Prayer

Jabir said he heard the Prophet (ﷺ) say, “There is an hour during the night at which no Muslim man will ask God for good in this world and the next without His giving it to him; and that applies to every night." Muslim transmitted it.

‘Abdallah b. ‘Amr reported God’s Messenger as saying, “The prayer dearest to God is David’s and the fasting dearest to God is David’s. He would sleep half the night, get up to pray for a third of it, then sleep the remaining sixth; and he would fast on alternate days." (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 <i>rak'as</i>. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Umama reported God’s Messenger as saying, “Make a practice of getting up at night, for it was the custom of the pious before you, is a means of bringing you near to your Lord, an atonement for evil deeds and a preventative of sin." Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reported God’s Messenger as saying, “There are three on whom God looks with pleasure:

a man when he gets up at night and prays, a company when they draw up in rows in prayer, and a company when they draw up in ranks to fight the enemy." [Baghawi] transmitted it in <i>Sharh as-sunna</i>.

‘Amr b. ‘Abasa reported God's Messenger as saying, “The nearest the Lord comes to a servant is in the course of the last part of the night, so if you are able to be among those who make mention of God at that hour, do so." Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying that this is a <i>hasan sahih</i> tradition whose <i>isnad</i> is <i>gharib</i>.

Abu Huraira' reported God’s Messenger as saying, “God show mercy to a man who gets up during the night and prays, who wakens his wife and she prays, but if she refuses sprinkles the water on her face! God show mercy to a woman who gets up during the night and prays, who wakens her husband and he prays, but if he refuses sprinkles the water on his face!” Abu Dawud and Nasa’i transmitted it.

Abu Umama said that God’s Messenger was asked which supplication was most readily listened to, and replied, “One made in the course of the latter part of the night, and after the prescribed prayers.” Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Abu Malik al-Ash‘ari reported God’s Messenger as saying, “In paradise there are rooms the outside of which can be seen from within and the inside from without which God has prepared for those who speak gently, provide food, observe frequent fasting, and pray during the night when people are asleep.” Baihaqi transmitted it in <i>Shu'ab al-iman</i> and Tirmidhi transmitted something similar from ‘Ali. In his version it says “for those who speak pleasantly.”

‘Abdallah b. ‘Amr b. al-‘As reported God’s Messenger as saying to him, “Don’t be like so and so, ‘Abdallah. He used to get up during the night, then abandoned the practice.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

‘Uthman b. Abul ‘As said he heard God’s Messenger say:

David had an hour during the night in which he would waken his family and say, “Family of David, get up and pray, for this is an hour in which God who is great and glorious answers petitions, except to a magician or a tax-gatherer.” Ahmad transmitted it.

Abu Huraira said he heard God’s Messenger say, “The most excellent prayer after that which is obligatory is one in the depth of the night.” Ahmad transmitted it.

He told of a man who came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said, “So and so prays at night, and when morning comes he steals.” He replied, “What you say will restrain him.” Ahmad and Baihaqi, in <i>Shu'ab al-iman</i>, transmitted it.

Abu Sa'id and Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, “When a man wakens his wife* during the night and they pray (or he prays) two <i>rak'as</i> together, they are recorded among the men and women who make mention of God.” * The Arabic word is <i>ahl</i> which means “people” or “family”, and sometimes "wife. As the dual is used about them praying together, it obviously means “wife” here; but in Ibn ‘Umar’s tradition below the plural is used, and so the word is there translated “family”. Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Abbas reported God’s Messenger as saying, “The nobles among my people are those, who know the Qur’an by heart and those who pray during the night.” Baihaqi transmitted it in <i>Shu'ab al-iman</i>.

Ibn ‘Umar said that his father ‘Umar b. al-Khattab used to pray during the night what God wished, then during the latter part of the night he woke his family for prayer saying to them, “Come to prayer.” Then he would recite this verse, “And command your family to observe the prayer, and be constant in it. We do not ask you for provision; We provide you, and the issue pertains to piety” (Al-Qur'an; 20:132). Malik transmitted it.

Anas said, “God's Messenger used to break his fast during a month so that we imagined he had not fasted during it at all, and he fasted so that we imagined he had not broken it. You did not wish to see him praying during the night without doing so, or sleeping without doing so.” Bukhari transmitted it.

‘A’isha reported God’s Messenger as saying, “The acts most pleasing to God are those which are done most continuously, even if they amount to little.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

She reported God’s Messenger as saying; “Choose such actions as you are capable of performing, for God does not grow weary till you do.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Anas reported God’s Messenger as saying, “One should pray as long as he is lively, but when he slackens he should stop.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)