Hadith 21603

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بِشْرٍ ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَمْرٍو ، حَدَّثَنِي مُوسَى بْنُ عُقْبَةَ ، عَنْ بُسْرِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ ، عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ ثَابِتٍ ، قَالَ : صَلَّى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لَيْلَةً ، فَسَمِعَ أَهْلُ الْمَسْجِدِ صَلَاتَهُ ، قَالَ : فَكَثُرَ النَّاسُ اللَّيْلَةَ الثَّانِيَةَ فَخَفِيَ عَلَيْهِمْ صَوْتُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، فَجَعَلُوا يَسْتَأْنِسُونَ وَيَتَنَحْنَحُونَ ، قَالَ : فَاطَّلَعَ عَلَيْهِمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، فَقَالَ : " مَا زِلْتُمْ بِالَّذِي تَصْنَعُونَ حَتَّى خَشِيتُ أَنْ يُكْتَبَ عَلَيْكُمْ ، وَلَوْ كُتِبَتْ عَلَيْكُمْ مَا قُمْتُمْ بِهَا ، وَإِنَّ أَفْضَلَ صَلَاةِ الْمَرْءِ فِي بَيْتِهِ ، إِلَّا صَلَاةَ الْمَكْتُوبَةِ " .
It is narrated from Hazrat Zaid bin Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him) that once the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) made a tent out of a mat in the mosque and prayed in it for several nights, until people also began to gather. After a few days, the voice of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was not heard, so people thought that perhaps the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had fallen asleep. Therefore, some people went near and started coughing so that the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would come out. The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "I was continuously observing your action until I feared that this prayer (Tahajjud) might become obligatory upon you, because if this prayer becomes obligatory upon you, you will not be able to adhere to it. Therefore, O people! Pray in your homes, for apart from the obligatory prayers, praying other prayers at home is the best for a person."
Hadith Reference مسند احمد / مسند الأنصار رضي الله عنهم / 21603
Hadith Grading حکم دارالسلام: حديث صحيح، خ: 731، م: 781، وهذا إسناد ضعيف الجهالة عقبة بن عبدالرحمن