to pray standing, he would bow standing and if he started to pray sitting, he would bow sitting."

It was narrated from Aishah that

The Prophet (ﷺ) used to pray when he was sitting. He would recite while sitting, then when there were thirty or forty verses left, he would stand up and recite while standing, then he bowed and prostrated, then he would do likewise in the second rak'ah.

It was narrated that Aishah said

"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to recite sitting, and when he wanted to bow he would stand up for as long as it takes a person to recite forty verses."

It was narrated that Sa'd bin Hisham bin 'Amir said

" I came to Al-Madinah and entered upon Aishah, may Allah (SWT) be pleased with her. She said: 'Who are you?' I said: 'I am Sa'd bin Hisham bin 'Amir.' She said: 'May Allah have mercy on your father.' I said: 'Tell me about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).' She said: 'The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) did such and such.' I said: 'Yes indeed.' She said: 'The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to pray Isha' at night, then he would go to his bed and sleep. In the middle of the night, he would get up to relieve himself and go to his water for purification and perform wudu. Then he went into the Masjid and prayed eight rak'ahs. I think he made the recitation, bowing and prostration equal in length. Then he prayed one rak'ah of witr, then he prayed two rak'ahs sitting down. Then he lay down on his side. Sometimes Bilal would come and tell him that it was time to pray before he napped, and sometimes he napped. And sometimes I was not sure if he had napped or not before he told him that it was time to pray. This is how the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to pray until he grew older and gained weight"- and she mentioned whatever Allah (SWT) willed about his gaining weight. She said: "And the Prophet (ﷺ) used to lead the people in praying witr, then he would go to his bed. In the middle of the night, he would get up and go to water for purification, and to relieve himself, then he would perform wudu. Then he would go into the masjid and pray six rak'ahs, and I think he made the recitation, bowing, and prostration equal in length. Then he prayed one rak'ah of witr, then he prayed two rak'ahs sitting down. Then he lay down on his side. Sometimes Bilal would come and tell him that it was time to pray before he napped, and sometimes he napped. And sometimes I was not sure if he had napped or not before he told him that it was time to pray." She said: "And this is how the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) continued to pray."