Establishing the Prayer and the Sunnah Regarding Them

It was narrated from ‘Aishah that the Prophet (ﷺ) used to pray nine Rak’ah at night.

It was narrated that ‘Amir Ash-Sha’bi said:

“I asked ‘Abdullah bin ‘Abbas and ‘Abdullah bin ‘Umar about the Prophet’s prayer at night. They said: ‘(He prayed) thirteen Rak’ah, including eight, and three for Witr, and two Rak’ah after the Fajr.’”

It was narrated that Zaid bin Khalid Al-Juhani said:

“I said, I must observe how the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prays tonight. So I lay down at his door. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) got up and prayed two brief Rak’ah, then two long ones, which were very, very long, then two Rak’ah which were shorter than the ones preceding them, then two Rak’ah which were shorter than the ones preceding them, then two Rak’ah which were shorter than the ones preceding them, then two Rak’ah, then Witr. That was thirteen Rak’ah.”

It was narrated from Kuraib, the freed slave of Ibn ‘Abbas, that Ibn ‘Abbas told him that he slept at the house of Maimunah, the wife of the Prophet (ﷺ), who was his maternal aunt. He said:

“I lay down across the pillow and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and his wife were laying along it. The Prophet (ﷺ) slept until midnight, or a little before, or a little after. The Prophet (ﷺ) woke up and began to rub the sleep from his face with his hand. Then he recited the last ten Verses of Surah Al ‘Imran. Then he got up and went to a water skin that was hanging up and performed ablution from it, and he performed ablution well, then he stood up and prayed.” ‘Abdullah bin ‘Abbas said: “I stood up and did what he had done, then I went and stood beside him. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) put his right hand on my head, took hold of my right ear and tweaked it. Then he prayed two Rak’ah, then two Rak’ah, then two Rak’ah, then two Rak’ah, then two Rak’ah, then two Rak’ah, then he prayed Witr. Then he lay down until the Mu’adh-dhin came to him and he prayed two brief Rak’ah, then he went out to pray.”

It was narrated that ‘Amr bin ‘Abasah said:

“I came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, who became a Muslim with you?’ He said: ‘A free man and a slave.’ I said: ‘Is there any hour of the night that is closer to Allah than another?’ He said: ‘Yes, the last half of the night.’”

It was narrated that ‘Aishah said:

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to sleep during the first part of the night and stay awake during the latter part.”

It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:

“Our Lord, the Blessed and Exalted, descends when one third of the night remains, every night and He says: ‘Who will ask of Me, that I may give him? Who will call upon Me, that I may answer him? Who will ask My forgiveness, that I may forgive him?’ until dawn comes.” Hence they used to prefer voluntary prayers at the end of the night rather than at the beginning.

It was narrated that Rifa’ah Al-Juhani said:

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘Allah provides respite until, when half or two thirds of the night had passed, He says: “My slave does not ask of anyone other than Me. Whoever calls upon Me, I will answer him; whoever asks of Me, I will give him; whoever asks My forgiveness, I will forgive him,” until dawn comes.’”

It was narrated that Abu Mas`ud said:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Whoever recites the last two Verses of Surat Al-Baqarah at night, that will be sufficient for him.” In his narration (one of the narrators) Hafs said: “`Abdur-Rahman said: ‘I met Abu Mas`ud when he was performing Tawaf, and he narrated this to me.’”

It was narrated from Abu Mas’ud that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:

“Whoever recites the last two Verses of Surat Al-Baqarah at night, that will be sufficient for him.”

It was narrated that ‘Aishah said:

“The Prophet (ﷺ) said: ‘If anyone of you becomes drowsy, let him sleep until he feels refreshed, for he does not know, if he prays when he feels drowsy, he may want to say words seeking forgiveness but (instead) he ends up cursing himself.’”

It was narrated from Anas bin Malik that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) entered the mosque and saw a rope tied between two pillars. He said, “What is this rope?” They said:

“It belongs to Zainab. She prays here and when she gets tired she holds on to it.” He said: “Untie it, untie it; let any one of you pray when he has energy, if he gets tired let him sit down.”

It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that the Prophet (ﷺ) said:

“When anyone of you gets up to pray at night, and his tongue stumbles over the words of the Qur’an, and he does not know what he is saying, let him lie down.”

It was narrated that ‘Aishah said:

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘Whoever prays twenty Rak’ah between Maghrib and ‘Isha’, Allah will build for him a house in Paradise.’”

It was narrated that Abu Hurairah said:

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘Whoever prays six Rak’ah after the Maghrib and does not speak evil between them, they will be made equivalent to twelve years’ worship.’”

It was narrated that ‘Asim bin ‘Amr said:

“A group from the people of ‘Iraq came to ‘Umar and when they came to him, he said to them: ‘Where are you from?’ They said: ‘From the inhabitants of ‘Iraq.’ He said: ‘Have you come with permission?’ They said: ‘Yes.’ Then they asked him about a man’s prayer in his house. ‘Umar said: ‘I asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and he said: “As for a man’s prayer in his house, it is light, so illuminate your houses.’”” Another chain with similar wording.

It was narrated from Abu Sa’eed Al-Khudri that the Prophet (ﷺ) said:

“When anyone of you has finished his prayer, let him give his house a share of that, for Allah will put something good in his house because of that prayer.”

It was narrated that Ibn ‘Umar said:

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘Do not make your houses into graves.’”

‘Abdullah bin Sa’d said:

“I asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ): ‘Which is better prayer in my house or prayer in the mosque?’ He said: ‘Do you not see how close my house is to the mosque?’ But praying in my house is dearer to me than praying in the mosque, apart from the prescribed prayers.’”

It was narrated that ‘Abdullah bin Harith said:

“During the caliphate of ‘Uthman, when the people were present in large numbers, I asked about Duha prayer, and I could not find anyone who could tell me that he, meaning the Prophet (ﷺ), had prayed it, apart from Umm Hani’. She told me that he had prayed it with eight Rak’ah.”