Sahih Muslim

Anas b. Sirin reported:I asked Ibn 'Umar like this (as recorded in the previous hadith) and he made this addition:" And he (the Holy Prophet) made the end of the night prayer as odd number by one rak'ah." And there is also (this addition):" Stop, stop, you are bulky

Ibn 'Umar reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:The night prayer consists of pairs and when you see the approach of dawn, make this number odd by one rak'ah. It was said to Ibn 'Umar: What does the (word) pair imply? He said: (It means) that salutation is uttered after every two rak'ahs

Abu Sa'id (al Khudri) reported Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) as saying:Observe Witr prayer before it is morning. Abu Sa'id reported that they (the Prophet's Companions) asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) about Witr (prayer). (In reply to their inquiry) he said: Observe Witr prayer before it is morning

Abu Sa'id reported that they (some of the Companions) of the Prophet (ﷺ) asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) about Witr. He said:Observe Witr before morning

Jabir reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:If anyone is afraid that he may not get up in the latter part of the night, he should observe Witr in the first part of it; and if anyone is eager to get up in the last part of it, he should observe Witr at the end of the night, for prayer at the end of the night is witnessed (by the angels) and that is preferable

Jabir reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:He who amongst you is afraid that he may not be able to get up at the end of the night should observe Witr (in the first part) and then sleep, and he who is confident of getting up and praying at night (i. e. Tahajjud prayer) should observe it at the end of it, for the recitation at the end of the night is witnessed*, and that is better. *: meaning, "by angels" (Sharh an-Nawawi)

Jabir reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:The most excellent prayer is that in which the duration of standing is longer

Jabir reported:The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was asked about the prayer which was most excellent. He said: That in which the standing is longer. (This hadith is narrated by another chain of transmitters too)

Jabir said he heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) say:There is an hour during the night in which no Muslim individual will ask Allah for good in this world and the next without His giving it to him; and that applies to every night

Jabir reported:I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: There is an hour during the night in which no Muslim bondman will ask Allah for good in this world and the next but He will grant it to him

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:Our Lord, the Blessed and the Exalted, descends every night to the lowest heaven when one-third of the latter part of the night is left, and says: Who supplicates Me so that I may answer him? Who asks Me so that I may give to him? Who asks Me forgiveness so that I may forgive him?

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:Allah descends every night to the lowest heaven when one-third of the first part of the night is over and says: I am the Lord; I am the Lord: who is there to supplicate Me so that I answer him? Who is there to beg of Me so that I grant him? Who is there to beg forgiveness from Me so that I forgive him? He continues like this till the day breaks

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:When half of the night or two-third of it is over. Allah, the Blessed and the Exalted, descends to the lowest heaven and says: Is there any beggar, so that he be given? Is there any supplicator so that he be answered? Is there any beggar of forgiveness so that he be forgiven? (And Allah continues it saying) till it is daybreak

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:Allah descends to the lowest heaven at half of the night or at one-third of the latter part and says: Who is there to supplicate Me so that I answer him? Who is there to ask Me so that I grant him? And then says: Who will lend to One Who is neither indigent nor tyrant? (This hadith has been narrated by Sa'd b. Sa'id with the same chain of transmitters with this addition:" Then the Blessed and the Exalted (Lord) stretches His Hands and says: Who will lend to One Who is neither indigent nor tyrant?

Abu Sa'id and Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:Allah waits till when one-third of the first part of the night is over; He descends to the lowest heaven and says: It there any supplicator of forgiveness? Is there any penitant? Is there any petitioner (for mercy and favour)? Is there any solicitor? -till it is daybreak

This hadith is narrated by Ishaq with the same chain uf transmitters except this that the hadith transmitted by Mansur (the above one) is more comprehensive and lengthy

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:He who observed prayer at night during Ramadan, because of faith and seeking his reward from Allah, his previous sins would be forgiven

Abu Huraira reported:The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to exhort (his Companions) to pray (at night) during Ramadan without commanding them to observe it as an obligatory act, and say: He who observed the night prayer in Ramadan because of faith and seeking his reward (from Allah), all his previous sins would be forgiven. When Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) died, this was the practice, and it continued thus during Abu Bakr's caliphate and the early part of 'Umar's caliphate

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:He who observed the fasts of Ramadan with faith and seeking reward (from Allah), all his previous sins would be forgiven, and he who observed prayer on Lailat-ul- Qadr with faith and seeking reward (from Allah), all his previous sins would be forgiven

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) as saying:He who prayed on the Lailat-ul-Qadr (the Majestic Night) knowing that it is (the same night). I (believe) that he (the Prophet also) said: (He who does) it with faith and seeking reward (from Allah), his sins would be forgiven

A'isha reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prayed one night in the mosque and people also prayed along with him. He then prayed on the following night and there were many persons. Then on the third or fourth night (many people) gathered there, but the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) did not come out to them (for leading the Tarawih prayer). When it was morning he said:I saw what you were doing, but I desisted to come to you (and lead the prayer) for I feared that this prayer might become obligatory for you. (He the narrator) said: It was the month of Ramadan

A'isha reported:The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came out during the night and observed prayer in the mosque and some of the people prayed along with him. When it was morning the people talked about this and so a large number of people gathered there. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) went out for the second night, and they (the people) prayed along with him. When it was morning the people began to talk about it. So the mosque thronged with people on the third night. He (the Holy Prophet) came out and they prayed along with him. When it was the fourth night, the mosque was filled to its utmost capacity but the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) did not come out. Some persons among then cried:" Prayer." But the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) did not come to them till he came out for the morning prayer. When he had completed the morning prayer, he turned his face to the people and recited Tashahhud (I bear testi- mony that there is no god but Allah and I bear testimony that Muhammad is His Messen- ger) and then said: Your affair was not hidden from me in the night, but I was afraid that (my observing prayer continuously) might make the night prayer obligatory for you and you might be unable to perform it

Zirr (b. Hubaish) reported:I heard from Ubayy b. Ka'b a statement made by 'Abdullah b. Mas'ud in which he said: He who gets up for prayer (every night) during the year will hit upon Lailat-ul-Qadr. Ubayy said: By Allah I there is no god but He, that (Lailat-ul-Qadr) is in Ramadhan (He swore without reservation: ) By Allah, I know the night; it is the night on which the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) commanded us to pray. It is that which precedes the morning of twenty-seventy and its indication is that the sun rises bright on that day without rays

Ubayy b Ka'b reported:By Allah, I know about Lailat-ul Qadr and I know it fully well that it is the twenty-seventh night (during Ramadan) on which the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) commanded us to observe prayer. (Shu'ba was in doubt about these words:" the night on which the Messenger of Allah [may peace be upon him] commanded us to observe the prayer." This has been transmitted to me by a friend of mine

Shu'ba reported this hadith with the same chain of transmitters, but he made no mention that Shu'ba was in doubt and what follows subsequently

Ibn `Abbas reported:I spent a night with my maternal aunt (sister of my mother) Maimuna. The Apostle of Allah (ﷺ) got up during the night and relieved himself, then washed his face and hands and went to sleep. He then got up again, and came to the water skin and loosened its straps, then performed good ablution between the two extremes. He then stood up and observed prayer. I also stood up and stretched my body fearing that he might be under the impression that I was there to find out (what he did at night). So I also performed ablution and stood up to pray, but I stood on his left. He took hold of my hand and made me go around to his right side. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) completed thirteen rak`ahs of his night prayer. He then lay down and slept and snored (and it was his habit to snore while asleep). Then Bilal came and he informed him about the prayer. He (the Holy Prophet) then stood up for prayer and did not perform ablution, and his supplication included these words: "O Allah, place light in my heart, light in my sight, 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 enhance light for me." Kuraib (the narrator) said: There are seven (words more) which are in my heart (but I cannot recall them) and I met some of the descendants of Al-`Abbas and they narrated these words to me and mentioned in them: (Light) in my sinew, in my flesh, in my blood, in my hair, in my skin, and made a mention of two more things

Kuraib, the freed slave of Ibn `Abbas, reported that Ibn `Abbas narrated to him that he spent a night in the house of Maimuna, the mother of the believers, who was his mother's sister. I lay down across the cushion, whereas the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and his wife lay down on it length-wise. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) slept till midnight, or a little before midnight, or a little after midnight, and then got up and began to cast off the effects of sleep from his face by rubbing with his hand, and then recited the ten concluding verses of Surah Al-`Imran. He then stood up near a hanging water-skin and performed ablution well, and then stood up and prayed, Ibn `Abbas said:I also stood up and did the same, as the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had done, and then went to him and stood by his side. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) placed his right hand upon my head and took hold of my right ear and twisted it, and then observed a pair of rak`ahs, again a pair of rak`ahs, again a pair of rak`ahs, again a pair of rak`ahs, again a pair of rak`ahs, again a pair of rak`ahs, and then observed Witr and then lay down till the Mu'adhdhin came to him. He (the Holy Prophet) then stood up and observed two short rak`ahs, and then went out (to the mosque) and observed the dawn prayer

Makhrama b. Sulaiman narrated it with the same chain of narrators and he made this addition:"He then went to the water-skin and brushed his teeth and performed ablution well. He did not pour water but a little. He then awakened me and I stood up," and the rest of the hadith is the same

Ibn `Abbas reported:I slept (one night) in the house of Maimuna, the wife of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was with her that night. He (after sleeping for half of the night got up and) then performed ablution and then stood up and observed prayer. I too stood on his left side. He took hold of me and made me stand on his right side. He (the Holy Prophet) observed thirteen rak`ahs on that night. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) then slept and snored and it was a habit with him to snore while sleeping. The Mu'adhdhin then came to him (to inform him about the prayer). He then went out and observed prayer without performing ablution. (`Amr said: Bukair b. Ashajj had narrated it to me)

Ibn `Abbas reported:I spent one night in the house of my mother's sister Maimuna, daughter of Al-Harith, and said to her: Awake me when the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) stands to pray (at night). (She woke me up when) the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) stood up for prayer. I stood on his left side. He took hold of my hand and made me stand on his right side, and whenever I dozed off he took hold of my earlobe (and made me alert). He (the narrator) said: He (the Holy Prophet) observed eleven rak`ahs. He then sat with his legs drawn and wrapped in his garment and slept so that I could hear his breathing while asleep. And when the dawn appeared, he observed two short rak`ahs of (Sunnah) prayer

Ibn `Abbas reported that he spent a night in the house of his maternal aunt, Maimuna. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) got up at night and performed a short ablution (taking water) from the water-skin hanging there. (Giving a description of the ablution Ibn `Abbas said:It was short and performed with a little water.) I also got up and did the same as the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had done. I then came (to him) and stood on his left. He then made me go around to his right side. He then observed prayer and went to sleep till he began to snore. Bilal came to him and informed him about the prayer. He (the Holy Prophet) then went out and observed the dawn prayer without performing ablution. Sufyan said: It was a special (prerogative of the) Apostle of Allah (ﷺ) for it has been conveyed to us that the eyes of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) sleep, but his heart does not sleep

Ibn `Abbas said:I spent the night in the house of my mother's sister, Maimuna, and observed how the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prayed (at night). He got up and relieved himself. He then washed his face and hands and then went to sleep. He again got up and went near the water-skin and loosened its straps and then poured some water in a bowl and inclined it with his hands (towards himself). He then performed a good ablution between the two extremes and then stood up to pray. I also came and stood by his left side. He took hold of me and made me stand on his right side. It was in thirteen rak`ahs that the (night) prayer of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was completed. He then slept till he began to snore, and we knew that he had gone to sleep by his snoring. He then went out (for the dawn prayer), and said while praying or prostrating himself: "O Allah! place light in my heart, light in my hearing, light in my sight, light on my right, light on my left, light in front of me, light behind me, light above me, light below me, make light for me," or he said: "Make me light

Salama said:I met Kuraib and he reported Ibn `Abbas as saying: I was with my mother's sister Maimuna and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came there, and then he narrated the rest of the hadith as was narrated by Ghundar and said these words: "Make me light," beyond any doubt

Ibn `Abbas reported:I spent a night in the house of my mother's sister, Maimuna, and then narrated (the rest of the) hadith, but he made no mention of the washing of his face and two hands but he only said: He then came to the water-skin and loosened its straps and performed ablution between the two extremes, and then came to his bed and slept. He then got up for the second time and came to the water-skin and loosened its straps and then performed ablution which was in fact an ablution (it was performed well), and implored (the Lord) thus: "Give me abundant light," and he made no mention of: "Make me light

Kuraib reported that Ibn `Abbas spent a night in the house of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and he said:The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) stood near the water-skin and poured water out of it and performed ablution in which he neither used excess of water nor too little of it, and the rest of the hadith is the same, and in this mention is also made (of the fact) that on that night the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) made supplication before Allah in nineteen words. Kuraib reported: I remember twelve words out of these, but have forgotten the rest. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Place light in my heart, light in my tongue, light in my hearing, light in my sight, light above me, light below me, light on my right, light on my left, light in front of me, light behind me, place light in my soul, and make light abundant for me

Ibn `Abbas reported:I slept one night in the house of Maimuna when the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was there, with a view to seeing the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) at night. The Apostle of Allah (ﷺ) entered into conversation with his wife for a short while, and then went to sleep, and the rest of the hadith is the same and in it mention is made of: "He then got up, performed ablution and brushed his teeth

Abdullah b. `Abbas reported:He spent (one night) in the house of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). He (the Holy Prophet) got up, brushed his teeth and performed ablution and said: "In the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the alternation of the night and the day, there are indeed signs for people of understanding" (al-Qur'an, iii. 190), to the end of the Surah. He then stood up and prayed two rak`ahs, standing, bowing and prostrating himself at length in them. Then he finished, went to sleep and snored. He did that three times, six rak`ahs altogether, each time cleaning his teeth, performing ablution, and reciting these verses. Then he observed three rak`ahs of Witr. The Mu'adhdhin then pronounced the Adhan and he went out for prayer and was saying: "O Allah! place light in my heart, light in my tongue, place light in my hearing, place light in my eyesight, place light behind me, and light in front of me, and place light above me, and light below me. O Allah! grant me light

Ibn `Abbas reported:I spent a night in the house of my mother's sister Maimuna. The Apostle of Allah (ﷺ) got up for observing voluntary prayer (Tahajjud) at night. The Apostle of Allah (ﷺ) stood by the water-skin and performed ablution and then stood up and prayed. I also got up when I saw him doing that. I also performed ablution from the water-skin and then stood at his left side. He took hold of my hand from behind his back and then turned me from his back to his right side. I (`Ata', one of the narrators) said: Did it concern the voluntary prayer (at night)? He (Ibn `Abbas) said: Yes

Ibn `Abbas reported:(My father) Al-`Abbas sent me to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and he was in the house of my mother's sister Maimuna and I spent that night along with him. He (the Holy Prophet) got up and prayed at night, and I stood up on his left side. He caught hold of me from behind his back and made me stand on his right side

Ibn `Abbas reported:I spent a night in the house of my mother's sister Maimuna, and the rest of the hadith is the same as narrated above

Abu Jamra reported:I heard Ibn 'Abbas saying that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) observed thirteen rak'ahs at night

Zaid b Khalid al-Juhani said:I would definitely watch at night the prayer observed by the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). He prayed two short rak'ahs, then two long, long, long rak'ahs, then he prayed two rak'ahs which were shorter than the two preceding rak'ahs, then he prayed two rak'ahs which were shorter than the two preceding, then he prayed two rak'ahs which were shorter than the two preceding, then observed a single one (Witr), making a total of thirteen rak'ahs

Jabir b. 'Abdullah reported:I accompanied the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) in a journey and we reached a watering place. He said: Jabir, are you going to enter it? I said: Yes. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) then got down and I entered it. He (the Holy Prophet) then went away to relieve himself and I placed for him water for ablution. He then came back and performed ablution, and then stood and prayed in one garment, having its ends tied from the opposite sides. I stood behind him and he caught hold of my ear and made me stand on his right side

A'isha reported that when the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) stood up at night to pray, he began his prayer with two short rak'ahs

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) as saying When any one of you gets up at night, he should begin the prayer with two short rak'ahs

Ibn `Abbas reported that when the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) got up during the night to pray, he used to say:O Allah, to Thee be the praise Thou art the light of the heavens and the earth. To Thee be the praise; Thou art the Supporter of the heavens and the earth. To Thee be the praise; Thou art the Lord of the heavens and the earth and whatever is therein. Thou art the Truth; Thy promise is True, the meeting with Thee is True. Paradise is true, Hell is true, the Hour is true. O Allah, I submit to Thee; affirm my faith in Thee; repose my trust in Thee, and I return to Thee for repentance; by Thy help I have disputed; and to Thee I have come for decision, so forgive me my earlier and later sins, the sins that I committed in secret and openly. Thou art my God. There is no god but Thee

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Ibn 'Abbas through another chain of transmitters and with slight alteration of two words. Instead of the word Qayyam (Supporter, as used in the above hadith here the word) Qayyim (the Custodian) has been used, and he (further said):" What I did in secret." And in the hadith narrated by Ibn 'Uyaina there is some addition

This hadith has been narrated by Ibn 'Abbas by another chain of transmitters and the words are nearly the same (as recorded in the above-mentioned hadith)

Abd al-Rahman b. 'Auf reported:I asked 'A'isha, the mother of the believers, (to tell me) the words with which the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) commenced the prayer when he got up at night. She said: When he got up at night he would commence his prayer with these words: O Allah, Lord of Gabriel, and Michael, and Israfil, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, Who knowest the unseen and the seen; Thou decidest amongst Thy servants concerning their differences. Guide me with Thy permission in the divergent views (which the people) hold about Truth, for it is Thou Who guidest whom Thou wilt to the Straight Path

Ali b. Abu Talib reported that when the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) got up at night for prayer he would say:I turn my face in complete devotion to One Who is the Originator of the heaven and the earth and I am not of the polytheists. Verily my prayer, my sacrifice, my living and my dying are for Allah, the Lord of the worlds; There is no partner with Him and this is what I have been commanded (to profess and believe) and I am of the believers. O Allah, Thou art the King, there is no god but Thee, Thou art my Lord, and I am Thy bondman. I wronged myself and make a confession of my Sin. Forgive all my sins, for no one forgives the sins but Thee, and guide me in the best of conduct for none but Thee guideth anyone (in) good conduct. Remove sins from me, for none else but Thou can remove sins from me. Here I am at Thy service, and Grace is to Thee and the whole of good is in Thine hand, and one cannot get nearneststo Thee through evil. My (power as well as existence) is due to Thee (Thine grace) and I turn to Thee (for supplication). Thou art blessed and Thou art exalted. I seek forgiveness from Thee and turn to Thee in repentance: and when he would bow, he would say: O Allah, it is for Thee that I bowed. I affirm my faith in Thee and I submit to Thee, and submit humbly before Thee my hearing, my eyesight, my marrow, my bone, my sinew; and when he would raise his head, he would say: O Allah, our Lord, praise is due to Thee, (the praise) with which is filled the heavens and the earth, and with which is filled that (space) which exists between them, and filled with anything that Thou desireth afterward. And when he prostrated himself, he (the Holy Prophet) would say: O Allah, it is to Thee that I prostrate myself and it is in Thee that I affirm my faith, and I submit to Thee. My face is submitted before One Who created it, and shaped it, and opened his faculties of hearing and seeing. Blessed is Allah, the best of Creators; and he would then say between Tashahhud and the pronouncing of salutation: Forgive me of the earlier and later open and secret (sins) and that where I made transgression and that Thou knowest better than I. Thou art the First and the Last. There is no god, but Thee