The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to commend prayer at night during Ramadan, but did not command it as duty. He would say: If anyone prays during the night in Ramadan because of faith and seeking his reward from Allah, his previous sins will be forgiven for him. When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ died, this was the practice, and it continued thus during Abu Bakr's caliphate and early part of 'Umar's. Abu Dawud said: This tradition has been transmitted by 'Uqail, Yunus, and Abu Uwais in like manner. The version of 'Uqail goes: He who fasts during Ramadan and prays during the night.  

كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يُرَغِّبُ فِي قِيَامِ رَمَضَانَ مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ يَأْمُرَهُمْ بِعَزِيمَةٍ ثُمَّ يَقُولُ مَنْ قَامَ رَمَضَانَ إِيمَانًا وَاحْتِسَابًا غُفِرَ لَهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِهِ فَتُوُفِّيَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَالأَمْرُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ ثُمَّ كَانَ الأَمْرُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ فِي خِلاَفَةِ أَبِي بَكْرٍ ؓ وَصَدْرًا مِنْ خِلاَفَةِ عُمَرَ ؓ  

The Prophet ﷺ as saying: If anyone fasts during Ramadan because of faith and in order to seek his reward from Allah, his previous sins will be forgiven to him. If anyone prays in the night of the power (lailat al-qadr) because of faith and in order to seek his reward from Allah his previous sins will be forgiven for him. Abu Dawud said: This tradition has been transmitted in a similar manner by Yahya b. Abi Kathir and Muhammad b. 'Amr from Abu Salamah.  

النَّبِيَّ ﷺ مَنْ صَامَ رَمَضَانَ إِيمَانًا وَاحْتِسَابًا غُفِرَ لَهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِهِ وَمَنْ قَامَ لَيْلَةَ الْقَدْرِ إِيمَانًا وَاحْتِسَابًا غُفِرَ لَهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِهِ  

That the Prophet ﷺ once offered (tarawih) prayer in the mosque and the people also prayed along with him. He then prayed on the following night, and the people gathered in large numbers. They gathered on the third night too, but the Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not come out to them. When the morning came, he said: I witnessed what you did, and nothing prevented me from coming out to you except that I feared that this (prayer) might be prescribed to you. That was in Ramadan.  

عَنْ عَائِشَةَ زَوْجِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ صَلَّى فِي الْمَسْجِدِ فَصَلَّى بِصَلاَتِهِ نَاسٌ ثُمَّ صَلَّى مِنَ الْقَابِلَةِ فَكَثُرَ النَّاسُ ثُمَّ اجْتَمَعُوا مِنَ اللَّيْلَةِ الثَّالِثَةِ فَلَمْ يَخْرُجْ إِلَيْهِمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَلَمَّا أَصْبَحَ قَالَ قَدْ رَأَيْتُ الَّذِي صَنَعْتُمْ فَلَمْ يَمْنَعْنِي مِنَ الْخُرُوجِ إِلَيْكُمْ إِلاَّ أَنِّي خَشِيتُ أَنْ يُفْرَضَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَذَلِكَ فِي رَمَضَانَ  

The people used to pray (tarawih prayer) in the mosque during Ramadan severally. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ commanded me (to spread a mat). I spread a mat for him and he prayed upon it. The narrator then transmitted the same story. The Prophet ﷺ said: O People, praise be to Allah, I did not pass my night carelessly, nor did your position remain hidden from me.  

كَانَ النَّاسُ يُصَلُّونَ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ فِي رَمَضَانَ أَوْزَاعًا فَأَمَرَنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَضَرَبْتُ لَهُ حَصِيرًا فَصَلَّى عَلَيْهِ بِهَذِهِ الْقِصَّةِ قَالَتْ فِيهِ قَالَ تَعْنِي النَّبِيَّ ﷺ أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ أَمَا وَاللَّهِ مَا بِتُّ لَيْلَتِي هَذِهِ بِحَمْدِ اللَّهِ غَافِلاً وَلاَ خَفِيَ عَلَىَّ مَكَانُكُمْ  

We fasted with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ during Ramadan, but he did not make us get up at night for prayer at any time during the month till seven nights remained; then he made us get up for prayer till a third of the night had passed. When the sixth remaining night came, he did not make us get up for prayer. When the fifth remaining night came, he made us stand in prayer till a half of the night had gone. So I said: Messenger of Allah, I wish you had led us in supererogatory prayers during the whole of tonight. He said: When a man prays with an imam till he goes he is reckoned as having spent a whole night in prayer. On the fourth remaining night he did not make us get up. When the third remaining night came, he gathered his family, his wives, and the people and prayed with us till we were afraid we should miss the falah (success). I said: What is falah? He said: The meal before daybreak. Then he did not make us get up for prayer during the remainder of the month.  

صُمْنَا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ رَمَضَانَ فَلَمْ يَقُمْ بِنَا شَيْئًا مِنَ الشَّهْرِ حَتَّى بَقِيَ سَبْعٌ فَقَامَ بِنَا حَتَّى ذَهَبَ ثُلُثُ اللَّيْلِ فَلَمَّا كَانَتِ السَّادِسَةُ لَمْ يَقُمْ بِنَا فَلَمَّا كَانَتِ الْخَامِسَةُ قَامَ بِنَا حَتَّى ذَهَبَ شَطْرُ اللَّيْلِ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ لَوْ نَفَّلْتَنَا قِيَامَ هَذِهِ اللَّيْلَةِ قَالَ فَقَالَ إِنَّ الرَّجُلَ إِذَا صَلَّى مَعَ الإِمَامِ حَتَّى يَنْصَرِفَ حُسِبَ لَهُ قِيَامُ لَيْلَةٍ قَالَ فَلَمَّا كَانَتِ الرَّابِعَةُ لَمْ يَقُمْ فَلَمَّا كَانَتِ الثَّالِثَةُ جَمَعَ أَهْلَهُ وَنِسَاءَهُ وَالنَّاسَ فَقَامَ بِنَا حَتَّى خَشِينَا أَنْ يَفُوتَنَا الْفَلاَحُ قَالَ قُلْتُ مَا الْفَلاَحُ قَالَ السُّحُورُ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَقُمْ بِنَا بَقِيَّةَ الشَّهْرِ  

When the last ten days of Ramadan came, the Prophet ﷺ kept vigil and prayed during the whole night, and tied the wrapper tightly, and awakened his family (to pray during the night). Abu Dawud said: The name of Abu Ya'fur is 'Abd al-Rahman b. 'Ubaid b. Nistas.  

أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ كَانَ إِذَا دَخَلَ الْعَشْرُ أَحْيَا اللَّيْلَ وَشَدَّ الْمِئْزَرَ وَأَيْقَظَ أَهْلَهُ  

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ came out and saw that the people were praying during (the night of) Ramadan in the corner of the mosque. He asked: Who are these people ? It was said to him that those were people who had not learnt Quran. But Ubayy b. Ka'b is praying and they would pray behind him. The Prophet ﷺ said: They did right and it is good what they did. Abu Dawud said: This tradition is not strong, the narrator Muslim b. Khalid is weak.  

خَرَجَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَإِذَا أُنَاسٌ فِي رَمَضَانَ يُصَلُّونَ فِي نَاحِيَةِ الْمَسْجِدِ فَقَالَ مَا هَؤُلاَءِ فَقِيلَ هَؤُلاَءِ نَاسٌ لَيْسَ مَعَهُمْ قُرْآنٌ وَأُبَىُّ بْنُ كَعْبٍ يُصَلِّي وَهُمْ يُصَلُّونَ بِصَلاَتِهِ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ أَصَابُوا وَنِعْمَ مَا صَنَعُوا