حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ قَالَ : حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ قَالَ : حَدَّثَنِي دَاوُدُ بْنُ عِيسَى الْكُوفِيُّ ، عَنْ مَنْصُورِ بْنِ الْمُعْتَمِرِ قَالَ : حَدَّثَنِي عَلِيُّ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ عَبَّاسٍ .
قَالَ : حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي ، أَنَّ أَبَاهُ ، بَعَثَهُ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي حَاجَةٍ قَالَ : فَوَجَدْتُهُ جَالِسًا مَعَ أَصْحَابِهِ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ ، فَلَمْ أَسْتَطِعْ أَنْ أُكَلِّمَهُ ، فَلَمَّا صَلَّى الْمَغْرِبَ ، قَامَ يَرْكَعُ حَتَّى أَذَّنَ الْمُؤَذِّنُ لِصَلَاةِ الْعِشَاءِ ، وَثَابَ النَّاسُ ، ثُمَّ صَلَّى الصَّلَاةَ ، فَقَامَ يَرْكَعُ حَتَّى انْصَرَفَ مَنْ بَقِيَ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ ، ثُمَّ انْصَرَفَ إِلَى مَنْزِلِهِ ، وَتَبِعْتُهُ ، فَلَمَّا سَمِعَ حِسِّي قَالَ : I " مَنْ هَذَا ؟ I " وَالْتَفَتَ إِلَيَّ فَقُلْتُ : ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ . قَالَ : I " ابْنُ عَمِّ رَسُولِ اللهِ ؟ I " قُلْتُ : ابْنُ عَمِّ رَسُولِ اللهِ . قَالَ : I " مَرْحَبًا بِابْنِ عَمِّ رَسُولِ اللهِ ، مَا جَاءَ بِكَ ؟ I " فَقُلْتُ : بَعَثَنِي أَبِي بِكَذَا وَكَذَا . قَالَ : I " السَّاعَةَ جِئْتَ ؟ I " فَقُلْتُ : لَا . فَقَالَ : I " إِذْ لَمْ تَنْصَرِفْ إِلَى سَاعَتِكَ هَذِهِ فَلَسْتَ مُنْصَرِفًا I " . فَدَخَلَ مَنْزِلَهُ ، وَدَخَلْتُ مَعَهُ . فَقُلْتُ : لَأَنْظُرَنَّ صَلَاةَ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ اللَّيْلَةَ ، فَنَامَ حَتَّى سَمِعْتُ غَطِيطَهُ ، ثُمَّ اسْتَيْقَظَ فَرَمَى بِبَصَرِهِ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ وَتَلَا هَذِهِ الْآيَاتِ الَّتِي فِي سُورَةِ آلِ عِمْرَانَ : إِنَّ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ الْآيَاتِ الْخَمْسَ ، حَتَّى انْتَهَى إِلَى إِنَّكَ لا تُخْلِفُ الْمِيعَادَ ثُمَّ قَالَ : اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْ فِي سَمْعِي نُورًا ، وَفِي بَصَرِي نُورًا ، وَمِنْ فَوْقِي نُورًا ، وَمِنْ تَحْتِي نُورًا ، وَعَنْ يَمِينِي نُورًا ، وَعَنْ شِمَالِي نُورًا ، وَاجْعَلْ لِي عِنْدَكَ نُورًا I " . وَإِلَى جَانِبِهِ مِخْضَبٌ مِنْ بِرَامٍ مَطْبُوٌّ عَلَيْهِ سِوَاكٌ ، فَاسْتَنَّ ، ثُمَّ تَوَضَّأَ ، ثُمَّ رَكَعَ رَكْعَتَيْنِ ، ثُمَّ عَادَ فَنَامَ أَيْضًا حَتَّى سَمِعْتُ غَطِيطَهُ ، ثُمَّ اسْتَيْقَظَ فَتَلَا الْآيَاتِ وَدَعَا بِالدَّعْوَةِ ، ثُمَّ اسْتَنَّ ، ثُمَّ تَوَضَّأَ ثُمَّ رَكَعَ رَكْعَتَيْنِ ، ثُمَّ نَامَ حَتَّى سَمِعْتُ غَطِيطَهُ ، ثُمَّ اسْتَيْقَظَ فَتَلَا الْآيَاتِ ، ثُمَّ دَعَا بِالدَّعْوَةِ ، ثُمَّ اسْتَنَّ ، ثُمَّ تَوَضَّأَ ، ثُمَّ رَكَعَ رَكْعَتَيْنِ ، ثُمَّ نَامَ حَتَّى سَمِعْتُ غَطِيطَهُ ، ثُمَّ اسْتَيْقَظَ فَتَلَا الْآيَاتِ وَدَعَا بِالدَّعْوَةِ ، ثُمَّ اسْتَنَّ ، ثُمَّ تَوَضَّأَ ، ثُمَّ صَلَّى صَلَاةً عَرَفْتُ أَنَّهُ يُوتِرُ فِيهَا ، ثُمَّ قَالَ : I " أَنَامَ الْغُلَامُ ؟ I " فَقُلْتُ : لَا . فَقُمْتُ فَتَوَضَّأْتُ ، ثُمَّ أَقْبَلْتُ فَجِئْتُ إِلَى رُكْنِهِ الْأَيْسَرِ ، فَأَخَذَ بِأُصْبَعَيْهِ فِي أُذُنَيَّ ، فَأَدَارَنِي حَتَّى أَقَامَنِي إِلَى رُكْنِهِ الْأَيْمَنِ ، ثُمَّ رَكَعَ رَكْعَتَيِ الْفَجْرِ ، ثُمَّ خَرَجَ إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ .
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that his father (Sayyiduna Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him) sent him to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) for some need. Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: "I found him (peace and blessings be upon him) sitting with the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) in the mosque, and at that time I did not get a chance to speak to him (peace and blessings be upon him). When he (peace and blessings be upon him) had prayed Maghrib, he (peace and blessings be upon him) began to pray (voluntary prayer) until the mu'adhdhin called the adhan for the Isha prayer and the people gathered. Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) led the (Isha) prayer, after which he again stood to pray voluntary prayers until the remaining people in the mosque had also left. Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) set off towards his house, and I followed behind him (peace and blessings be upon him). When he (peace and blessings be upon him) sensed my footsteps, he asked: 'Who is this?' and turned towards me. I said: (Abdullah) bin Abbas. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'The cousin of the Messenger of Allah?' I said: Yes, the cousin of the Messenger of Allah. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'Welcome to the cousin of the Messenger of Allah; what has brought you?' I said: My father has sent me for such-and-such a matter. He (peace and blessings be upon him) asked: 'Have you come just now?' I said: No. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'Since you have not gone back until now, you will not go (tonight) (that is, you will stay here).' Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) entered his house and I went in with him (peace and blessings be upon him). I thought (to myself): Tonight I will certainly watch the night prayer (tahajjud) of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). He (peace and blessings be upon him) slept until I heard him (peace and blessings be upon him) snoring; then he (peace and blessings be upon him) woke up, raised his gaze towards the sky and recited these verses of Surah Al Imran, from 'Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth' through five verses to 'Indeed, You do not break the promise.' Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) made this supplication: 'Allahumma ij'al fi sam'i nuran, wa fi basari nuran, wa min fawqi nuran, wa min tahti nuran, wa 'an yamini nuran, wa 'an shimali nuran, waj'al li 'indaka nuran' (O Allah, place light in my hearing, place light in my sight, and grant light above me, light beneath me, light on my right and light on my left, and ordain light for me from Yourself). Beside him (peace and blessings be upon him) was a stone basin on which a tooth-stick (miswak) had been placed. He (peace and blessings be upon him) used the tooth-stick, then performed ablution (wudu) and prayed two rak'ahs; then he slept again until I heard him snoring. Then he woke up, recited the same verses and made the same supplication, then used the tooth-stick, performed ablution and prayed two rak'ahs; then he slept until I heard him snoring, then woke up, recited the same verses and made the same supplication, then used the tooth-stick, performed ablution and prayed two rak'ahs; then he slept until I heard him snoring, then woke up, recited the same verses and made the same supplication, then used the tooth-stick and performed ablution, then offered a prayer from which I understood that he (peace and blessings be upon him) was praying witr. Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) asked: 'Has the boy fallen asleep?' I said: No. Then I got up, performed ablution, and came and stood on the left side of him (peace and blessings be upon him). He (peace and blessings be upon him) took hold of my ears with his fingers and turned me around until he placed me on his right side. Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed the two (sunnah) rak'ahs of Fajr and then went out for the (obligatory) prayer."