Night prayers during Ramadan - Section 1

Zaid b. Thabit said that God’s Messenger made an apartment of reed mats in the mosque and prayed in it for some nights until people gathered round him. One night when they missed his voice and thought he had gone to sleep, some of them began to clear their throats in order that he might come out to them, so he said, “What I have seen you doing has continued to be your practice, so that I have been afraid that it might be prescribed for you, and if it were prescribed for you you would not fulfil it. You people should therefore pray in your houses, for, with the exception of the prescribed prayer, the most excellent prayer a man observes is that which he observes in his house.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ ثَابِتٍ: أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ اتَّخَذَ حُجْرَةً فِي الْمَسْجِدِ مِنْ حَصِيرٍ فَصَلَّى فِيهَا لَيَالِيَ حَتَّى اجْتَمَعَ عَلَيْهِ نَاسٌ ثُمَّ فَقَدُوا صَوْتَهُ لَيْلَةً وَظَنُّوا أَنَّهُ قَدْ نَامَ فَجَعَلَ بَعْضُهُمْ يَتَنَحْنَحُ لِيَخْرُجَ إِلَيْهِمْ. فَقَالَ: مَا زَالَ بِكُمُ الَّذِي رَأَيْتُ مِنْ صَنِيعِكُمْ حَتَّى خَشِيتُ أَنْ يُكْتَبَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَلَوْ كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمْ مَا قُمْتُمْ بِهِ. فَصَلُّوا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ فِي بُيُوتِكُمْ فَإِنَّ أَفْضَلَ صَلَاةِ الْمَرْء فِي بَيته إِلَّا الصَّلَاة الْمَكْتُوبَة)

Abu Huraira said that God’s Messenger used to commend prayer at night in Ramadan, but did not command it as a duty. He would say, “If anyone prays during the night in Ramadan because of faith and seeking his reward from God, his former sins will be forgiven him.” When God’s Messenger died this was the practice, and it continued thus during Abu Bakr’s Caliphate and the early part of ‘Umar’s. Muslim transmitted it.

وَعَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: (كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَرْغَبُ فِي قِيَامِ رَمَضَانَ مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ يَأْمُرَهُمْ فِيهِ بِعَزِيمَةٍ فَيَقُولُ: «مَنْ قَامَ رَمَضَانَ إِيمَانًا وَاحْتِسَابًا غُفِرَ لَهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِهِ. فَتُوُفِّيَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ والمر عَلَى ذَلِكَ ثُمَّ كَانَ الْأَمْرُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ فِي خِلَافَةِ أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَصَدْرًا مِنْ خِلَافَةِ عمر على ذَلِك» . رَوَاهُ مُسلم

Jabir reported God’s Messenger as saying, “When one of you performs the prayer in his mosque he should leave a portion of his prayer for his house, for God blesses his house because of his prayer.” Muslim transmitted it.

وَعَنْ جَابِرٍ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «إِذَا قَضَى أَحَدُكُمُ الصَّلَاةَ فِي مَسْجده فليجعل لبيته نَصِيبا من صلَاته فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ جَاعِلٌ فِي بَيْتِهِ مِنْ صِلَاتِهِ خيرا» . رَوَاهُ مُسلم

Abu Dharr said:

We fasted along with God’s Messenger, but he did not make us get up at night for prayer at any time during the month till seven nights remained; then he made us get up for prayer till a third of the night had passed. Next night he did not make us get up, but when the fifth remaining night came he made us get up for prayer till a half of the night had gone, so I said, “Messenger of God, I wish you had led us in supererogatory prayers during the whole of this night." He replied, “When a man prays with an <i>imam</i> till he goes away he is reckoned as having spent a night in prayer." On the fourth remaining night he did not make us get up till two-thirds of the night had passed. On the third remaining night he gathered his family, his wives and the people and prayed with us till we were afraid we would miss the <i>falah</i> (explaining, when asked, that the <i>falah</i> was the meal before daybreak). Then he did not make us get up for prayer during the remainder of the month. Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi and Nasa’i transmitted it, and Ibn Majah transmitted something similar, but Tirmidhi did not mention, “then he did not make us get up for prayer during the remainder of the month."

عَنْ أَبِي ذَرٍّ قَالَ: صُمْنَا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ رَمَضَانَ فَلَمْ يَقُمْ بِنَا شَيْئًا مِنَ الشَّهْرِ حَتَّى بَقِيَ سَبْعٌ فَقَامَ بِنَا حَتَّى ذَهَبَ ثُلُثُ اللَّيْلِ فَلَمَّا كَانَتِ السَّادِسَةُ لَمْ يَقُمْ بِنَا فَلَمَّا كَانَتِ الْخَامِسَةُ قَامَ بِنَا حَتَّى ذهب شطر اللَّيْل فَقلت: يارسول الله لَو نفلتنا قيام هَذِه اللَّيْلَة. قَالَ فَقَالَ: «إِنَّ الرَّجُلَ إِذَا صَلَّى مَعَ الْإِمَامِ حَتَّى ينْصَرف حسب لَهُ قيام اللَّيْلَة» . قَالَ: فَلَمَّا كَانَت الرَّابِعَة لم يقم فَلَمَّا كَانَتِ الثَّالِثَةُ جَمَعَ أَهْلَهُ وَنِسَاءَهُ وَالنَّاسَ فَقَامَ بِنَا حَتَّى خَشِينَا أَنْ يَفُوتَنَا الْفَلَاحُ. قَالَ قُلْتُ: وَمَا الْفَلَاحُ؟ قَالَ: السَّحُورُ. ثُمَّ لَمْ يَقُمْ بِنَا بَقِيَّةَ الشَّهْرِ. رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُدَ وَالتِّرْمِذِيُّ وَالنَّسَائِيُّ وَرَوَى ابْنُ مَاجَهْ نَحْوَهُ إِلَّا أَنَّ التِّرْمِذِيَّ لَمْ يَذْكُرْ: ثُمَّ لَمْ يَقُمْ بِنَا بَقِيَّة الشَّهْر

‘A’isha said:

I missed God’s Messengerone night and found him at al-Baqi‘. He said, “Were you afraid that God and His Messenger would act wrongly towards you?" I replied, “Messenger of God, I thought you had gone to one of your wives." He said, “On the middle night of Sha'ban God most high descends to the lowest heaven and forgives more sins than the hairs of the goats of Kalb." Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it, and Razin added, “for those who deserve hell."Tirmidhi said, “I heard Muhammad (i.e., Bukhari) declare that this tradition is weak."

وَعَنْ عَائِشَةَ قَالَتْ: فَقَدْتُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لَيْلَةً فَإِذَا هُوَ بِالْبَقِيعِ فَقَالَ

أَكُنْتِ تَخَافِينَ أَنْ يَحِيفَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْكِ وَرَسُولُهُ؟ قُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنِّي ظَنَنْتُ أَنَّكَ أَتَيْتَ بَعْضَ نِسَائِكَ فَقَالَ: إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى يَنْزِلُ لَيْلَةَ النِّصْفِ مِنْ شَعْبَانَ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ الدُّنْيَا فَيَغْفِرُ لِأَكْثَرَ مِنْ عَدَدِ شَعْرِ غَنَمِ كَلْبٍ

رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيُّ وَابْنُ مَاجَهْ وَزَادَ رَزِينٌ: «مِمَّنِ اسْتَحَقَّ النَّارَ» وَقَالَ التِّرْمِذِيُّ: سَمِعْتُ مُحَمَّدًا يَعْنِي البُخَارِيّ يضعف هَذَا الحَدِيث

Zaid b. Thabit reported God s Messenger as saying, “A man’s prayer in his house is more excellent than his prayer in this mosque of mine, except for the prescribed prayer." Abu Dawud and Tirmidhi transmitted it.

وَعَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ ثَابِتٍ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «صَلَاةُ الْمَرْءِ فِي بَيْتِهِ أَفْضَلُ مِنْ صَلَاتِهِ فِي مَسْجِدِي هَذَا إِلَّا الْمَكْتُوبَة» . رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُد وَالتِّرْمِذِيّ

‘Abd ar-Rahman b. ‘Abd al-Qari said:

I went out one night to the mosque with ‘Umar b. al-Khattab and we saw the people in sections separate from one another, one man praying by himself, and another followed by a group; so ‘Umar said, “If I collected these people behind one reciter it would be better." He then made up his mind and collected them with Ubayy b. Ka‘b as <i>imam</i>. Afterwards I went out with him another night when the people were following the prayer of their reciter, and ‘Umar said, “This is a good innovation, but what you miss through sleeping is more excellent than what you are getting up for, meaning at the end of the night, for the people were getting up during the early part of the night. Bukhari transmitted it.

عَن عبد الرَّحْمَن بن عبد الْقَارِي قَالَ: خَرَجْتُ مَعَ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ لَيْلَةً فِي رَمَضَان إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ فَإِذَا النَّاسُ أَوْزَاعٌ مُتَفَرِّقُونَ يُصَلِّي الرَّجُلُ لِنَفْسِهِ وَيُصَلِّي الرَّجُلُ فَيُصَلِّي بِصَلَاتِهِ الرَّهْطُ فَقَالَ عمر: إِنِّي أرى لَوْ جَمَعْتُ هَؤُلَاءِ عَلَى قَارِئٍ وَاحِدٍ لَكَانَ أَمْثَلَ ثُمَّ عَزَمَ فَجَمَعَهُمْ عَلَى أُبَيِّ بْنِ كَعْب ثُمَّ خَرَجْتُ مَعَهُ لَيْلَةً أُخْرَى وَالنَّاسُ يُصَلُّونَ بِصَلَاة قارئهم. قَالَ عمر رَضِي الله عَنهُ: نعم الْبِدْعَةُ هَذِهِ وَالَّتِي تَنَامُونَ عَنْهَا أَفْضَلُ مِنَ الَّتِي تَقُومُونَ. يُرِيدُ آخِرَ اللَّيْلِ وَكَانَ النَّاسُ يقومُونَ أَوله. رَوَاهُ البُخَارِيّ

As-Sa’ib b. Yazid said:

'Umar ordered Ubayy b. Ka'b and Tamim ad-Dari to lead the people in eleven rak'as during the night in Ramadan. The reader was reciting [a <i>sura</i> with over] a hundred verses in each <i>rak'a</i> so that we leaned on our sticks because of standing so long, and we did not depart till the dawn was beginning to break. Malik transmitted it.

وَعَن السَّائِب بن يزِيد قَالَ: أَمَرَ عُمَرُ أُبَيَّ بْنَ كَعْبٍ وَتَمِيمًا الدَّارِيَّ أَنْ يَقُومَا لِلنَّاسِ فِي رَمَضَانَ بِإِحْدَى عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً فَكَانَ الْقَارِئُ يَقْرَأُ بِالْمِئِينَ حَتَّى كُنَّا نَعْتَمِدُ عَلَى الْعَصَا مِنْ طُولِ الْقِيَامِ فَمَا كُنَّا نَنْصَرِفُ إِلَّا فِي فُرُوعِ الْفَجْرِ. رَوَاهُ مَالك

Al-A‘raj said:

I never came upon the people without hearing them cursing the infidels during Ramadan. The reader recited <i>sura al-Baqara</i> (Al-Qur’an; 2) in the course of eight <i>rak'as</i>, and when he made it serve for twelve <i>rak'as</i> the people thought he had shortened the prayer. Malik transmitted it.

وَعَن الْأَعْرَج قَالَ: مَا أَدْرَكْنَا النَّاسَ إِلَّا وَهُمْ يَلْعَنُونَ الْكَفَرَةَ فِي رَمَضَانَ قَالَ: وَكَانَ الْقَارِئُ يَقْرَأُ سُورَةَ الْبَقَرَةِ فِي ثَمَانِ رَكَعَاتٍ وَإِذَا قَامَ بِهَا فِي ثِنْتَيْ عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً رَأَى النَّاسُ أَنه قد خفف. رَوَاهُ مَالك

‘Abdallah b. Abu Bakr said:

I'heard Ubayy say, “We used to finish night prayers in Ramadan and ask the servants to hurry up with the food, for fear we would miss the meal before dawn.” In another version he said, “for fear the dawn would come.” Malik transmitted it.

بن أبي بكر قَالَ: سَمِعت أبي يَقُولُ: كُنَّا نَنْصَرِفُ فِي رَمَضَانَ مِنَ الْقِيَامِ فَنَسْتَعْجِلُ الْخَدَمَ بِالطَّعَامِ مَخَافَةَ فَوْتِ السَّحُورِ. وَفِي أُخْرَى مَخَافَة الْفجْر. رَوَاهُ مَالك

‘A’isha reported the Prophet (ﷺ) as saying, “Do you know what happens this night?” meaning the middle night of Sha‘ban. She asked, “What happens in it, Messenger of God?” He replied, “In it record is made of every human being who will be born and of every human being who will die this year; in it their actions are taken up to heaven and in it their provisions are sent down.” She asked, “Does one enter paradise only by the mercy of God most high?” He replied three times, “No one enters paradise but by the mercy of God most high.” She asked, “Not even you, Messenger of God?” He put his hand on the crown of his head and said, “Not even I, unless God enfolds me in His mercy,” saying it three times. Baihaqi transmitted it in <i>[Kitab] ad-Da'awat al-kabir</i>.

وَعَنْ عَائِشَةَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: «هَل تدرين مَا هَذِه اللَّيْل؟» يَعْنِي لَيْلَةَ النِّصْفِ مِنْ شَعْبَانَ قَالَتْ: مَا فِيهَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ فَقَالَ: «فِيهَا أَنْ يُكْتَبَ كلُّ مَوْلُودٍ مِنْ بَنِي آدَمَ فِي هَذِهِ السَّنَةِ وَفِيهَا أَنْ يُكْتَبَ كُلُّ هَالِكٍ مِنْ بَنِي آدَمَ فِي هَذِهِ السَّنَةِ وَفِيهَا تُرْفَعُ أَعْمَالُهُمْ وَفِيهَا تَنْزِلُ أَرْزَاقُهُمْ» . فَقَالَتْ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَا مِنْ أَحَدٍ يَدْخُلُ الْجَنَّةَ إِلَّا بِرَحْمَةِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى؟ فَقَالَ: «مَا مِنْ أحد يدْخل الْجنَّة إِلَّا برحمة الله تَعَالَى» . ثَلَاثًا. قُلْتُ: وَلَا أَنْتَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ؟ فَوَضَعَ يَدَهُ عَلَى هَامَتِهِ فَقَالَ: «وَلَا أَنَا إِلَّا أَنْ يَتَغَمَّدَنِيَ اللَّهُ بِرَحْمَتِهِ» . يَقُولُهَا ثَلَاثَ مَرَّاتٍ. رَوَاهُ الْبَيْهَقِيُّ فِي الدَّعْوَات الْكَبِير

Abu Musa al-Ash‘ari reported God’s Messenger as saying, “God most high looks down on the middle night of Sha'ban and forgives all His creatures, except a polytheist or one who is hostile.” Ibn Majah transmitted it, and Ahmad transmitted it from ‘Abdallah b. ‘Amr b. al-‘As. His version has, “except two, one who is hostile and a murderer.”

وَعَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى الْأَشْعَرِيِّ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: «إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى لَيَطَّلِعُ فِي لَيْلَةِ النِّصْفِ مِنْ شَعْبَانَ فَيَغْفِرُ لِجَمِيعِ خَلْقِهِ إِلَّا لِمُشْرِكٍ أَوْ مُشَاحِنٍ» . رَوَاهُ ابْن مَاجَه وَرَوَاهُ أَحْمَدُ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرِو بْنِ الْعَاصِ وَفِي رِوَايَته: «إِلَّا اثْنَيْنِ مُشَاحِن وَقَاتل نفس»

‘Ali reported God’s Messenger as saying, “When the middle night of Sha'ban comes, spend the night in prayer and fast during the day, for in it God most high comes down at sunset to the lowest heaven and says, ‘Is there no one who asks forgiveness so that I may forgive him ? Is there no one who asks provision so that I may provide him? Is there no one afflicted so that I may relieve him? Is there not such and such? Is there not such and such?’ till the dawn comes.” Ibn Majah transmitted it.

وَعَنْ عَلِيٍّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ:

إِذَا كَانَتْ لَيْلَةُ النِّصْفِ مِنْ شَعْبَانَ فَقُومُوا لَيْلَهَا وَصُومُوا يَوْمَهَا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى يَنْزِلُ فِيهَا لِغُرُوبِ الشَّمْسِ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ الدُّنْيَا فَيَقُولُ: أَلَا مِنْ مُسْتَغْفِرٍ فَأَغْفِرَ لَهُ؟ أَلَا مُسْتَرْزِقٌ فَأَرْزُقَهُ؟ أَلَا مُبْتَلًى فَأُعَافِيَهُ؟ أَلَا كَذَا أَلَا كَذَا حَتَّى يطلع الْفجْر

. رَوَاهُ ابْن مَاجَه