Abdullah bin Khabbab (may Allah have mercy on him) narrated from his father, Sayyiduna Khabbab bin al-Aratt (may Allah be pleased with him), that he watched the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) one night. He (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed until it was close to dawn, so he said: O Messenger of Allah! I saw you tonight pray a prayer the like of which I have never seen before? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Yes, it was a prayer of hope and fear. I asked my Lord, the Mighty and Majestic, for three things; He granted me two and withheld one from me. I asked Him not to destroy us in the way He destroyed the earlier nations, and He granted me that. I asked Him not to set any enemy over us, and He granted me that. And I asked Him not to split my Ummah into sects, and He withheld that from me."
Hadith Referenceالمعجم الكبير للطبراني / باب الخاء / 3608