الفتح الربانی
Fath al-Rabbani
أبواب صلاة الليل والوترChapters on Night Prayer and Witr
بَابُ مَا جَاءَ فِي فَضْلِ صَلَاةِ اللَّيْلِ وَالْحَثِّ عَلَيْهَا وَأَفْضَلِ أَوْقَاتِهَا
Chapter on the Virtue of Night Prayer, Encouragement for It, and Its Best Times
Hadith 2112
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: سُئِلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَيُّ الصَّلَاةِ أَفْضَلُ بَعْدَ الْمَكْتُوبَةِ؟ قَالَ: ((الصَّلَاةُ فِي جَوْفِ اللَّيْلِ))، قِيلَ: أَيُّ الصِّيَامِ أَفْضَلُ بَعْدَ رَمَضَانَ؟ قَالَ: ((شَهْرُ اللَّهِ الَّذِي تَدْعُونَهُ الْمُحَرَّمَ))
Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was asked: "Which prayer is the most virtuous after the obligatory prayers?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) replied: "Praying in the last third of the night." Then it was asked: "Which fast is the most virtuous after the fast of Ramadan?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) replied: "The month of Allah which you call Muharram."
Hadith 2113
عَنِ الْأَغَرِّ أَبِي مُسْلِمٍ قَالَ: أَشْهَدُ عَلَى أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ وَأَبِي سَعِيدٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا أَنَّهُمَا شَهِدَا عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: ((إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُمْهِلُ حَتَّى يَذْهَبَ ثُلُثُ اللَّيْلِ، ثُمَّ يَهْبِطُ فَيَقُولُ هَلْ مِنْ دَاعٍ فَيُسْتَجَابُ لَهُ هَلْ مِنْ مُسْتَغْفِرٍ فَيُغْفَرُ لَهُ))
Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah and Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id (may Allah be pleased with them both) bore witness that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Indeed, Allah delays until a third of the night has passed, then He descends and says: Is there anyone who supplicates so that his supplication may be accepted? Is there anyone seeking forgiveness so that he may be forgiven?
Hadith 2114
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ: ((رَحِمَ اللَّهُ رَجُلًا قَامَ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ فَصَلَّى وَأَيْقَظَ امْرَأَتَهُ، فَصَلَّتْ، فَإِنْ أَبَتْ نَضَحَ فِي وَجْهِهَا الْمَاءَ وَرَحِمَ اللَّهُ امْرَأَةً قَامَتْ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ فَصَلَّتْ وَأَيْقَظَتْ زَوْجَهَا فَصَلَّى فَإِنْ أَبَى نَضَحَتْ فِي وَجْهِهِ بِالْمَاءِ))
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: May Allah have mercy on the man who gets up at night and prays, and then wakes up his wife and she also prays, and if she refuses, he sprinkles water on her face. Likewise, may Allah have mercy on the woman who gets up at night and prays, and then wakes up her husband and he also prays, and if he refuses, she sprinkles water on his face to wake him up.
Hadith 2115
وَعَنْهُ أَيْضًا قَالَ: قُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ! أَنْبِئْنِي عَنْ أَمْرٍ إِذَا أَخَذْتُ بِهِ دَخَلْتُ الْجَنَّةَ، قَالَ: ((أَفْشِ السَّلَامَ وَأَطْعِمِ الطَّعَامَ وَصِلِ الْأَرْحَامَ وَصَلِّ بِاللَّيْلِ وَالنَّاسُ نِيَامٌ، ثُمَّ ادْخُلِ الْجَنَّةَ بِسَلَامٍ))
It is also narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, who says: I said, "O Messenger of Allah! Tell me of an action which, if I do it, I will enter Paradise." He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Spread peace, feed (others), maintain ties of kinship, and pray at night when people are asleep, then enter Paradise in peace."
Hadith 2116
عَنْ أَبِي مُسْلِمٍ قَالَ: قُلْتُ لِأَبِي ذَرٍّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ: أَيُّ قِيَامِ اللَّيْلِ أَفْضَلُ؟ قَالَ أَبُو ذَرٍّ: سَأَلْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ كَمَا سَأَلْتَنِي، يَشُكُّ عَوْفٌ فَقَالَ: ((جَوْفُ اللَّيْلِ الْغَابِرُ أَوْ نِصْفُ اللَّيْلِ، وَقَلِيلٌ فَاعِلُهُ))
Abu Muslim says: I asked Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him): Which part of the night is the best for standing in prayer? Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) replied: Just as you have asked me, I asked the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) the same question. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Stand in prayer during the last third of the night or in the middle of the night; in any case, those who do such deeds are few.
Hadith 2117
عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ عَبَسَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ: ((صَلَاةُ اللَّيْلِ مَثْنَى مَثْنَى، وَجَوْفُ اللَّيْلِ الْآخِرُ أَجْوَبُهُ دَعْوَةً))، قُلْتُ: أَوْجَبُهُ؟ قَالَ: ((لَا، بَلْ أَجْوَبُهُ)) يَعْنِي بِذَلِكَ الإِجَابَةَ
Sayyiduna Amr bin Abasah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: The night prayer is in sets of two rak‘ahs, and in the last (third) part of the night, supplication is most readily accepted. I asked: Is it obligatory to supplicate in that part? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: No, no, (I am saying that) supplication is most readily accepted. His (peace and blessings be upon him) intent was acceptance.
Hadith 2118
عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ: ((ثَلَاثَةٌ يَضْحَكُ اللَّهُ إِلَيْهِمْ، الرَّجُلُ إِذَا قَامَ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ فَصَلَّى، وَالْقَوْمُ إِذَا صَفُّوا لِلصَّلَاةِ، وَالْقَوْمُ إِذَا صَفُّوا لِلْقِتَالِ))
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Allah Almighty looks at three types of people and laughs: (1) the person who gets up at night to pray, (2) when people form rows for prayer, and (3) when people form rows for battle.
Hadith 2119
عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو بْنِ الْعَاصِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: ((أَحَبُّ الصِّيَامِ إِلَى اللَّهِ صِيَامُ دَاوُدَ، وَكَانَ يَصُومُ نِصْفَ الدَّهْرِ وَأَحَبُّ الصَّلَاةِ إِلَى اللَّهِ صَلَاةُ دَاوُدَ كَانَ يَرْقُدُ شَطْرَ اللَّيْلِ ثُمَّ يَقُومُ ثُمَّ يَرْقُدُ آخِرَهُ)) ثُمَّ يَقُومُ ثُلُثَ اللَّيْلِ بَعْدَ شَطْرِهِ
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Amr bin Aas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: The most beloved fast to Allah Almighty is the fast of Dawood (peace be upon him), and he used to fast half of the time, and the most beloved prayer at night to Allah is also that of Dawood (peace be upon him). He would sleep for the first half of the night, then stand (in prayer), then sleep in the last part of it, then after half the night, he would stand for one third of the night.
Hadith 2120
عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي قَيْسٍ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ زَوْجِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَرَضِيَ عَنْهَا قَالَتْ: عَلَيْكُمْ بِقِيَامِ اللَّيْلِ، فَإِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ كَانَ لَا يَدَعُهُ، فَإِنْ مَرِضَ قَرَأَ وَهُوَ قَاعِدٍ، وَقَدْ عَرَفْتُ أَنَّ أَحَدَكُمْ يَقُولُ بِحَسْبِي أَنْ أُقِيمَ مَا كُتِبَ لِي، وَأَنَّى لَهُ ذَلِكَ
The wife of the Messenger, Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), narrates: She says, "Be diligent in standing for prayer at night, because the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) never abandoned it. If he was ill, he would perform this prayer while sitting. I know that you say, 'We will only pray as much as has been decreed for us,' but then how will it attain its status?"
Hadith 2121
عَنْ عُرْوَةَ بْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا قَالَتْ: كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِذَا صَلَّى قَامَ حَتَّى تَتَفَطَّرَ رِجْلَاهُ، قَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ! أَتَصْنَعُ هَٰذَا وَقَدْ غُفِرَ لَكَ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِكَ وَمَا تَأَخَّرَ؟ فَقَالَ: ((يَا عَائِشَةُ! أَفَلَا أَكُونُ عَبْدًا شَكُورًا))
It is narrated from Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), she says that when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to pray at night, he would stand for so long that his feet would become swollen. So one day she said: O Messenger of Allah! Why do you stand for so long, when all your past and future sins have been forgiven? The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) replied: O Aisha! Should I not be a most grateful servant?
Hadith 2122
عَنِ الْمُغِيرَةِ بْنِ شُعْبَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ يُصَلِّي حَتَّى تَرِمَ قَدَمَاهُ (وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ: قَامَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ حَتَّى تَوَرَّمَتْ قَدَمَاهُ)، فَقِيلَ لَهُ: أَلَيْسَ قَدْ غَفَرَ اللَّهُ لَكَ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِكَ وَمَا تَأَخَّرَ؟ قَالَ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ: ((أَفَلَا أَكُونُ عَبْدًا شَكُورًا))
Sayyiduna Mughira bin Shu’bah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to perform (such lengthy) prayers at night that his feet would swell. Someone said to him: Has Allah not forgiven all your past and future sins? (Then why do you stand for such a long time?) The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) replied: Should I not be a most grateful servant of Allah?
Hadith 2123
عَنْ يُونُسَ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ أَنَّ رَجُلًا جَاءَ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَ: إِنَّ فُلَانًا نَامَ الْبَارِحَةَ وَلَمْ يُصَلِّ شَيْئًا حَتَّى أَصْبَحَ، فَقَالَ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ: ((بَالَ الشَّيْطَانُ فِي أُذْنِهِ))، قَالَ يُونُسُ: وَقَالَ الْحَسَنُ: إِنَّ بَوْلَهُ وَاللَّهِ ثَقِيلٌ
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) that a man came to the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "So-and-so slept through the night and did not pray until morning." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Satan urinated in his ear." Hasan said: "By Allah! His urine must be very heavy."
Hadith 2124
عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ حُسَيْنٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ جَدِّهِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ دَخَلَ عَلَيَّ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَعَلَى فَاطِمَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا مِنَ اللَّيْلِ (وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ: وَذَلِكَ مِنَ السَّحَرِ) فَأَيْقَظَنَا لِلصَّلَاةِ، قَالَ: ثُمَّ رَجَعَ إِلَى بَيْتِهِ فَصَلَّى هَوِيًّا مِنَ اللَّيْلِ، قَالَ: فَلَمْ يَسْمَعْ لَنَا حِسًّا، قَالَ: فَرَجَعَ إِلَيْنَا فَأَيْقَظَنَا وَقَالَ: ((قُومَا فَصَلِّيَا))، قَالَ: فَجَلَسْتُ وَأَنَا أَعْرُكُ عَيْنَيَّ، وَأَقُولُ: إِنَّا وَاللَّهِ مَا نُصَلِّي إِلَّا مَا كُتِبَ لَنَا، إِنَّمَا أَنْفُسُنَا بِيَدِ اللَّهِ، فَإِذَا شَاءَ أَنْ يَبْعَثَنَا بَعَثَنَا، قَالَ: فَوَلَّى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَهُوَ يَقُولُ وَيَضْرِبُ عَلَى فَخِذِهِ: ((مَا نُصَلِّي إِلَّا مَا كُتِبَ لَنَا، مَا نُصَلِّي إِلَّا مَا كُتِبَ لَنَا، وَكَانَ الْإِنْسَانُ أَكْثَرَ شَيْءٍ جَدَلًا))
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ali bin Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him), he says: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) came to me and Sayyidah Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her) at the time of suhoor during the night, woke us up for prayer, and then returned to his house and prayed for a while. But when he (peace and blessings be upon him) did not sense any sound from us, he came to us again and, waking us up, said: Get up and pray. I got up, sat down, and while rubbing my eyes, said: By Allah! We will only pray as much as has been written in our destiny; our souls are only in the hand of Allah Almighty, when He wills, He will raise us. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) went back, striking his thigh with his hand and saying as he went: We will only pray as much as has been written in our destiny, we will only pray as much as has been written in our destiny. The real matter is that man is the most argumentative of all things.
Hadith 2125
عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو (بْنِ الْعَاصِ) رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ: ((يَا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ! لَا تَكُونَنَّ مِثْلَ فُلَانٍ، كَانَ يَقُومُ اللَّيْلَ فَتَرَكَ قِيَامَ اللَّيْلِ))
Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Amr bin al-As (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: O Abdullah! Do not be like so-and-so; he used to stand (in prayer) at night, then he abandoned standing (in prayer) at night.
Hadith 2126
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ: ((إِذَا نَامَ أَحَدُكُمْ عُقِدَ عَلَى رَأْسِهِ ثَلَاثُ عُقَدٍ بِجَرِيرٍ، فَإِنْ قَامَ فَذَكَرَ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ، أُطْلِقَتْ وَاحِدَةٌ، وَإِنْ مَضَى فَتَوَضَّأَ أُطْلِقَتِ الثَّانِيَةُ، فَإِنْ مَضَى فَصَلَّى أُطْلِقَتِ الثَّالِثَةُ، فَإِنْ أَصْبَحَ وَلَمْ يَقُمْ شَيْئًا مِنَ اللَّيْلِ وَلَمْ يُصَلِّ أَصْبَحَ وَهُوَ عَلَيْهِ، يَعْنِي الْجَرِيرَ (وَفِي لَفْظٍ: وَإِنْ هُوَ بَاتَ وَلَمْ يَذْكُرِ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَلَمْ يَتَوَضَّأْ وَلَمْ يُصَلِّ حَتَّى يُصْبِحَ) أَصْبَحَ وَعَلَيْهِ الْعُقَدُ جَمِيعًا))
Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: When any one of you sleeps, three knots are tied at the back of his head with a leather cord. If he wakes up and remembers Allah, one knot is untied. If he goes further and performs ablution, the second knot is untied. And if he also performs prayer, the third knot is untied. But if he wakes up in the morning without having gotten up at night, without remembering Allah, without performing ablution, and without praying, then he wakes up in such a state that those knots remain upon him.
Hadith 2127
عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ: ((مَا مِنْ ذَكَرٍ وَلَا أَنْثَى إِلَّا وَعَلَى رَأْسِهِ جَرِيرٌ مَعْقُودٌ ثَلَاثَ عُقَدٍ حِينَ يَرْقُدُ، فَإِذَا اسْتَيْقَظَ فَذَكَرَ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى انْحَلَّتْ عُقْدَةٌ، فَإِذَا قَامَ فَتَوَضَّأَ انْحَلَّتْ عُقْدَةٌ، فَإِذَا قَامَ إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ انْحَلَّتْ عُقَدُهُ كُلُّهَا))
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: When every man and woman sleeps, a leather rope is tied on their head and three knots are made on their head. When he wakes up and remembers Allah Almighty, one knot is untied; when he gets up and performs ablution, the second knot is untied; and when he offers prayer, all the knots are untied.
