‘Abdallah b. Shaqiq said he asked ‘A'isha about the Messenger of God’s voluntary prayers and she replied, “Before the noon prayer he would pray four rak'as in my house, then go out and lead the people in prayer, then come in and pray two rak'as. He would lead the people in the sunset prayer, then come in and pray two rak'as. Then he would lead the people in the evening prayer, and enter my house and pray two rak'as. He would pray nine rak'as during the night, including the witr.* At night he would pray for a long time standing and for a long time sitting, and when he recited the Qur’an while standing he would bow and prostrate himself from the standing position, and when he recited while sitting he would bow and prostrate himself from the sitting position; and when dawn came he prayed two rak'as." *See Chap. 34 Muslim transmitted it, and Abu Dawud added, “Then he would go out and lead the people in the dawn prayer.”

Ibn 'Umar told that 'Umar stood up to make a speech and said, “God’s Messenger employed the Jews of Khaibar to work their property and told them he would confirm them in it as long as God did; and I have now seen good to deport them.” When ‘Umar decided on that one of the B. Abul Huqaiq came to him and said, “Commander of the Faithful, are you expelling us when Muhammad has confirmed us in our property and employed us to work it?” 'Umar replied, “Do you think I have forgotten what God’s Messenger said when he asked how you would feel when you were expelled from Khaibar, your camel running along with you night after night?” He said, “This was a little joke on the part of Abul Qasim,” to which ‘Umar retorted, “You lie, enemy of God.” He then deported them, giving them the value of the fruits they possessed in money, camels and goods such as saddles, ropes, etc. Bukhari transmitted it.

the Prophet used to encourage praying Qiyam Al-Lail in Ramadan, but not forcibly. And he said: "When Ramadan begins, the gates of Paradise are opened and the gates of Hell are close, and the devils are chained up." Ibn Al-Mubarak narrated it in Mursal from:

The Prophet (saws) was engaged in the Battle of Tabuk. If he moved off before the sun had declined, he would delay the noon prayer till he would combine it with the afternoon prayer and would offer them together. If he moved off after the sun had declined, he would combine the noon and afternoon prayers, and then he proceeded; if he moved off before the evening prayer, he would delay the evening prayer; he would offer it along with the night prayer, he would delay the evening prayer; he would offer it along with the night prayer. If he moved off after the evening prayer, he would offer the night prayer earlier and offer it along with the evening prayer.

Abu Dawud said: This tradition has not been narrated by anyone except by Qutaibah.

"When the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) came to Al-Madinah, he alighted in the upper part of Al-Madinah among the tribe called Banu 'Amr bin 'Awf and he stayed with them for fourteen nights. Then he sent for the chiefs of Banu An-Najjar, and they came with their swords by their sides. It is as if I can see the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) on his she-camel with Abu Bakr riding behind him (on the same camel) and the chiefs of Banu An-Najjar around him, until he dismounted in the courtyard of Abu Ayyub. The Prophet (PBUH) used to offer the prayer wherever he was when the time for prayer came, and he would pray even in sheepfolds. Then he ordered that the Masjid be built. He sent for the chiefs of Banu An-Najjar, and when they came, he said: 'O Banu An-Najjar, name me a price for this grove of yours.' They said: 'By Allah, we will not ask for its price except from Allah.'" Anas said: "In (that grove) there were graves of idolators, ruins and date-palm trees. The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) ordered that the graves of the idolators be dug up, the ruins be leveled and the date-palm trees be cut down. The trunks of the trees were arranged so as to form the walls facing the Qiblah. The stone pillars were built at the sides of its gate. They started to move the stones, reciting some lines of verse, and the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) was with them when they were saying: 'O Allah! There is no good except the good of the Hereafter. So bestow victory on the Ansar and the Muhajirin.'"

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'zZinad from al-Araj from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "When you wake up from sleep to pray, wash your hands before you put them in the wudu water, for you do not know where your hands have spent the night."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abdullah ibn Dinar that Abdullah ibn Umar used to say, "The maghrib prayer is the witr of the daytime prayers."

Malik said, "If someone prays witr at the beginning of the night, and goes to sleep, and then wakes up and it seems good to him to pray, let him pray, two rakas at a time. That is what I like most of what I have heard."

That a man from the Ansar had a guest spend the night with him, but he did not have anything to eat but his meal and the meal for his children, so he said to his wife: ‘Put the children to sleep, extinguish the torches, and give me whatever you have with you for the guest.’ So this Ayah was revealed: And they give preference over themselves even though they were in need of that.”

The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) took hold of my hand and said, "Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, created the earth on Saturday, the mountains on Sunday, the trees on Monday, the things entailing labour on Tuesday, light on Wednesday, He spread out animals of all kinds on Thursday, and created Adam in the afternoon on Friday, and it was the last hour of Friday between the afternoon and the night."

[Muslim].

I was present when the daughter of God’s messenger was being buried. He was sitting beside the grave and I saw his eyes shedding tears. He then asked, “Is there any of you who did not have sexual intercourse last night?” Abu Talha replied that he had not, so he told him to go down into her grave, and he did so. Bukhari transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Abbas told that ‘Umar b. al-Khattab said he had heard God’s messenger say when he was in the wadi of al-‘Aqiq, "A visitant from my Lord came to me last night, telling me to pray in this blessed wadi and [consider its Reward equivalent to that for] an ’umra incorporated in a hajja.” A version has, "and [consider its reward equivalent to that for] an ’umra and a hajja” Bukhari transmitted it.

When I was spending a night in the house of my maternal aunt Maimuna God’s Messenger stood up and prayed. I stood at his left side, and he, taking my hand behind his back, directed me thus* behind his back to his right side. *'Abdallah would use a gesture to indicate how it was done. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

‘A’isha said that he, meaning God’s Messenger, would sleep in the early part of the night and keep awake in the latter part. If he then wished intercourse with his wife he satisfied his desire, and then went to sleep. If he was sexually defiled when the first call to prayer was made, he would get up and pour water on it, but if not, he performed the ablution for the prayer and then prayed two rak'as. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

When the Prophet came to Medina and I went and examined his face, I recognised that it was not the face of a liar. The first thing he said was, “If you people greet all whom you meet, provide food, care for the wellbeing of your kindred, and pray at night when people are asleep, you will enter paradise in peace.’’ Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah and Darimi transmitted it.

While God's messenger's head was on my lap on a moonlight night I asked, "Messenger of God, has anyone done as many good deeds as there are stars in the sky?" He replied, "Yes„ `Umar has." I asked how Abu Bakr's good deeds compared and he replied, "All `Umar's good deeds are like one of Abu Bakr's good deeds." Razin transmitted it.

Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: "If I had gold equal to Mount Uhud (in weight), it would not please me to pass three nights and I have a thing of it left with me, except what I retain for repayment of a debt".

[Al- Bukhari and Muslim].

108 Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, visited Umm Salama while she was in mourning for Abu Salama and she had put aloes on her eyes. He said, "What is this, Umm Salama?" She said, "It is only aloes, Messenger of Allah." He said, "Put it on at night and wipe it off in the daytime."

Malik said, "The mourning of a young girl who has not yet had a menstrual period takes the same form as the mourning of one who has had a period. She avoids what a mature woman avoids if her husband dies."

Malik said, "A slave-girl mourns her husband when he dies for two months and five nights like her idda.''

Malik said, "An umm walad does not have to mourn when her master dies, and a slave-girl does not have to mourn when her master dies. Mourning is for those with husbands."

I spent a night with my maternal aunt Maimuna when the Prophet was with her. After talking to his family for a time he had a sleep, then when the last third of the night came, or a little later, he sat up, looked at the sky, and recited, “In the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of night and day there are indeed signs for people of understanding,"(Al-Qur’an; 3:190) to the end of the sura. Then getting up and going to the bucket, he loosened its cord and poured some water into a bowl, then performed a good ablution between the two extremes, not going to great length, and when he had done it fully he stood up and prayed. I got up, and when I had performed ablution I stood at his left side, whereupon he took me by the ear and made me go round to his right side. His prayer was altogether thirteen rak'as. Then he lay down and slept, and he snored as was his custom. When Bilal made the call to prayer for him he prayed without performing ablution, and his supplication included these words, “O God, place light in my heart, light in my eyesight, light in my hearing, light on my right hand, light on my left hand, light above me, light below me, light in front of me, light behind me, and grant me light." Some added, “and light in my tongue," and mentioned, “my joints, my flesh, my blood, my hair, my skin." (Bukhari and Muslim.) In a version by both of them he said, “Place light in my soul, and give me abundant light." In another by Muslim he said, “O God, give me light."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abdullah ibn Dinar that Abdullah ibn Umar related that Umar ibn al-Khattab mentioned to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, that he would sometimes become junub in the night. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to him, "Do wudu and wash your penis, and then sleep."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Muhammad ibn al-Munkadir from Said ibn al-Jubayr that a man who has approval (as a relater of hadith), told him that A'isha, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "If a man prays in the night and sleep overcomes him during it, Allah writes for him the reward of his prayer, and his sleep is sadaqa for him."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Haram ibn Sad ibn Muhayyisa that a female camel of al-Bara ibn Azib entered the garden of a man and it did some damage to it. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, gave a judgement that the people of the garden were responsible for guarding it in the day, and the owner of the animals was liable for what the animals destroyed at night.

"I heard the Messenger of Allah (saws) saying, 'There are two eyes that shall not be touched by the Fire: An eye that wept from the fear of Allah, and an eye that spent the night standing on guard in the cause of Allah."

[Abu 'Eisa said:] There are narrations on this topic from 'Uthman and Abu Raihanah.

The Hadith of Ibn 'Abbas is a Hasan Gharib Hadith, we do not know of it except through the narration of Shu'aib bin Ruzaiq.

from his father who said: "We were with the Messenger of Allah (SAW) on a journey on a very dark night and we did not know where the Qiblah was. So each man among us prayed in his own direction. In the morning when we mentioned that to the Messenger of Allah (SAW), then the following was revealed: "So wherever you turn, there is the Face of Allah. (2:115)"

The Prophet (PBUH) used to offer eleven Rak'ah of optional Salat (prayers) in the latter part of night. When it was about dawn, he would offer two short Rak'ah and then would lie down on his right side till the Mu'adhdhin (one who calls for prayer) would come to inform him that the congregation had gathered (for prayer).

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "The Salat which is dearest to Allah is that of (Prophet) Dawud; and As-Saum (the fasting) which is dearest to Allah is that of (Prophet) Dawud. He used to sleep half the night, get up to perform Salat for one-third of it, then sleep through the remaining one-sixth of it; and he used to observe Saum on alternative days."

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “Ramadan, a blessed month, has come to you during which God has made it obligatory for you to fast. In it the gates of heaven are opened, the gates of al-Jahim are locked, and the rebellious devils are chained. In it God has a night which is better than a thousand months. He who is deprived of its good has indeed suffered deprivation." Ahmad and Nasa’i transmitted it.

‘Abīda al-Mulaikī who was a Companion reported God’s messenger as saying, "Do not make the Qur’ān a pillow,* but recite it as it deserves to be recited during the night and the day. Recite it aloud, chant it and consider its contents, perhaps you may prosper; but do not seek to get reward for it in this world, for it provides rewards.”(i.e., in the next world) *A figure of speech warning against laziness or neglect. Baihaqi trans­mitted it in Shu'ab' al-īmān.

Ibn ‘Abbas reported God’s messenger as saying that if anyone repeats in the morning, "So glory be to God in the evening and in the morning; to Him is the praise in the heavens and the earth; and in the late evening and at noon .. . thus shall you be brought forth," [Qur'an, xxx, 17-19.] he will get that day what he has missed; and if anyone repeats these words in the evening he will get that night what he has missed. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

‘Abdallah b. Ghannam reported God’s messenger as saying, that if anyone says in the morning, "O God, whatever favour has come to me or to any of Thy creatures in the morning, it comes from Thee alone who hast no partner, to whom be praise and thanksgiving," he will have expressed full thanksgiving for the day; and if anyone says the same in the evening he will have expressed full thanksgiving for the night. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

‘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.

Nafi' said, “I was with Ibn ‘Umar in Mecca when the sky was cloudy and he was afraid the morning might have come, so he observed a witr with one rak'a. The sky then cleared and he saw that it was still night, so he made it a pair by praying one rak'a; then he prayed series of two rak'as, and when he was afraid morning was near he observed a witr with one.” Malik transmitted it.

Yahya related to me that Malik said, "Someone who comes to Makka at or before the new moon of Dhu'l-Hij ja and goes into ihram for the hajj should do the full prayer until he leaves Makka for Mina, and then he should shorten the prayer. This is because he has decided to stay there for more than four nights."

"The breadth of the gate through which my Ummah shall enter Paradise is the distance that a good rider covers in three. (meaning three nights or three years and, and that [the latter] is more obvious) Despite that, they shall be constrained by it until their shoulders are almost crushed completely."

The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) used to strive more in worship during Ramadan than he strove in any other time of the year; and he would devote himself more (in the worship of Allah) in the last ten nights of Ramadan than he strove in earlier part of the month.

[Muslim].

The Prophet stayed three nights between Khaibar and Medina when he took up cohabitation with Safiya, and I called the Muslims to his wedding-feast which included no bread or meat. He just ordered some cloths to be spread, and dates, dried curd and clarified butter were thrown on them. Bukhari transmitted it.

When the Prophet (saws) proceeded for the Battle of Badr, I said to him: Messenger of Allah allow me to accompany you in the battle. I shall act as a nurse for patients. It is possible that Allah might bestow martyrdom upon me. He said: Stay at your home. Allah, the Almighty , will bestow martyrdom upon you.

The narrator said: Hence she was called martyr. She read the Qur'an. She sought permission from the Prophet (saws) to have a mu'adhdhin in her house. He, therefore, permitted her (to do so).

She announced that her slave and slave-girl would be free after her death. One night they went to her and strangled her with a sheet of cloth until she died, and they ran away.

Next day Umar announced among the people, "Anyone who has knowledge about them, or has seen them, should bring them (to him)."

Umar (after their arrest) ordered (to crucify them) and they were crucified. This was the first crucifixion at Medina.

Hudhayfah saw the Messenger of Allah (saws) praying at night. He said: Allah is most great" three times, "Possessor of kingdom, grandeur, greatness and majesty."

He then began (his prayer) and recited Surah al-Baqarah; then he bowed and he paused in bowing as long as he stood up; he said while bowing, "Glory be to my mighty Lord," "Glory be to my mighty Lord" ; then he raised his head, after bowing: then he stood up and he paused as long as he paused in bowing and said, "Praise be to my Lord" ; then he prostrated and paused in prostration as long as he paused in the standing position; he said while prostrating: "Glory be to my most high Lord"; then he raised his head after prostration, and sat as long as he prostrated, and said while sitting: "O my Lord forgive me."

He offered four rak'ahs of prayer and recited in them Surah al-Baqarah, Aal Imran, an-Nisa, al-Ma'idah, or al-An'am. The narrator Shu'bah doubted.

AbuMisbah al-Muqra'i said: We used to sit in the company of AbuZuhayr an-Numayri. He was a companion of the Prophet (saws), and he used to narrate good traditions. Once a man from among us made a supplication. He said: End it with the utterance of Amin, for Amin is like a seal on the book.

AbuZuhayr said: I shall tell you about that. We went out with the Messenger of Allah (saws) one night and came upon a man who made supplication with persistence. The Prophet (saws) waited to hear him. The Prophet (saws) said: He will have done something which guarantees (Paradise for him) if he puts a seal to it. One of the people asked: What should he use as a seal? He replied: Amin, for if he ends it with Amin, he will do something which guarantees (Paradise for him).

Then the man who questioned the Prophet (saws) came to the man who was supplicating, and said to him: So-and-so, end it with Amin and receive the good news. These are the words of Mahmud.

Abu Dawud said: Al-Muqra'i is a clan of Himyar.

We came out for performing hajj along with the Messenger of Allah (saws). When we reached al-Araj, the Messenger of Allah (saws) alighted and we also alighted. Aisha sat beside the Messenger of Allah (saws) and I sat beside my father (AbuBakr). The equipment and personal effects of AbuBakr and of the Messenger of Allah (saws) were placed with AbuBakr's slave on a camel. AbuBakr was sitting and waiting for his arrival. He arrived but he had no camel with him. He asked:

Where is your camel? He replied: I lost it last night. AbuBakr said: There was only one camel, even that you have lost. He then began to beat him while the Messenger of Allah (saws) was smiling and saying: Look at this man who is in the sacred state (putting on ihram), what is he doing?

Ibn AbuRizmah said: The Messenger of Allah (saws) spoke nothing except the words: Look at this man who is in the sacred state (wearing ihram), what is he doing? He was smiling (when he uttered these words).

I came to my family at night (after a journey) with my hands chapped and they perfumed me with saffron. In the morning I went to the Prophet (saws) and gave him a greeting, but he did not respond to me nor did he welcome me.

He said: Go away and wash this off yourself. I then went away and washed it off me. I came to him but there remained a spot of it on me. I give him a greeting, but he did not respond to me nor did he welcome me.

He said: Go away and wash it off yourself. I then went away and washed it off me. I then came and gave him a greeting.

He responded to me and welcomed me, saying: The angels do not attend the funeral of an unbeliever bringing good to it, nor a man who smears himself with saffron, nor a man who is sexually defiled. He said: He permitted the man who was sexually defiled to perform ablution when he slept, ate or drank.

Ya'ish ibn Tikhfat al-Ghifari said: My father was one of the people in the Suffah.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: Come with us to the house of Aisha. So we went and he said: Give us food, Aisha. She brought hashishah and we ate. He then said: Give us food, Aisha. She then brought haysah as small in quantity as a pigeon and we ate. He then said: Give us something to drink, Aisha. So she brought a bowl of milk, and we drank. Again he said: Give us something to drink, Aisha. She then brought a small cup and we drank. He then said: If you wish, you may spend the night (here), or if you wish, you may go to the mosque.

He said: While I was lying on my stomach because of pain in the lung, a man began to shake me with his foot and then said: This is a method of lying which Allah hates. I looked and saw that he was the Messenger of Allah (saws).

A man from among the people of Najd with disheveled hair came to the Messenger of Allah (saws). The humming sound of his voice could be heard but what he was saying could not be understood. He came closer and it was then known that he was asking about Islam. The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: Five times of prayer each day and night: He asked: Must I observe any more than them? He replied: No, unless you do it voluntarily. He (Talhah) said that the Messenger of Allah (saws) mentioned fasting during the month of Ramadan. He asked: Must I observe anything else? He replied: No, unless you do it voluntarily. The Messenger of Allah (saws) mentioned Zakat to him. He asked: Must I pay anything else? He replied: No, unless you do it voluntarily. The man then turned away saying: I swear by Allah, I shall not add anything to this or fall short of it. The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: The man will be successful if he speaks truth.

Allah's Messenger said: "Indeed for (the time of) Salat (there is a) beginning and an end. The beginning of the time for the Zuhr prayer is when the sun passes the zenith, and the end of its time is when the time for Asr enters. The beginning of the time for the Asr [prayer] is when its time enters, and the end of its time is when the sun yellows (turns pale). The beginning of the time of Maghrib is when the sun as set, and the end of its time is when the twilight has vanished (i.e., the horizon is invisible because of darkness). The beginning of the time for Isha, the later one, is when the horizon has vanished, and the end of its time is when the night is at its half. The beginning of the time for Fajr is when Fajr begins, and its end is when the sun rises."

The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Whenever you intend to go to bed, perform Wudu' as is done for Salat (prayer); and then lie down on the right side and recite: 'Allahumma aslamtu nafsi ilaika, wa fawwadtu amri ilaika, wal-ja'tu zahri ilaika, raghbatan wa rahbatan ilaika, la malja'a wa la manja minka illa ilaika, amantu bikitabik-alladhi anzalta, wa binabiyyik-alladhi arsalta [O Allah! I have submitted myself to You. I have turned my face to You, entrusted my affairs to You and relied completely on You out of desire for and fear of You (expecting Your reward and fearing Your punishment). There is no resort and no deliverer from (hardships) except You. I affirm my faith in Your Book which You have revealed, and in Your Prophet whom You have sent].' If you die during the night, you will die in the true religion. Let these words be your last words at night."

[Al- Bukhari and Muslim].

Al-Bara’ b. ‘Azib said that when God’s messenger went to bed he lay on his right side and then said, “O God, I have handed over my soul to Thee, turned my face to Thee, entrusted my affairs to Thee, and committed my back to Thee out of desire for and fear of Thee. There is no refuge and no place of safety from Thee except by having recourse to Thee. I believe in Thy Book which Thou hast sent down and in Thy Prophet whom Thou hast sent.” God’s messenger said that if anyone repeated these words and died that night, he would die in the true religion. In a version he reported God’s messenger as telling a man to perform the ablution for prayer when he went to bed, lie down on his right side, and say, “O God, I have handed over my soul to Thee . . . Thou hast sent.” He added, “If you die during the night you will die in the true religion, and if you live till the morning you will obtain good.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

A man of the Ansar who was a companion of the Prophet told me that while they were sitting one night along with God’s messenger, a star was thrown and shone brightly. He asked them what they used to say in the pre-Islamic period when something of that nature was thrown, and they replied, “God and His messenger know best. We used to say that a great man had been born that night, or that a great man had died." Then God’s messenger said, “It is not thrown because of anyone’s death or life; but when our Lord whose name is blessed decrees a matter the bearers of the Throne extol Him, then the inhabitants of heaven who are next to them extol Him till the extolling reaches the inhabitants of this lowest heaven. Then those who are near the bearers of the Throne ask them what their Lord has said and they tell them what He said. Then the inhabitants of the heavens ask one another till it reaches this lowest heaven. The jinn then snatch a hearing and pass it on to their friends and have [flames] thrown at them. Now what they bring as it came is true, but they mix things with it and make additions." Muslim transmitted it.

Yahya related to me from Hisham ibn Urwa from his father that al- Miswar ibn Makhrama told him that he had visited Umar ibn al Khattab on the night he was stabbed and had woken him up for the subh prayer and Umar had said, ''Yes. Whoever stops doing the prayer will get nothing from Islam," and he did the prayer with blood pouring from his wound.

Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that al-Qasim ibn Muhammad and Urwa ibn az-Zubayr and Abu Bakr ibn Abd ar Rahman used to pray nawafil when travelling.

Yahya said that Malik was asked about voluntary prayers when travelling and he said, "There is no harm in them, either at night or during the day. I have heard that some of the people of knowledge used to do that."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ishaq ibn Abdullah ibn Abi Talha from Zufar ibn Sasaca from his father from Abu Hurayra that when the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, left the morning prayer, he would say, "Has any of you had a dream last night? All that will remain of prophecy after me will be the true dream ."

"There are three whom Allah, the Mighty and Glorious, loves: A man who stood at night reciting the Book of Allah; a man who spent in charity with his right hand, concealing it"- it seems to me he said "from his left hand"- "and a man who was in a small expedition while his companions were decimated, yet he faced enemy."

Another chain reports a similar narration.