20.

The Book of Qiyam Al-Lail (The Night Prayer) and Voluntary Prayers During the Day

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كتاب قيام الليل وتطوع النهار

Mu'adh bin Hisham said, ‘My father narrated to me, from Qatadah, from Zurarah bin Awfa, from Sa'd bin Hisham, that Ummul Momineen Aisha (رضي الله تعالى عنها) said, ‘when the Apostle of Allah (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) prayed witr with nine rak'a, he did not sit until the eighth rak'a. Then he would praise Allah (جَلَّ ذُو) and remember Him and supplicate, then he would get up and he wouldn't say the taslim, then he prayed the ninth, then he sat and remembered Allah (جَلَّ ذُو) and supplicated. Then he said a taslim that we could hear. Then he prayed two rak'a sitting down. When he grew older and weaker, he prayed witr with seven rak'a and did not sit until the sixth. Then he got up and did not say the taslim, and prayed the seventh, then he said the taslim, then he prayed two rak'a sitting down’.

Sa'd bin Hisham narrated that Ummul Momineen Aisha (رضي الله تعالى عنها) said, ‘we used to prepare siwak and water for wudu for the Apostle of Allah (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم). Allah (جَلَّ ذُو) would wake him when He willed to wake him at night, then he would clean his teeth and make wudu, and pray nine rak'a, not sitting until the eighth, when he would praise Allah (جَلَّ ذُو) and send blessings upon His Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) and supplicate between them, but he did not say the taslim. Then he prayed the ninth and sat, and said something similar, praising Allah (جَلَّ ذُو) and sending blessings upon His Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) , then he said a taslim that we could hear, then he prayed two rak'a sitting down’.

Zurarah bin Awfa narrated, ‘when Sa'd bin Hisham bin Amir (رضي الله تعالى عنه) came to visit us, he told us that he came to Ibn Abbas (رضي الله تعالى عنه) and asked him about the witr of the Apostle of Allah (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) . He said, ‘shall I not tell you of the most knowledgeable person on Earth about the witr of the Apostle of Allah (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)?’ I said, ‘who?’ He said, ‘Ummul Momineen Aisha (رضي الله تعالى عنها). So we went to her and greeted her with Salam and entered and asked her, ‘tell me about the witr of the Apostle of Allah (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) ’. She said, ‘we used to prepare for him his siwak and water for wudu, then Allah (جَلَّ ذُو) would wake him when He willed to wake him at night. He would clean his teeth and perform wudu, then he would pray nine rak'a, during which he would not sit until the eighth. Then he would praise Allah (جَلَّ ذُو) and remember Him and supplicate, then he would get up and not say the taslim. Then he would pray the ninth, then sit and praise Allah (جَلَّ ذُو) and remember Him and supplicate, then he would say a taslim that we could hear. Then he prayed two rak'a sitting, and that was eleven rak'a, O my son. When the Apostle of Allah (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) grew older and put on weight, he prayed witr with seven, then he prayed two rak'a sitting after saying the taslim, and that was nine, O my son. And when the Apostle of Allah (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) offered a prayer, he liked to persist in offering it’.

It was narrated that Aishah said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to pray witr with nine rak'ahs, then he would pray two rak'ahs sitting down. When he grew weaker he prayed witr with seven rak'ahs, then he prayed two rak'ahs sitting down.

Ummul Momineen Aisha (رضي الله تعالى عنها) narrated that the Apostle of Allah ( صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) used to pray witr with nine and pray two rak'a sitting down.

Sa'd bin Hisham narrated that he came to the Mother of the Believers Ummul Momineen Aisha (رضي الله تعالى عنها) and asked her about the prayers of the Apostle of Allah (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم). She said, ‘He used to pray eight rak'a at night and pray witr with the ninth, then he would pray two rak'a sitting down’.