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مسند الحميدي
Musnad Humaydi
Hadiths of Aisha, Mother of the Believers (may Allah be pleased with her), from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)
Narration on Voluntary Fasts in Sha’ban and Thirteen Rak’ahs
Hadith 173
اُردوEn
173 - حَدَّثَنَا الْحُمَيْدِيُّ قَالَ: ثنا سُفْيَانُ قَالَ: ثنا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ أَبِي لَبِيدٍ وَكَانَ مِنْ عُبَّادِ أَهْلِ الْمَدِينَةِ قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ أَبَا سَلَمَةَ بْنَ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ يَقُولُ: دَخَلْتُ عَلَي عَائِشَةَ فَقُلْتُ: أَيْ أُمَّهْ أَخْبِرِينِي عَنْ صَلَاةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّي اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِاللَّيْلِ وَعَنْ صِيَامِهِ فَقَالَتْ: «كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّي اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَصُومُ حَتَّي نَقُولَ قَدْ صَامَ، وَيُفْطِرُ حَتَّي نَقُولَ قَدْ أَفْطَرَ، وَمَا رَأَيْتُهُ صَائِمًا فِي شَهْرٍ قَطُّ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ صِيَامِهِ فِي شَعْبَانَ، كَانَ يَصُومُهُ كُلَّهُ، بَلْ كَانَ يَصُومُهُ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا، وَكَانَتْ صَلَاتُهُ بِاللَّيْلِ فِي رَمَضَانَ وَغَيْرِهِ ثَلَاثَ عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً مِنْهَا رَكْعَتَيِ الْفَجْرِ»
Abu Salamah bin Abdur Rahman narrates: I went to the service of Sayyidah Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her). I said to her: Mother! Tell me about the night voluntary prayer of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and about his voluntary fasts. Umm al-Mu'mineen Sayyidah Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to observe voluntary fasts to such an extent that we would think he would continue to fast without break, but then he would abandon voluntary fasting to such an extent that we would think he would not fast any more voluntary fasts. I did not see the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) fasting in any month more than in the month of Sha'ban. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to fast almost the entire month, only a few days he would not fast in Sha'ban, and in Ramadan and outside of Ramadan, the night prayer of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to be thirteen rak'ahs, in which the two rak'ahs (Sunnah) of Fajr were also included.
Related hadith on this topic
Explanation & Benefits
Shaykh Muhammad Ibrahim bin Basheer
Benefit:
One should make a habit of observing voluntary (nafl) fasts, and in the month of Sha'ban, special attention should be given to voluntary fasting. During Ramadan and outside of Ramadan, the night prayer (tahajjud) and the Tarawih prayer consist of eleven rak‘ahs, including the witr, and if the two sunnah rak‘ahs of the morning (fajr) are added, then it becomes thirteen rak‘ahs, as clarified in this hadith. It should be noted that the Tarawih prayer and the Tahajjud prayer are the same. Twenty rak‘ahs of Tarawih are not established from the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), the Rightly Guided Caliphs (khulafa’ rashidun), or others.
One should make a habit of observing voluntary (nafl) fasts, and in the month of Sha'ban, special attention should be given to voluntary fasting. During Ramadan and outside of Ramadan, the night prayer (tahajjud) and the Tarawih prayer consist of eleven rak‘ahs, including the witr, and if the two sunnah rak‘ahs of the morning (fajr) are added, then it becomes thirteen rak‘ahs, as clarified in this hadith. It should be noted that the Tarawih prayer and the Tahajjud prayer are the same. Twenty rak‘ahs of Tarawih are not established from the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), the Rightly Guided Caliphs (khulafa’ rashidun), or others.
Source: Musnad al-Humaydi: Commentary by Muhammad Ibrahim bin Bashir, Page: 173
Shaykh Umar Farooq Saeedi
1341. Commentary: Benefits and Issues:
➊ Both forms of the Prophet’s (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) night prayer (qiyam al-layl)—in sets of two rak‘ahs and in sets of four rak‘ahs—are established. However, his most frequent practice was to pray in sets of two rak‘ahs.
➋ The specific mention by Aisha (radi Allahu anha) that the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) never prayed more than eleven rak‘ahs in Ramadan or outside of Ramadan is a refutation of those who began to increase the number of rak‘ahs in the night prayer (qiyam al-layl) during Ramadan. However, she also stated that his standing, bowing (ruku‘), and prostration (sujud) were very lengthy. Therefore, it is incumbent upon those who act according to the Sunnah to give due attention to both matters: the number (of rak‘ahs) and the quality (of the prayer).
➌ It was a particular characteristic of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) that he would not sleep without ablution (wudu). And the heart of a Prophet is never heedless at any time, because it is the place where revelation descends. As for the question regarding the incident when the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) and his companions (radi Allahu anhum) overslept at the time of the dawn (fajr) prayer during a journey, the answer is that the rising of dawn is related to what the eye perceives, not to the knowledge of the heart.
➍ From the questions and answers of Aisha (radi Allahu anha), it is indicated that ordinary people should not sleep before the witr prayer, lest they miss it, whereas the matter of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) is specific (to him).
➊ Both forms of the Prophet’s (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) night prayer (qiyam al-layl)—in sets of two rak‘ahs and in sets of four rak‘ahs—are established. However, his most frequent practice was to pray in sets of two rak‘ahs.
➋ The specific mention by Aisha (radi Allahu anha) that the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) never prayed more than eleven rak‘ahs in Ramadan or outside of Ramadan is a refutation of those who began to increase the number of rak‘ahs in the night prayer (qiyam al-layl) during Ramadan. However, she also stated that his standing, bowing (ruku‘), and prostration (sujud) were very lengthy. Therefore, it is incumbent upon those who act according to the Sunnah to give due attention to both matters: the number (of rak‘ahs) and the quality (of the prayer).
➌ It was a particular characteristic of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) that he would not sleep without ablution (wudu). And the heart of a Prophet is never heedless at any time, because it is the place where revelation descends. As for the question regarding the incident when the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) and his companions (radi Allahu anhum) overslept at the time of the dawn (fajr) prayer during a journey, the answer is that the rising of dawn is related to what the eye perceives, not to the knowledge of the heart.
➍ From the questions and answers of Aisha (radi Allahu anha), it is indicated that ordinary people should not sleep before the witr prayer, lest they miss it, whereas the matter of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) is specific (to him).
Source: Sunan Abu Dawood – Commentary by Shaykh Umar Farooq Saeedi, Page: 1341
