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

It was narrated from Nafi' that Abdullah bin Umar said:

"Pray in your houses and do not make them like graves."

It was narrated from Zaid bin Thabit that :

The Prophet (ﷺ) used some palm fiber mats to section off a small area in the masjid. And the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prayed in it for several nights until the people gathered around him. Then, one night they did not hear his voice, and they thought that he was sleeping, so they cleared their throats …

It was narrated from Sa'd bin Ishaq bin Ka'b bin Ujrah, from his father, that:

His grandfather said: "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prayed Maghrib in the masjid of Banu 'Abdul-Ashhal, and when he finished praying some people stood up and offered Nafl prayers. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'You should offer this prayer in your houses.'"

It was narrated from Sa'd bin Hisham that:

He met Ibn 'Abbas and asked him about Witr. He said: "Shall I not lead you to one who knows best among the people of the world about the witr of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)?" He said: "Yes." (Ibn Abbas) said: "It is 'Aishah. So go to her and ask her (about witr) and then come back to me and tell me t…

It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Whoever prays Qiyam during Ramadan out of faith and in the hope of reward, he will be forgiven his previous sins."

It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Whoever prays Qiyam during Ramadan out of faith and in the hope of reward, he will be forgiven his previous sins."

It was narrated from 'Aishah that:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prayed in the masjid one night, and some people followed his prayer. Then he prayed the following night and more people came. Then they gathered on the third or fourth night and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) did not come out to them. When morning came he said: "I saw what you…

It was narrated that Abu Dharr said:

"We fasted with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) in Ramadan and he did not lead us in praying Qiyam until there were seven days left in the month, when he led us in praying Qiyam until one-third of the night had passed. Then he did not lead us in praying Qiyam when there were six days left. Then he led us…

Nu'aim bin Ziyad Abu Talhah said:

"I heard An-Nu'man bin Bashir on the minbar in Hims saying: "We prayed Qiyam with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) during Ramadan on the night of the twenty-third until one-third of the night had passed, then we prayed Qiyam with him on the night of the twenty-fifth until one-half of the night had passed,…

It was narrated that Abu Hurairah said:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'When any one of you goes to sleep, the Shaitan ties three knots on his head, saying each time: "(Sleep) a long night." If he wakes up and remembers Allah (SWT), one knot is undone. If he performs wudu', another knot is undone. If he prays, all the knots are undone a…

It was narrated that Abdullah said:

"Mention was made in the presence of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) about a man who slept all night until morning. He said: 'That is a man in whose ear the Shaitan has urinated.'"

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.'"

It was narrated from 'Ali bin Abi Talib that:

The Prophet (ﷺ) came to him and Fatimah at night and said: "Won't you pray?" I said: "O Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), our souls are in the hand of Allah and if He wants to make us get up, He will make us get up." The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) went away when I said that to him. Then as he was leaving I heard …

It was narrated from Ali bin Husain, from his father, that:

Hs grandfather Ali bin Abi Talib said: "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came in to Fatimah and I, one night and woke us up to pray, then he went back to his house and prayed for part of the night, and he did not hear any movement from us. He came back to us and woke us up, and said: 'Get up and pray.' I …

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.'"

It was narrated from Abu Bishr Ja'far bin Abi Wahshiyyah that:

He heard Humaid bin 'Abdur-Rahman say: "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'The best prayer after the obligatory (fard) prayers is prayer at night and the best fasting after the month of Ramadan is Al-Muharram.'" Shu'bah bin Al-Hajjaj narrated it in Mursal form.

It was narrated from Zaid bin Zabyan who attributed it to Abu Dharr that:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "There are three whom Allah (SWT) loves: A man who comes to some people and asks (to be given something) for the sake of Allah and not for the sake of their relationship, but they do not give him, so a man stayed behind and gave it to him in secret, and no one knew of his givin…

It was narrated that Masruq said:

"I said to 'Aishah: 'Which deed was most beloved to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)?' She said: 'That which was done persistently.' I said: 'At what part of the night did he pray Qiyam?' She said: 'When he heard the rooster.'"

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 f…

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."

It was narrated that Ibn 'Abbas said:

"When the Prophet (ﷺ) got up at night to pray Tahajjud, he said: Allahumma, lakal-hamdu anta nurus-samawati wal-ardi wa man fihinna wa lakal-hamdu anta qayyamus-samawati wal ardi wa man fihinna wa lakal-hamdu, anta haqqun wa wa'duka haqqun wal jannatu haqqun wan-nuru haqqun wan-nabiyyuna haqqun wa M…

It was narrated from Kuraib that 'Abdullah bin 'Abbas told him:

He slept at the house of Maimunah the wife of the Prophet (ﷺ), who was his maternal aunt. He said: "I laid down across the mattress an the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and his wife lay along it. The Prophet (ﷺ) slept until midnight, or a little before or a little after. The Prophet (ﷺ) woke up and began t…

It was narrated from Hudhaifah that:

When the Prophet (ﷺ) got up to pray at night, he would brush his teeth with the siwak.

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.

It was narrated that Hudhaifah said:

"We were commanded to use the siwak when we got up to pray at night."

It was narrated that Shaqiq said:

"We were commanded, when we got up to pray at night, to clean our mouths with the siwak."

Abu Salamah bin 'Abdur-Rahman said:

"I asked 'Aishah: 'With what did the Prophet (ﷺ) start his prayer?' She said: 'When he got up to pray at night he would start his prayer with the words: Allahumma Rabba Jibril wa Maika'il wa Israfil; Fatirus-samawati wal-ard, 'alim al-ghaybi wash-shahadah, anta tahkumu bayna 'ibadika fima kanu fihi …

It was narrated that Ibn Shihaab said:

"Humaid bin Abdur-Rahman bin 'Awf told me that a man from among the companions of the Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'I said, when I was on a journey with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ): By Allah (SWT), I am going to watch the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and see what he does. When he prayed 'Isha, he lay do…

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."

Ya'la bin Mamlak said that he asked Umm Salamah about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and she said:

"He used to pray 'Isha, then he would recite tasbih, then after that he would pray whatever Allah (SWT) willed (he should pray) of night prayer. Then he would go and sleep for as long as he had prayed. Then he would get up from sleep and pray for as long as he had slept, and this last prayer of his …

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…

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.'"

It was narrated from Anas bin Malik that:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "On the night on which I was taken on the Night Journey (Al-Isra') I came to Musa, peace be upon him, at the red dune, and he was standing, praying in his grave."

It was narrated from Anas that :

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "I came to Musa at the red dune and he was standing and praying."

It was narrated from Anas that:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "I passed by the grave of Musa, peace be upon him, and he was praying in his grave."

It was narrated that Anas bin Malik said:

"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'On the night on which I was taken on the Night Journey, I passed by Musa, peace be upon him, and he was praying in his grave.'"

It was narrated from Anas that:

On the night on which he was taken on the Night Journey, the Prophet (ﷺ) passed by Musa, peace be upon him, and he was praying in his grave.

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.'"

It was narrated from Anas, from on of the companions of the Prophet (ﷺ), that:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'On the night on which I was taken on the Night Journey, I passed by Musa and he was praying in his grave.'

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 whi…

It was narrated that Masruq said:

"Aishah may Allah (SWT) be pleased with her, said: ' When the last ten nights of Ramadan began, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) stayed up at night (for prayer) and he woke his family up and tightened his waist-wrap.'"

It was narrated that Abu Ishaq said:

"I came to Al-Aswad bin Yazid, who was a close friend of mine and said: 'O Abu 'Amr, tell me what the Mother of the Believers told you about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).' He said: 'She said: "He used to sleep for the first part of the night and stay up for the latter part.'"

It was narrated that 'Aishah, may Allah (SWT) be pleased with her, said:

"I do not know that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) recited the whole Qur'an in one night, or spent a whole night in worship until dawn, or that he ever fasted an entire month apart from Ramadan."

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."

It was narrated from Anas bin Malik that:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) entered the masjid and saw a rope tied between two pillars. He said: "What is this?" They said: "It is for Zainab when she prays; if she gets tired she holds on to it." The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "Untie it. Let any one of you pray as long as he has energy, and if he gets tired let him sit down."

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?'"

It was narrated that Abu Hurairah said:

"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to pray until he developed fissures in his feet."

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."

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."