Is there not for you a model pattern in me? And when they narrated this to him (Sa'd b. Hisham), he returned to his wife, though he had divorced her and made (people) witness to his reconciliation. He then came to Ibn 'Abbas and asked him about the Witr of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Ibn 'Abbas said: Should I not lead you to one who knows best amongst the people of the world about the Witr of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ? He said: Who is it? He (Ibn 'Abbas) said: It is 'A'isha. So go to her and ask her (about Witr) and then come to me and inform me about her answer that she would give you. So I came to Hakim b. Aflah and requested him to take me to her. He said: I would not go to her, for I forbade her to speak anything (about the conflict) between the two groupS, but she refused (to accept my advice) and went (to participate in that corflict). I (requested) him (Hakim) with an oath to lead me to her. So we went to 'A'isha and we begged permission to meet her. She granted us permission and we went in. She said: Are you Hakim? (She recognised him.) He replied: Yes. She said: Who is there with you? He said: He is Sa'd b. Hisham. She said: Which Hisham? He said: He is Hisham b. 'Amir. She blessed him ('Amir) with mercy from Allah and spoke good of him (Qatada said that he died as a martyr in Uhud). I said: Mother of the Faithful, tell me about the character of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. She said: Don't you read the Qur'an? I said: Yes. Upon this she said: The character of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was the Qur'an. He said: I felt inclined to get up and not ask anything (further) till death. But then I changed my mind and said: Inform me about the observance (of the night prayer) of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. She said: Did you not recite:" O thou wrapped up"? He said: Yes. She said: Allah, the Exalted and the Glorious, made the observance of the night prayer at the beginning of this Surah obligatory. So the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him and his Companions around him observed this (night prayer) for one year. Allah held back the concluding portion of this Surah for twelve months in the Heaven till (at the end of this period) Allah revealed the concluding verses of this Surah which lightened (the burden of this prayer), and the night prayer became a supererogatory prayer after being an obligatory one. I said: Mother of the Faithful, inform me about the Witr of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. She said: I used to prepare tooth stick for him and water for his ablution, and Allah would rouse him to the extent He wished during the night. He would use the tooth stick, and perform ablution, and would offer nine rak'ahs, and would not sit but in the eighth one and would remember Allah, and praise Him and supplicate Him, then he would get up without uttering the salutation and pray the ninth rak'ah. He would then sit, remember, praise Him and supplicate Him and then utter a salutation loud enough for us to hear. He would then pray two rak'ahs sitting after uttering the salutation, and that made eleven rak'ahs. O my son, but when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ grew old and put on flesh, he observed Witr of seven, doing in the two rak'ahs as he had done formerly, and that made nine. O my son, and when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ observed prayer, he liked to keep on observing it, and when sleep or pain overpowered him and made it impossible (for him) to observe prayer in the night, he prayed twelve rak'ahs daring the day. I am not aware of Allah's Prophet ﷺ having recited the whole Qur'an during one single night, or praying through the night till morning, or fasting a complete month, except Ramadan. He (the narrator) said: I then went to Ibn 'Abbas and narrated to him the hadith (transmitted from her), and he said: She says the truth If I went to her and got into her presence, I would have listened to it orally from her. He said: If I were to know that you do not go to her. I would not have transmitted this hadith to you narrated by her.  

أَنْ يَغْزُوَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ فَقَدِمَ الْمَدِينَةَ فَأَرَادَ أَنْ يَبِيعَ عَقَارًا لَهُ بِهَا فَيَجْعَلَهُ فِي السِّلاَحِ وَالْكُرَاعِ وَيُجَاهِدَ الرُّومَ حَتَّى يَمُوتَ فَلَمَّا قَدِمَ الْمَدِينَةَ لَقِيَ أُنَاسًا مِنْ أَهْلِ الْمَدِينَةِ فَنَهَوْهُ عَنْ ذَلِكَ وَأَخْبَرُوهُ أَنَّ رَهْطًا سِتَّةً أَرَادُوا ذَلِكَ فِي حَيَاةِ نَبِيِّ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَنَهَاهُمْ نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَقَالَ أَلَيْسَ لَكُمْ فِيَّ أُسْوَةٌ فَلَمَّا حَدَّثُوهُ بِذَلِكَ رَاجَعَ امْرَأَتَهُ وَقَدْ كَانَ طَلَّقَهَا وَأَشْهَدَ عَلَى رَجْعَتِهَا فَأَتَى ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ فَسَأَلَهُ عَنْ وِتْرِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ أَلاَ أَدُلُّكَ عَلَى أَعْلَمِ أَهْلِ الأَرْضِ بِوِتْرِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ مَنْ قَالَ عَائِشَةُ فَأْتِهَا فَاسْأَلْهَا ثُمَّ ائْتِنِي فَأَخْبِرْنِي بِرَدِّهَا عَلَيْكَ فَانْطَلَقْتُ إِلَيْهَا فَأَتَيْتُ عَلَى حَكِيمِ بْنِ أَفْلَحَ فَاسْتَلْحَقْتُهُ إِلَيْهَا فَقَالَ مَا أَنَا بِقَارِبِهَا لأَنِّي نَهَيْتُهَا أَنْ تَقُولَ فِي هَاتَيْنِ الشِّيعَتَيْنِ شَيْئًا فَأَبَتْ فِيهِمَا إِلاَّ مُضِيًّا قَالَ فَأَقْسَمْتُ عَلَيْهِ فَجَاءَ فَانْطَلَقْنَا إِلَى عَائِشَةَ فَاسْتَأْذَنَّا عَلَيْهَا فَأَذِنَتْ لَنَا فَدَخَلْنَا عَلَيْهَا فَقَالَتْ أَحَكِيمٌ فَعَرَفَتْهُ فَقَالَ نَعَمْ فَقَالَتْ مَنْ مَعَكَ قَالَ سَعْدُ بْنُ هِشَامٍ قَالَتْ مَنْ هِشَامٌ قَالَ ابْنُ عَامِرٍ فَتَرَحَّمَتْ عَلَيْهِ وَقَالَتْ خَيْرًا قَالَ قَتَادَةُ وَكَانَ أُصِيبَ يَوْمَ أُحُدٍ فَقُلْتُ يَا أُمَّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَنْبِئِينِي عَنْ خُلُقِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَتْ أَلَسْتَ تَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ قُلْتُ بَلَى قَالَتْ فَإِنَّ خُلُقَ نَبِيِّ اللَّهِ ﷺ كَانَ الْقُرْآنَ قَالَ فَهَمَمْتُ أَنْ أَقُومَ وَلاَ أَسْأَلَ أَحَدًا عَنْ شَىْءٍ حَتَّى أَمُوتَ ثُمَّ بَدَا لِي فَقُلْتُ أَنْبِئِينِي عَنْ قِيَامِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَتْ أَلَسْتَ تَقْرَأُ { يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُزَّمِّلُ} قُلْتُ بَلَى قَالَتْ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ ﷻ افْتَرَضَ قِيَامَ اللَّيْلِ فِي أَوَّلِ هَذِهِ السُّورَةِ فَقَامَ نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَأَصْحَابُهُ حَوْلاً وَأَمْسَكَ اللَّهُ خَاتِمَتَهَا اثْنَىْ عَشَرَ شَهْرًا فِي السَّمَاءِ حَتَّى أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ فِي آخِرِ هَذِهِ السُّورَةِ التَّخْفِيفَ فَصَارَ قِيَامُ اللَّيْلِ تَطَوُّعًا بَعْدَ فَرِيضَةٍ قَالَ قُلْتُ يَا أُمَّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَنْبِئِينِي عَنْ وِتْرِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَتْ كُنَّا نُعِدُّ لَهُ سِوَاكَهُ وَطَهُورَهُ فَيَبْعَثُهُ اللَّهُ مَا شَاءَ أَنْ يَبْعَثَهُ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ فَيَتَسَوَّكُ وَيَتَوَضَّأُ وَيُصَلِّي تِسْعَ رَكَعَاتٍ لاَ يَجْلِسُ فِيهَا إِلاَّ فِي الثَّامِنَةِ فَيَذْكُرُ اللَّهَ وَيَحْمَدُهُ وَيَدْعُوهُ ثُمَّ يَنْهَضُ وَلاَ يُسَلِّمُ ثُمَّ يَقُومُ فَيُصَلِّي التَّاسِعَةَ ثُمَّ يَقْعُدُ فَيَذْكُرُ اللَّهَ وَيَحْمَدُهُ وَيَدْعُوهُ ثُمَّ يُسَلِّمُ تَسْلِيمًا يُسْمِعُنَا ثُمَّ يُصَلِّي رَكْعَتَيْنِ بَعْدَ مَا يُسَلِّمُ وَهُوَ قَاعِدٌ فَتِلْكَ إِحْدَى عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً يَا بُنَىَّ فَلَمَّا أَسَنَّ نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَأَخَذَ اللَّحْمَ أَوْتَرَ بِسَبْعٍ وَصَنَعَ فِي الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ مِثْلَ صَنِيعِهِ الأَوَّلِ فَتِلْكَ تِسْعٌ يَا بُنَىَّ وَكَانَ نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِذَا صَلَّى صَلاَةً أَحَبَّ أَنْ يُدَاوِمَ عَلَيْهَا وَكَانَ إِذَا غَلَبَهُ نَوْمٌ أَوْ وَجَعٌ عَنْ قِيَامِ اللَّيْلِ صَلَّى مِنَ النَّهَارِ ثِنْتَىْ عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً وَلاَ أَعْلَمُ نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَرَأَ الْقُرْآنَ كُلَّهُ فِي لَيْلَةٍ وَلاَ صَلَّى لَيْلَةً إِلَى الصُّبْحِ وَلاَ صَامَ شَهْرًا كَامِلاً غَيْرَ رَمَضَانَ قَالَ فَانْطَلَقْتُ إِلَى ابْنِ عَبَّاسِ فَحَدَّثْتُهُ بِحَدِيثِهَا فَقَالَ صَدَقَتْ لَوْ كُنْتُ أَقْرَبُهَا أَوْ أَدْخُلُ عَلَيْهَا لأَتَيْتُهَا حَتَّى تُشَافِهَنِي بِهِ قَالَ قُلْتُ لَوْ عَلِمْتُ أَنَّكَ لاَ تَدْخُلُ عَلَيْهَا مَا حَدَّثْتُكَ حَدِيثَهَا  

He met Ibn 'Abbas and asked him about Witr. He said: "Shall I not lead you to one who knows best among the people of the world about the witr of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ?" He said: "Yes." (Ibn Abbas) said: "It is 'Aishah. So go to her and ask her (about witr) and then come back to me and tell me the answer that she gives you." So I went to Hakim bin Aflah and asked him to go accompany me to her. He said: "I shall not go to her, for I told her not to say anything about these two (conflicting) groups, but she refused (to accept my advice) and went on (to participate in the conflict)." I swore an oath, beseeching him (to take me to her). So he came with me and went unto her. She said to Hakim: "Who is this with you?" He said: "He is Sa'd bin Hisham." She said: "Which Hisham?" He said: "Ibn Amir." She supplicated for mercy for him and said: "What a good man Amir was." He said: "O Mother of the Believers, tell me about the character of the Messenger of Allah." She said: "Don't you read the Qur'an?" I said: "Yes." She said "The character of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was the Qur'an." He said: "I wanted to get up (and leave), then I thought of the Qiyam (night prayer) of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said: "Tell me about the Qiyam of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ." She said: "Do you not recite this surah: "O you wrapped in garments?" I said: "Yes." She said: "Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, made Qiyam Al-Lail obligatory at the beginning of this surah, so the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and his companions prayed Qiyam Al-Lail for one year. Allah (SWT) withheld the latter part of this surah for twelve months, then he revealed the lessening (of this duty) at the end of this surah, so Qiyam Al-Lail became voluntary after it had been obligatory." I felt inclined to stand up (and not ask anything further), then I thought of the witr of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. I said: "O Mother of the Believers, tell me about the witr of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ." She said: "We used to prepare his siwak and water for his ablution, and Allah (SWT) would wake him when He wished during the night. He would use the siwak, perform ablution, and then pray eight rak'ahs in which he would not sit until he reached the eighth one. Then he would sit and remember Allah (SWT) and supplicate, then he would say the taslim that we could hear. Then he would pray two rak'as sitting after uttering the taslim, then he would pray one rak'ah, and that made eleven rak'ahs, O my son! When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ grew older and put on weight, he prayed witr with seven rak'ahs, then he prayed two rak'ahs sitting down after saying the taslim, and that made nine rak'ahs. O my son, when the Messenger of Allah ﷺoffered a prayer, he liked to continue to offer it, and when sleep, sickness, or pain distracted him from praying Qiyam Al-Lail, he would pray twelve rak'ahs during the day. I am not aware of the Prophet of Allah ﷺ having recited the whole Qur'an during a single night, or praying through the whole night until morning, or fasting a complete month, except Ramadan." I went to Ibn 'Abbas and told him what she had said, and he said: "She has spoken the truth. If I could go to her (and meet her face to face) I would so that she could tell me all of that verbally."  

أَلاَ أُنَبِّئُكَ بِأَعْلَمِ أَهْلِ الأَرْضِ بِوِتْرِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ نَعَمْ قَالَ عَائِشَةُ ائْتِهَا فَسَلْهَا ثُمَّ ارْجِعْ إِلَىَّ فَأَخْبِرْنِي بِرَدِّهَا عَلَيْكَ فَأَتَيْتُ عَلَى حَكِيمِ بْنِ أَفْلَحَ فَاسْتَلْحَقْتُهُ إِلَيْهَا فَقَالَ مَا أَنَا بِقَارِبِهَا إِنِّي نَهَيْتُهَا أَنْ تَقُولَ فِي هَاتَيْنِ الشِّيعَتَيْنِ شَيْئًا فَأَبَتْ فِيهَا إِلاَّ مُضِيًّا فَأَقْسَمْتُ عَلَيْهِ فَجَاءَ مَعِي فَدَخَلَ عَلَيْهَا فَقَالَتْ لِحَكِيمٍ مَنْ هَذَا مَعَكَ قُلْتُ سَعْدُ بْنُ هِشَامٍ قَالَتْ مَنْ هِشَامٌ قُلْتُ ابْنُ عَامِرٍ فَتَرَحَّمَتْ عَلَيْهِ وَقَالَتْ نِعْمَ الْمَرْءُ كَانَ عَامِرًا قَالَ يَا أُمَّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَنْبِئِينِي عَنْ خُلُقِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَتْ أَلَيْسَ تَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ قَالَ قُلْتُ بَلَى قَالَتْ فَإِنَّ خُلُقَ نَبِيِّ اللَّهِ ﷺ الْقُرْآنُ فَهَمَمْتُ أَنْ أَقُومَ فَبَدَا لِي قِيَامُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ يَا أُمَّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَنْبِئِينِي عَنْ قِيَامِ نَبِيِّ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَتْ أَلَيْسَ تَقْرَأُ هَذِهِ السُّورَةَ { يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُزَّمِّلُ } قُلْتُ بَلَى قَالَتْ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ ﷻ افْتَرَضَ قِيَامَ اللَّيْلِ فِي أَوَّلِ هَذِهِ السُّورَةِ فَقَامَ نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَأَصْحَابُهُ حَوْلاً حَتَّى انْتَفَخَتْ أَقْدَامُهُمْ وَأَمْسَكَ اللَّهُ ﷻ خَاتِمَتَهَا اثْنَىْ عَشَرَ شَهْرًا ثُمَّ أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ ﷻ التَّخْفِيفَ فِي آخِرِ هَذِهِ السُّورَةِ فَصَارَ قِيَامُ اللَّيْلِ تَطَوُّعًا بَعْدَ أَنْ كَانَ فَرِيضَةً فَهَمَمْتُ أَنْ أَقُومَ فَبَدَا لِي وِتْرُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقُلْتُ يَا أُمَّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَنْبِئِينِي عَنْ وِتْرِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَتْ كُنَّا نُعِدُّ لَهُ سِوَاكَهُ وَطَهُورَهُ فَيَبْعَثُهُ اللَّهُ ﷻ لِمَا شَاءَ أَنْ يَبْعَثَهُ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ فَيَتَسَوَّكُ وَيَتَوَضَّأُ وَيُصَلِّي ثَمَانِيَ رَكَعَاتٍ لاَ يَجْلِسُ فِيهِنَّ إِلاَّ عِنْدَ الثَّامِنَةِ يَجْلِسُ فَيَذْكُرُ اللَّهَ ﷻ وَيَدْعُو ثُمَّ يُسَلِّمُ تَسْلِيمًا يُسْمِعُنَا ثُمَّ يُصَلِّي رَكْعَتَيْنِ وَهُوَ جَالِسٌ بَعْدَ مَا يُسَلِّمُ ثُمَّ يُصَلِّي رَكْعَةً فَتِلْكَ إِحْدَى عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً يَا بُنَىَّ فَلَمَّا أَسَنَّ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَأَخَذَ اللَّحْمَ أَوْتَرَ بِسَبْعٍ وَصَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ وَهُوَ جَالِسٌ بَعْدَ مَا سَلَّمَ فَتِلْكَ تِسْعُ رَكَعَاتٍ يَا بُنَىَّ وَكَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِذَا صَلَّى صَلاَةً أَحَبَّ أَنْ يَدُومَ عَلَيْهَا وَكَانَ إِذَا شَغَلَهُ عَنْ قِيَامِ اللَّيْلِ نَوْمٌ أَوْ مَرَضٌ أَوْ وَجَعٌ صَلَّى مِنَ النَّهَارِ اثْنَتَىْ عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً وَلاَ أَعْلَمُ أَنَّ نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَرَأَ الْقُرْآنَ كُلَّهُ فِي لَيْلَةٍ وَلاَ قَامَ لَيْلَةً كَامِلَةً حَتَّى الصَّبَاحِ وَلاَ صَامَ شَهْرًا كَامِلاً غَيْرَ رَمَضَانَ فَأَتَيْتُ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ فَحَدَّثْتُهُ بِحَدِيثِهَا فَقَالَ صَدَقَتْ أَمَا أَنِّي لَوْ كُنْتُ أَدْخُلُ عَلَيْهَا لأَتَيْتُهَا حَتَّى تُشَافِهَنِي مُشَافَهَةً قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ كَذَا وَقَعَ فِي كِتَابِي وَلاَ أَدْرِي مِمَّنِ الْخَطَأُ فِي مَوْضِعِ وِتْرِهِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ  

[Machine] We were informed by Shaddad bin Abdullah Al-Damishqi, who was one of the companions of the Prophet ﷺ , that Abu Umarah said, "O Amr bin Abasah, the companion of wisdom, the wisdom of giving charity is a man from the tribe of Bani Sulaym. What makes you claim that you are a quarter of Islam?" He said, "In the period of ignorance, I used to see people in misguidance and I did not see any value in idols. Then I heard about a man who was reporting news from Makkah and narrating stories. So, I rode my camel until I reached Makkah, where I found the Messenger of Allah ﷺ hiding while his people were bold against him. I showed kindness to him and entered to meet him. I asked him, 'Who are you?' He said, ‘I am the Messenger of Allah.’ I asked, 'What is a Messenger of Allah?' He said, 'The Messenger of Allah is a Prophet.' I asked, 'Did Allah send you?' He said, 'Yes.' I asked, 'For what purpose did Allah send you?' He said, 'To worship Allah alone and not associate anything with Him, to demolish idols, and to maintain family ties.' Then I asked, 'Who is with you in this?' He said, 'The free and the slave or the slave and the free.' And he mentioned that Abu Bakr bin Abi Quhafa and Bilal, the slave of Abu Bakr, were with him. I said, 'I will follow you.' He said, 'You are not capable of that today, but return to your family. When you hear that I have emerged, come to me.' So, I returned to my family and I embraced Islam. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ migrated to Madinah, and I continued to search for news until a delegation from Yathrib came. I asked, 'Who is this Makkian man who has come to you?' They said, 'His people wanted to kill him, but they were unable, so there was a treaty between him and them.' And we left the people in confusion. I, Amr bin Abasah, rode my camel until I reached Madinah. I entered and said, 'O Messenger of Allah, do you recognize me?' He said, 'Yes, aren't you the one who came to me from Makkah?' I said, 'Indeed.' So, I said, 'O Messenger of Allah, teach me what Allah has taught you, for I am ignorant.' He said, 'If you pray Fajr, then shorten your prayer until the sun rises. Then do not pray until it is fully elevated, as at that time, the disbelievers prostrate to it. When it rises the height of a spear or two, then pray, as the prayer is witnessed and forbidden until the spear is shaded by the shadow. Then shorten your prayer, as at that time, Hellfire is kindled. When the sun has fully set, then you may pray Asr. When you pray Asr, then shorten your prayer until the sun has set, as at that time, the disbelievers prostrate to it.' I said, 'O Prophet of Allah, tell me about ablution.' He said, 'None of you should perform ablution, then rinse the mouth, sniff water into the nose, and blow it out, except that his sins are expiated from his mouth and nostrils with the water when it flows. Then, wash his face as Allah, the Most High, ordered.'  

حَدَّثَنَا شَدَّادُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللهِ الدِّمَشْقِيُّ وَكَانَ قَدْ أَدْرَكَ نَفَرًا مِنْ أَصْحَابِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو أُمَامَةَ يَا عَمْرُو بْنَ عَبَسَةَ صَاحِبَ الْعَقْلِ عَقْلِ الصَّدَقَةِ رَجُلٌ مِنْ بَنِي سُلَيْمٍ بِأَيِّ شَيْءٍ تَدَّعِي أَنَّكَ رُبُعُ الْإِسْلَامِ؟ قَالَ إِنِّي كُنْتُ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ أَرَى النَّاسَ عَلَى ضَلَالَةٍ وَلَا أَرَى الْأَوْثَانَ شَيْئًا ثُمَّ سَمِعْتُ عَنْ رَجُلٍ يُخْبِرُ أَخْبَارَ مَكَّةَ وَيُحَدِّثُ أَحَادِيثَ فَرَكِبْتُ رَاحِلَتِي حَتَّى قَدِمْتُ مَكَّةَ فَإِذَا أَنَا بِرَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ مُسْتَخْفٍ وَإِذَا قَوْمُهُ عَلَيْهِ جُرَآءُ فَتَلَطَّفْتُ لَهُ فَدَخَلْتُ عَلَيْهِ فَقُلْتُ مَا أَنْتَ؟ قَالَ أَنَا نَبِيُّ اللهِ فَقُلْتُ وَمَا نَبِيُّ اللهِ؟ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ قَالَ قُلْتُ آللَّهُ أَرْسَلَكَ؟ قَالَ نَعَمْ قُلْتُ بِأَيِّ شَيْءٍ أَرْسَلَكَ؟ قَالَ بِأَنْ يُوَحَّدَ اللهُ وَلَا يُشْرَكَ بِهِ شَيْءٌ وَكَسْرِ الْأَوْثَانِ وَصِلَةِ الرَّحِمِ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ مَنْ مَعَكَ عَلَى هَذَا؟ قَالَ حُرٌّ وَعَبْدٌ أَوْ عَبْدٌ وَحُرٌّ وَإِذَا مَعَهُ أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي قُحَافَةَ وَبِلَالٌ مَوْلَى أَبِي بَكْرٍ قُلْتُ إِنِّي مُتَّبِعُكَ قَالَ إِنَّكَ لَا تَسْتَطِيعُ ذَلِكَ يَوْمَكَ هَذَا وَلَكِنْ ارْجِعْ إِلَى أَهْلِكَ فَإِذَا سَمِعْتَ بِي قَدْ ظَهَرْتُ فَالْحَقْ بِي قَالَ فَرَجَعْتُ إِلَى أَهْلِي وَقَدْ أَسْلَمْتُ فَخَرَجَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ مُهَاجِرًا إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ فَجَعَلْتُ أَتَخَبَّرُ الْأَخْبَارَ حَتَّى جَاءَ رَكَبَةٌ مِنْ يَثْرِبَ فَقُلْتُ مَا هَذَا الْمَكِّيُّ الَّذِي أَتَاكُمْ؟قَالُوا أَرَادَ قَوْمُهُ قَتْلَهُ فَلَمْ يَسْتَطِيعُوا ذَلِكَ وَحِيلَ بَيْنَهُمْ وَبَيْنَهُ وَتَرَكْنَا النَّاسَ سِرَاعًا قَالَ عَمْرُو بْنُ عَبَسَةَ فَرَكِبْتُ رَاحِلَتِي حَتَّى قَدِمْتُ عَلَيْهِ الْمَدِينَةَ فَدَخَلْتُ عَلَيْهِ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ أَتَعْرِفُنِي؟ قَالَ نَعَمْ أَلَسْتَ أَنْتَ الَّذِي أَتَيْتَنِي بِمَكَّةَ؟ قَالَ قُلْتُ بَلَى فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ عَلِّمْنِي مِمَّا عَلَّمَكَ اللهُ وَأَجْهَلُ قَالَ إِذَا صَلَّيْتَ الصُّبْحَ فَأَقْصِرْ عَنِ الصَّلَاةِ حَتَّى تَطْلُعَ الشَّمْسُ فَإِذَا طَلَعَتْ فَلَا تُصَلِّ حَتَّى تَرْتَفِعَ فَإِنَّهَا تَطْلُعُ حِينَ تَطْلُعُ بَيْنَ قَرْنَيْ شَيْطَانٍ وَحِينَئِذٍ يَسْجُدُ لَهَا الْكُفَّارُ فَإِذَا ارْتَفَعَتْ قِيدَ رُمْحٍ أَوْ رُمْحَيْنِ فَصَلِّ فَإِنَّ الصَّلَاةَ مَشْهُودَةٌ مَحْضُورَةٌ حَتَّى يَسْتَقِلَّ الرُّمْحُ بِالظِّلِّ ثُمَّ أَقْصِرْ عَنِ الصَّلَاةِ فَإِنَّهَا حِينَئِذٍ تُسْجَرُ جَهَنَّمُ فَإِذَا فَاءَ الْفَيْءُ فَصَلِّ فَإِنَّ الصَّلَاةَ مَشْهُودَةٌ مَحْضُورَةٌ حَتَّى تُصَلِّيَ الْعَصْرَ فَإِذَا صَلَّيْتَ الْعَصْرَ فَأَقْصِرْ عَنِ الصَّلَاةِ حَتَّى تَغْرُبَ الشَّمْسُ فَإِنَّهَا تَغْرُبُ حِينَ تَغْرُبُ بَيْنَ قَرْنَيْ شَيْطَانٍ وَحِينَئِذٍ يَسْجُدُ لَهَا الْكُفَّارُ قُلْتُ يَا نَبِيَّ اللهِ أَخْبِرْنِي عَنِ الْوُضُوءِ قَالَ مَا مِنْكُمْ مِنْ أَحَدٍ يَقْرَبُ وَضُوءَهُ ثُمَّ يَتَمَضْمَضُ وَيَسْتَنْشِقُ وَيَنْتَثِرُ إِلَّا خَرَّتْ خَطَايَاهُ مِنْ فَمِهِ وَخَيَاشِيمِهِ مَعَ الْمَاءِ حِينَ يَنْتَثِرُ ثُمَّ يَغْسِلُ وَجْهَهُ كَمَا أَمَرَهُ اللهُ تَعَالَى إِلَّا خَرَّتْ  

He met Ibn 'Abbas and asked him about Witr. He said: "Shall I not lead you to one who knows best among the people of the world about the witr of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ?" He said: "Yes." (Ibn Abbas) said: "It is 'Aishah. So go to her and ask her (about witr) and then come back to me and tell me the answer that she gives you." So I went to Hakim bin Aflah and asked him to go accompany me to her. He said: "I shall not go to her, for I told her not to say anything about these two (conflicting) groups, but she refused (to accept my advice) and went on (to participate in the conflict)." I swore an oath, beseeching him (to take me to her). So he came with me and went unto her. She said to Hakim: "Who is this with you?" He said: "He is Sa'd bin Hisham." She said: "Which Hisham?" He said: "Ibn Amir." She supplicated for mercy for him and said: "What a good man Amir was." He said: "O Mother of the Believers, tell me about the character of the Messenger of Allah." She said: "Don't you read the Qur'an?" I said: "Yes." She said "The character of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was the Qur'an." He said: "I wanted to get up (and leave), then I thought of the Qiyam (night prayer) of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said: "Tell me about the Qiyam of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ." She said: "Do you not recite this surah: "O you wrapped in garments?" I said: "Yes." She said: "Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, made Qiyam Al-Lail obligatory at the beginning of this surah, so the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and his companions prayed Qiyam Al-Lail for one year. Allah (SWT) withheld the latter part of this surah for twelve months, then he revealed the lessening (of this duty) at the end of this surah, so Qiyam Al-Lail became voluntary after it had been obligatory." I felt inclined to stand up (and not ask anything further), then I thought of the witr of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. I said: "O Mother of the Believers, tell me about the witr of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ." She said: "We used to prepare his siwak and water for his ablution, and Allah (SWT) would wake him when He wished during the night. He would use the siwak, perform ablution, and then pray eight rak'ahs in which he would not sit until he reached the eighth one. Then he would sit and remember Allah (SWT) and supplicate, then he would say the taslim that we could hear. Then he would pray two rak'as sitting after uttering the taslim, then he would pray one rak'ah, and that made eleven rak'ahs, O my son! When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ grew older and put on weight, he prayed witr with seven rak'ahs, then he prayed two rak'ahs sitting down after saying the taslim, and that made nine rak'ahs. O my son, when the Messenger of Allah ﷺoffered a prayer, he liked to continue to offer it, and when sleep, sickness, or pain distracted him from praying Qiyam Al-Lail, he would pray twelve rak'ahs during the day. I am not aware of the Prophet of Allah ﷺ having recited the whole Qur'an during a single night, or praying through the whole night until morning, or fasting a complete month, except Ramadan." I went to Ibn 'Abbas and told him what she had said, and he said: "She has spoken the truth. If I could go to her (and meet her face to face) I would so that she could tell me all of that verbally." (Using translation from Nasāʾī 1601)   

أَنَّهُ طَلَّقَ امْرَأَتَهُ ثُمَّ ارْتَحَلَ إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ لِيَبِيعَ عَقَارًا لَهُ بِهَا وَيَجْعَلَهُ فِي السِّلَاحِ وَالْكُرَاعِ ثُمَّ يُجَاهِدَ الرُّومَ حَتَّى يَمُوتَ فَلَقِيَ رَهْطًا مِنْ قَوْمِهِ فَحَدَّثُوهُ أَنَّ رَهْطًا مِنْ قَوْمِهِ سِتَّةً أَرَادُوا ذَلِكَ عَلَى عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ أَلَيْسَ لَكُمْ فِيَّ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ؟ فَنَهَاهُمْ عَنْ ذَلِكَ فَأَشْهَدَهُمْ عَلَى رَجْعَتِهَا ثُمَّ رَجَعَ إِلَيْنَا فَأَخْبَرَنَا أَنَّهُ أَتَى ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ فَسَأَلَهُ عَنِ الْوَتْرِ؟ فَقَالَ أَلَا أُنَبِّئُكَ بِأَعْلَمِ أَهْلِ الْأَرْضِ بِوَتْرِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ؟ قَالَ نَعَمْ قَالَ ائْتِ عَائِشَةَ فَاسْأَلْهَا؟ ثُمَّ ارْجِعْ إِلَيَّ فَأَخْبِرْنِي بِرَدِّهَا عَلَيْكَ قَالَ فَأَتَيْتُ عَلَى حَكِيمِ بْنِ أَفْلَحَ فَاسْتَلْحَقْتُهُ إِلَيْهَا فَقَالَ مَا أَنَا بِقَارِبِهَا إِنِّي نَهَيْتُهَا أَنْ تَقُولَ فِي هَاتَيْنِ الشِّيعَتَيْنِ شَيْئًا فَأَبَتْ فِيهِمَا إِلَّا مُضِيًّا فَأَقْسَمْتُ عَلَيْهِ فَجَاءَ مَعِي فَدَخَلْنَا عَلَيْهَا فَقَالَتْ حَكِيمٌ؟ وَعَرَفَتْهُ قَالَ نَعَمْ أَوْ بَلَى قَالَتْ مَنْ هَذَا مَعَكَ؟ قَالَ سَعْدُ بْنُ هِشَامٍ قَالَتْ مَنْ هِشَامٌ؟ قَالَ ابْنُ عَامِرٍقَالَ فَتَرَحَّمَتْ عَلَيْهِ وَقَالَتْ نِعْمَ الْمَرْءُ كَانَ عَامِرٌ قُلْتُ يَا أُمَّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَنْبِئِينِي عَنْ خُلُقِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَتْ أَلَسْتَ تَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ؟ قُلْتُ بَلَى قَالَتْ فَإِنَّ خُلُقَ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ كَانَ الْقُرْآنَ فَهَمَمْتُ أَنْ أَقُومَثُمَّ بَدَا لِي قِيَامُ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ قُلْتُ يَا أُمَّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَنْبِئِينِي عَنْ قِيَامِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ؟ فَقَالَتْ أَلَسْتَ تَقْرَأُ هَذِهِ السُّورَةَ يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُزَّمِّلُ؟ قُلْتُ بَلَى قَالَتْ فَإِنَّ اللهَ ﷻ افْتَرَضَ قِيَامَ اللَّيْلِ فِي أَوَّلِ هَذِهِ السُّورَةِ فَقَامَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ وَأَصْحَابُهُ حَوْلًا حَتَّى انْتَفَخَتْ أَقْدَامُهُمْ وَأَمْسَكَ اللهُ ﷻ خَاتِمَتَهَا فِي السَّمَاءِ اثْنَيْ عَشَرَ شَهْرًا ثُمَّ أَنْزَلَ اللهُ ﷻ التَّخْفِيفَ فِي آخِرِ هَذِهِ السُّورَةِ فَصَارَ قِيَامُ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ تَطَوُّعًا مِنْ بَعْدِ فَرِيضَتِهِ فَهَمَمْتُ أَنْ أَقُومَثُمَّ بَدَا لِي وَتْرُ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ قُلْتُ يَا أُمَّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَنْبِئِينِي عَنْ وَتْرِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ؟ قَالَتْ كُنَّا نُعِدُّ لَهُ سِوَاكَهُ وَطَهُورَهُ فَيَبْعَثُهُ اللهُ ﷻ لِمَا شَاءَ أَنْ يَبْعَثَهُ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ فَيَتَسَوَّكُ ثُمَّ يَتَوَضَّأُ ثُمَّ يُصَلِّي ثَمَانِي رَكَعَاتٍ لَا يَجْلِسُ فِيهِنَّ إِلَّا عِنْدَ الثَّامِنَةِ فَيَجْلِسُ وَيَذْكُرُ رَبَّهُ ﷻ وَيَدْعُو وَيَسْتَغْفِرُ ثُمَّ يَنْهَضُ وَلَا يُسَلِّمُ ثُمَّ يُصَلِّي التَّاسِعَةَ فَيَقْعُدُ فَيَحْمَدُ رَبَّهُ وَيَذْكُرُهُ وَيَدْعُو ثُمَّ يُسَلِّمُ تَسْلِيمًا يُسْمِعُنَا ثُمَّ يُصَلِّي رَكْعَتَيْنِ وَهُوَ جَالِسٌ بَعْدَمَا يُسَلِّمُ فَتِلْكَ إِحْدَى عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً يَا بُنَيَّ فَلَمَّا أَسَنَّ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ وَأُخِذَ اللَّحْمُأَوْتَرَ بِسَبْعٍ ثُمَّ صَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ وَهُوَ جَالِسٌ بَعْدَمَا يُسَلِّمُ فَتِلْكَ تِسْعٌ يَا بُنَيَّ وَكَانَ نَبِيُّ اللهِ ﷺ إِذَا صَلَّى صَلَاةً أَحَبَّ أَنْ يُدَاوِمَ عَلَيْهَا وَكَانَ إِذَا شَغَلَهُ عَنْ قِيَامِ اللَّيْلِ نَوْمٌ أَوْ وَجَعٌ أَوْ مَرَضٌ صَلَّى مِنَ النَّهَارِ اثْنَتَيْ عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً وَلَا أَعْلَمُ نَبِيَّ اللهِ ﷺ قَرَأَ الْقُرْآنَ كُلَّهُ فِي لَيْلَةٍ وَلَا قَامَ لَيْلَةً حَتَّى أَصْبَحَ وَلَا صَامَ شَهْرًا كَامِلًا غَيْرَ رَمَضَانَ فَأَتَيْتُ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ فَحَدَّثْتُهُ بِحَدِيثِهَا فَقَالَ صَدَقْتَ أَمَا لَوْ كُنْتُ أَدْخُلُ عَلَيْهَا لَأَتَيْتُهَا حَتَّى تُشَافِهَنِي مُشَافَهَةً  

I divorced my wife. I then came to Medina to sell my land that was there so that I could buy arms and fight in battle. I met a group of the Companions of the Prophet ﷺ. They said: Six persons of us intended to do so (i.e. divorce their wives and purchase weapons), but the Prophet ﷺ prohibited them. He said: For you in the Messenger of Allah there is an excellent model. I then came to Ibn 'Abbas and asked him about the witr observed by the Prophet ﷺ. He said: I point to you a person who is most familiar with the witr observed by the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Go to 'Aishah. While going to her I asked Hakim b. Aflah to accompany me. He refused, but I adjured him. He, therefore, went along with me. We sought permission to enter upon 'Aishah. She said: Who is this ? He said: Hakim b. Aflah. She asked: Who is with you ? He replied: Sa'd b. Hisham. She said: Hisham son of 'Amir who was killed in the Battle of Uhud. I said: Yes. She said: What a good man 'Amir was! I said: Mother of faithful, tell me about the character of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. She asked: Do you not recite the Quran ? The character of Messenger of Allah ﷺ was the Qur'an. I asked: Tell me about his vigil and prayer at night. She replied: Do you not recite: "O thou folded in garments" (73:1). I said: Why not ? When the opening of this Surah was revealed, the Companions stood praying (most of the night) until their fett swelled, and the concluding verses were not revealed for twelve months from heaven. At last the concluding verses were revealed and the prayer at night became voluntary after it was obligatory. I said: Tell me about the witr of the Prophet ﷺ. She replied: He used to pray eight rak'ahs, sitting only during the eighth of them. Then he would stand up and pray another rak'ahs. He would sit only after the eighth and the ninth rak'ahs. He would utter salutation only after the ninth rak'ah. He would then pray two rak'ahs sitting and that made eleven rak'ahs, O my son. But when he grew old and became fleshy he observed a witr of seven, sitting only in sixth and seventh rak'ahs, and would utter salutation only after the seventh rak'ah. He would then pray two rak'ahs sitting, and that made nine rak'ahs, O my son. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ would not pray through a whole night, or recite the whole Qur'an in a night or fast a complete month except in Ramadan. When he offered prayer, he would do that regularly. When he was overtaken by sleep at night, he would pray twelve rak'ahs. The narrator said: I came to Ibn 'Abbas and narrated all this to him. By Allah, this is really a tradition. Has I been on speaking terms with her, I would have come to her and heard it from her mouth. I said: If I knew that you were not on speaking terms with her, I would have never narrated it to you. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 1342)   

أَنَّهُ طَلَّقَ امْرَأَتَهُ وَأَتَى الْمَدِينَةَ لِبَيْعِ عَقَارِهِ فَيَجْعَلَهُ فِي السِّلَاحِ وَالْكُرَاعِ فَلَقِيَ رَهْطًا مِنَ الْأَنْصَارِ فَقَالُوا أَرَادَ ذَلِكَ سِتَّةٌ مِنَّا عَلَى عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَمَنَعَهُمْ وَقَالَ «أَمَا لَكُمْ فِيَّ أُسْوَةٌ؟» ثُمَّ إِنَّهُ قَدِمَ الْبَصْرَةَ فَحَدَّثَنَا أَنَّهُ لَقِيَ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عَبَّاسٍ فَسَأَلَهُ عَنِ الْوِتْرِ فَقَالَ أَلَا أُحَدِّثُكَ بِأَعْلَمِ النَّاسِ بِوِتْرِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ؟ قُلْتُ بَلَى قَالَ أُمُّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَائِشَةُ فَأْتِهَا فَاسْأَلْهَا ثُمَّ ارْجِعْ إِلَيَّ فَحَدِّثْنِي بِمَا تُحَدِّثُكَ فَأَتَيْتُ حَكِيمَ بْنَ أَفْلَحَ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ انْطَلِقْ مَعِي إِلَى أُمِّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَائِشَةَ قَالَ إِنِّي لَا آتِيهَا إِنِّي نَهَيْتُ عَنْ هَذِهِ الشِّيعَتَيْنِ فَأَبَتْ إِلَّا مُضِيًّا قُلْتُ أَقْسَمْتُ عَلَيْكَ لَمَا انْطَلَقْتَ فَانْطَلَقْنَا فَسَلَّمْنَا فَعَرَفَتْ صَوْتَ حَكِيمٍ فَقَالَتْ «مَنْ هَذَا؟» قُلْتُ سَعْدُ بْنُ هِشَامٍ قَالَتْ «مَنْ هِشَامٌ؟» قُلْتُ هِشَامُ بْنُ عَامِرٍ قَالَتْ «نِعْمَ الْمَرْءُ قُتِلَ يَوْمَ أُحُدٍ» قُلْتُ أَخْبِرِينَا عَنْ خُلُقِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَتْ «أَلَسْتَ تَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ؟» قُلْتُ بَلَى قَالَتْ «فَإِنَّهُ خُلُقُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ» فَأَرَدْتُ أَنْ أَقُومَ وَلَا أَسْأَلَ أَحَدًا عَنْ شَيْءٍ حَتَّى أَلْحَقَ بِاللَّهِ فَعَرَضَ لِي الْقِيَامُ فَقُلْتُ أَخْبِرِينَا عَنْ قِيَامِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَتْ أَلَسْتَ تَقْرَأُ يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُزَّمِّلُ؟ قُلْتُ بَلَى قَالَتْ «فَإِنَّهَا كَانَتْ قِيَامَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ أُنْزِلَ أَوَّلُ السُّورَةِ فَقَامَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَأَصْحَابُهُ حَتَّى انْتَفَخَتْ أَقْدَامُهُمْ وَحُبِسَ آخِرُهَا فِي السَّمَاءِ سِتَّةَ عَشَرَ شَهْرًا ثُمَّ أُنْزِلَ فَصَارَ قِيَامُ اللَّيْلِ تَطَوُّعًا بَعْدَ أَنْ كَانَ فَرِيضَةً» فَأَرَدْتُ أَنْ أَقُومَ وَلَا أَسْأَلَ أَحَدًا عَنْ شَيْءٍ حَتَّى أَلْحَقَ بِاللَّهِ فَعَرَضَ لِي الْوِتْرُ فَقُلْتُ أَخْبِرِينَا عَنْ وِتْرِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَتْ «كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِذَا نَامَ وَضَعَ سِوَاكَهُ عِنْدِي فَيَبْعَثُهُ اللَّهُ لِمَا يَشَاءُ أَنْ يَبْعَثَهُ فَيُصَلِّي تِسْعَ رَكَعَاتٍ لَا يَجْلِسُ إِلَّا فِي الثَّامِنَةِ فَيَحْمَدُ اللَّهَ وَيَدْعُو رَبَّهُ ثُمَّ يَقُومُ وَلَا يُسَلِّمُ حَتَّى يَجْلِسَ فِي التَّاسِعَةِ فَيَحْمَدُ اللَّهَ وَيَدْعُو رَبَّهُ وَيُسَلِّمُ تَسْلِيمَةً يُسْمِعُنَا ثُمَّ يُصَلِّي رَكْعَتَيْنِ وَهُوَ جَالِسٌ فَتِلْكَ إِحْدَى عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً» يَا بُنَيَّ «فَلَمَّا أَسَنَّ وَحَمَلَ اللَّحْمَ صَلَّى سَبْعَ رَكَعَاتٍ لَا يَجْلِسُ إِلَّا فِي السَّادِسَةِ فَيَحْمَدُ اللَّهَ وَيَدْعُو رَبَّهُ ثُمَّ يَقُومُ وَلَا يُسَلِّمُ ثُمَّ يَجْلِسُ فِي السَّابِعَةِ فَيَحْمَدُ اللَّهَ وَيَدْعُو رَبَّهُ ثُمَّ يُسَلِّمُ تَسْلِيمَةً ثُمَّ يُصَلِّي رَكْعَتَيْنِ وَهُوَ جَالِسٌ فَتِلْكَ تِسْعٌ» يَا بُنَيَّ «وَكَانَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ إِذَا غَلَبَهُ نَوْمٌ أَوْ مَرَضٌ صَلَّى مِنَ النَّهَارِ ثِنْتَيْ عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً وَكَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِذَا أَخَذَ خُلُقًا أَحَبَّ أَنْ يُدَاوِمَ عَلَيْهِ وَمَا قَامَ نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ ﷺ لَيْلَةً حَتَّى يُصْبِحَ وَلَا قَرَأَ الْقُرْآنَ كُلَّهُ فِي لَيْلَةٍ وَلَا صَامَ شَهْرًا كَامِلًا غَيْرَ رَمَضَانَ» فَأَتَيْتُ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ فَحَدَّثْتُهُ فَقَالَ «صَدَقَتْكَ أَمَا إِنِّي لَوْ كُنْتُ أَدْخُلُ عَلَيْهَا لَشَافَهْتُهَا مُشَافَهَةً» قَالَ فَقُلْتُ أَمَا إِنِّي لَوْ شَعَرْتُ أَنَّكَ لَا تَدْخُلُ عَلَيْهَا مَا حَدَّثْتُكَ  

[Machine] I said, "O Abu Abdullah al-Rahman, referring to Ibn Umar, there are people who claim that there is no fate (predestination). He said: Do we have anyone among us like them? I said, No. He said: Then convey to them from me that when you meet them, indeed Ibn Umar disassociates himself from you and you disassociate yourselves from him." Umar ibn al-Khattab narrated to us that while we were sitting with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ , a man came who had no signs of travel nor was he from the people of the city. He came and sat in front of the Messenger of Allah. He said, "O Muhammad, what is Islam? He said, "Islam is that you bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, and you establish prayer, give zakah, perform Hajj, perform Umrah, cleanse yourself from major impurity, complete ablution, and fast during Ramadan." He said, "If I do all of that, would I be a Muslim?" He said, "Yes." He said, "You have spoken the truth." He asked, "O Muhammad, what is faith (imaan)?" He said, "Faith is that you believe in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, and you believe in the Day of Judgment, and you believe in fate, its good and its evil." He said, "If I do all of that, would I be a believer (mu'min)?" He said, "Yes." He said, "You have spoken the truth." He asked, "O Muhammad, what is excellence (ihsan)?" He said, "Excellence is that you worship Allah as if you see Him, and even though you do not see Him, He sees you." He asked, "If I do that, would I be excellent (muhsin)?" He said, "Yes." He said, "You have spoken the truth." He asked, "O Muhammad, when is the Hour (Day of Judgment)?" He said, "Glory be to Allah, the one who is asked about it knows no more than the questioner, but if you wish, I will inform you about its signs." He said, "Yes." He said, "When you see barefoot, naked, destitute shepherds competing in constructing tall buildings and when you see women giving birth to their mistresses, that is among the signs of the Hour." He said, "You have spoken the truth." Then the man left, and the Prophet ﷺ said, "O Umar, do you know who this man was?" We said, "Allah and His Messenger know best." He said, "This was Gabriel who came to teach you your religion."  

قُلْتُ يَا أَبَا عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ يَعْنِي لِابْنِ عُمَرَ إِنَّ أَقْوَامًا يَزْعُمُونَ أَنْ لَيْسَ قَدَرٌ قَالَ هَلْ عِنْدَنَا مِنْهُمْ أَحَدٌ؟ قُلْتُ لَا قَالَ فَأَبْلِغْهُمْ عَنِّي إِذَا لَقِيتَهُمْ إِنَّ ابْنَ عُمَرَ يَبْرَأُ إِلَى اللَّهِ مِنْكُمْ وَأَنْتُمْ بُرَآءُ مِنْهُ حَدَّثَنَا عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ قَالَ بَيْنَمَا نَحْنُ جُلُوسٌ عِنْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِي أُنَاسٍ إِذْ جَاءَ رَجُلٌ لَيْسَ عَلَيْهِ سَحْنَاءُ سَفَرٍ وَلَيْسَ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْبَلَدِ يَتَخَطَّى حَتَّى وَرَكَ فَجَلَسَ بَيْنَ يَدَيْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ يَا مُحَمَّدُ مَا الْإِسْلَامُ؟ قَالَ «الْإِسْلَامُ أَنْ تَشْهَدَ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ وَأَنْ تُقِيمَ الصَّلَاةَ وَتُؤْتِيَ الزَّكَاةَ وَتَحُجَّ وَتَعْتَمِرَ وَتَغْتَسِلَ مِنَ الْجَنَابَةِ وَأَنْ تُتِمَّ الْوُضُوءَ وَتَصُومَ رَمَضَانَ» قَالَ فَإِذَا فَعَلْتُ ذَلِكَ فَأَنَا مُسْلِمٌ؟ قَالَ «نَعَمْ» قَالَ صَدَقْتَ قَالَ يَا مُحَمَّدُ مَا الْإِيمَانُ؟ قَالَ «أَنْ تُؤْمِنَ بِاللَّهِ وَمَلَائِكَتِهِ وَكُتُبِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَتُؤْمِنَ بِالْجَنَّةِ وَالنَّارِ وَالْمِيزَانِ وَتُؤْمِنَ بِالْبَعْثِ بَعْدَ الْمَوْتِ وَتُؤْمِنَ بِالْقَدَرِ خَيْرِهِ وَشَرِّهِ» قَالَ فَإِذَا فَعَلْتُ ذَلِكَ فَأَنَا مُؤْمِنٌ؟ قَالَ «نَعَمْ» قَالَ صَدَقْتَ قَالَ يَا مُحَمَّدُ مَا الْإِحْسَانُ؟ قَالَ «الْإِحْسَانُ أَنْ تَعْمَلَ لِلَّهِ كَأَنَّكَ تَرَاهُ فَإِنَّكَ إِنْ لَا تَرَاهُ فَإِنَّهُ يَرَاكَ» قَالَ فَإِذَا فَعَلْتُ هَذَا فَأَنَا مُحْسِنٌ؟ قَالَ «نَعَمْ» قَالَ صَدَقْتَ قَالَ فَمَتَى السَّاعَةُ؟ قَالَ «سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ مَا الْمَسْؤُولُ عَنْهَا بِأَعْلَمَ مِنَ السَّائِلِ وَلَكِنْ إِنْ شِئْتَ نَبَّأْتُكَ عَنْ أَشْرَاطِهَا» قَالَ أَجَلْ قَالَ «إِذَا رَأَيْتَ الْعَالَةَ الْحُفَاةَ الْعُرَاةَ يَتَطَاوَلُونَ فِي الْبِنَاءِ وَكَانُوا مُلُوكًا» قَالَ مَا الْعَالَةُ الْحُفَاةُ الْعُرَاةُ؟ قَالَ «الْعُرَيْبُ» قَالَ «وَإِذَا رَأَيْتَ الْأَمَةَ تَلِدُ رَبَّتَهَا فَذَلِكَ مِنْ أَشْرَاطِ السَّاعَةِ» قَالَ صَدَقْتَ ثُمَّ نَهَضَ فَوَلَّى فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ «عَلَيَّ بِالرَّجُلِ» فَطَلَبْنَاهُ كُلَّ مَطْلَبٍ فَلَمْ نَقْدِرْ عَلَيْهِ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ «هَلْ تَدْرُونَ مَنْ هَذَا؟ هَذَا جِبْرِيلُ أَتَاكُمْ لَيُعَلِّمَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ خُذُوا عَنْهُ وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ مَا شُبِّهَ عَلَيَّ مُنْذُ أَتَانِي قَبْلَ مَرَّتِي هَذِهِ وَمَا عَرَفْتُهُ حَتَّى وَلَّى» *  

Is there not for you a model pattern in me? And when they narrated this to him (Sa'd b. Hisham), he returned to his wife, though he had divorced her and made (people) witness to his reconciliation. He then came to Ibn 'Abbas and asked him about the Witr of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Ibn 'Abbas said: Should I not lead you to one who knows best amongst the people of the world about the Witr of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ? He said: Who is it? He (Ibn 'Abbas) said: It is 'A'isha. So go to her and ask her (about Witr) and then come to me and inform me about her answer that she would give you. So I came to Hakim b. Aflah and requested him to take me to her. He said: I would not go to her, for I forbade her to speak anything (about the conflict) between the two groupS, but she refused (to accept my advice) and went (to participate in that corflict). I (requested) him (Hakim) with an oath to lead me to her. So we went to 'A'isha and we begged permission to meet her. She granted us permission and we went in. She said: Are you Hakim? (She recognised him.) He replied: Yes. She said: Who is there with you? He said: He is Sa'd b. Hisham. She said: Which Hisham? He said: He is Hisham b. 'Amir. She blessed him ('Amir) with mercy from Allah and spoke good of him (Qatada said that he died as a martyr in Uhud). I said: Mother of the Faithful, tell me about the character of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. She said: Don't you read the Qur'an? I said: Yes. Upon this she said: The character of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was the Qur'an. He said: I felt inclined to get up and not ask anything (further) till death. But then I changed my mind and said: Inform me about the observance (of the night prayer) of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. She said: Did you not recite:" O thou wrapped up"? He said: Yes. She said: Allah, the Exalted and the Glorious, made the observance of the night prayer at the beginning of this Surah obligatory. So the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him and his Companions around him observed this (night prayer) for one year. Allah held back the concluding portion of this Surah for twelve months in the Heaven till (at the end of this period) Allah revealed the concluding verses of this Surah which lightened (the burden of this prayer), and the night prayer became a supererogatory prayer after being an obligatory one. I said: Mother of the Faithful, inform me about the Witr of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. She said: I used to prepare tooth stick for him and water for his ablution, and Allah would rouse him to the extent He wished during the night. He would use the tooth stick, and perform ablution, and would offer nine rak'ahs, and would not sit but in the eighth one and would remember Allah, and praise Him and supplicate Him, then he would get up without uttering the salutation and pray the ninth rak'ah. He would then sit, remember, praise Him and supplicate Him and then utter a salutation loud enough for us to hear. He would then pray two rak'ahs sitting after uttering the salutation, and that made eleven rak'ahs. O my son, but when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ grew old and put on flesh, he observed Witr of seven, doing in the two rak'ahs as he had done formerly, and that made nine. O my son, and when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ observed prayer, he liked to keep on observing it, and when sleep or pain overpowered him and made it impossible (for him) to observe prayer in the night, he prayed twelve rak'ahs daring the day. I am not aware of Allah's Prophet ﷺ having recited the whole Qur'an during one single night, or praying through the night till morning, or fasting a complete month, except Ramadan. He (the narrator) said: I then went to Ibn 'Abbas and narrated to him the hadith (transmitted from her), and he said: She says the truth If I went to her and got into her presence, I would have listened to it orally from her. He said: If I were to know that you do not go to her. I would not have transmitted this hadith to you narrated by her. (Using translation from Muslim 746a)   

أَلَا أَدُلُّكَ عَلَى أَعْلَمِ أَهْلِ الْأَرْضِ بِوِتْرِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ قُلْتُ مَنْ؟ قَالَ عَائِشَةُ ائْتِهَا فَسَلْهَا ثُمَّ ارْجِعْ إِلَيَّ فَأَخْبَرَنِي بِرَدِّهَا عَلَيْكَ فَانْطَلَقْنَا إِلَى عَائِشَةَ فَاسْتَأْذَنَّا عَلَيْهَا فَدَخَلْنَا قُلْتُ يَا أُمَّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَنْبِئِينِي عَنْ خُلُقِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَتْ أَلَسْتَ تَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ؟ قُلْتُ بَلَى قَالَتْ فَإِنَّ خُلُقَ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ كَانَ الْقُرْآنُ فَهَمَمْتُ أَنْ أَقُومَ فَلَا أَسْأَلُ أَحَدًا عَنْ شَيْءٍ حَتَّى أَمُوتَ قُلْتُ أَنْبِئِينِي عَنْ قِيَامِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَتْ أَلَسْتَ تَقْرَأُ هَذِهِ السُّورَةَ يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُزَّمِّلُ قُلْتُ بَلَى قَالَتْ فَإِنَّ اللهَ افْتَرَضَ الْقِيَامَ فِي أَوَّلِ هَذِهِ السُّورَةِ فَقَامَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ وَأَصْحَابُهُ حَوْلًا حَتَّى انْتَفَخَتْ أَقْدَامَهُمْ وَأَمْسَكَ اللهُ خَاتِمَتَهَا اثْنَى عَشَرَ شَهْرًا فِي السَّمَاءِ ثُمَّ أَنْزَلَ اللهُ التَّخْفِيفَ فِي آخِرِ هَذِهِ السُّورَةِ فَصَارَ قِيَامُ اللَّيْلِ تَطَوُّعًا بَعْدَ فَرِيضَةٍ قُلْتُ يَا أُمَّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَنْبِئِينِي عَنْ وِتْرِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَتْ كُنَّا نَعُدُّ لَهُ طُهُورَهُ وَسِوَاكَهُ فَيَبْعَثُهُ اللهُ لَمَّا شَاءَ أَنْ يَبْعَثُهُ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ فَيَتَسَوَّكُ وَيَتَوَضَّأُ ثُمَّ يُصَلِّي تِسْعَ رَكَعَاتٍ لَا يَجْلِسُ فِيهِنَّ إِلَّا عِنْدَ الثَّامِنَةِ فَيَحْمَدُ رَبَّهُ وَيَدْعُوهُ وَيَذْكُرُهُ [245] ثُمَّ يَنْهَضُ وَلَا يُسَلِّمُ وَيُصَلِّي التَّاسِعَةَ فَيَجْلِسُ فَيَذْكُرُ رَبَّهُ وَيَحْمَدُهُ وَيَدْعُوهُ ثُمَّ يُسَلِّمُ تَسْلِيمًا يُسْمِعُنَا ثُمَّ يُصَلِّي رَكْعَتَيْنِ وَهُوَ قَاعِدٌ بَعْدَمَا يُسَلِّمُ فَتِلْكَ إِحْدَى عَشْرَةَ يَا بَنِيَ فَلَمَّا أَسَنَّ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ وَأَخَذَ اللَّحْمَ صَلَّى سَبْعَ رَكَعَاتٍ لَا يَقْعُدُ إِلَّا فِي آخِرِهِنَّ وَصَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ وَهُوَ قَاعِدٌ بَعْدَمَا يُسَلِّمُ فَتِلْكَ تِسْعٌ يَا بَنِيَ وَكَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ إِذَا صَلَّى صَلَاةً أَحَبَّ أَنْ يُدَاوِمَ عَلَيْهَا وَكَانَ نَبِيُّ اللهِ ﷺ إِذَا شَغَلَهُ أَمْرٌ أَوْ غَلَبَهُ نَوْمٌ أَوْ وَجِعٌ صَلَّى مِنَ النَّهَارِ اثْنَتَيْ عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً وَلَا أَعْلَمُ نَبِيَّ اللهِ ﷺ قَرَأَ الْقُرْآنَ كُلَّهُ فِي لَيْلَةٍ وَلَا قَامَ لَيْلَةً حَتَّى أَصْبَحَ وَلَا صَامَ شَهْرًا قَطُّ كَامِلَا غَيْرَ رَمَضَانَ فَأَتَيْتُ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ فَأَنْبَأْتُهُ بِحَدِيثِهَا فَقَالَ صَدَقَتْ أَمَّا إِنِّي لَوْ كُنْتُ أُدْخِلُ عَلَيْهَا لَأَتَيْتُهَا حَتَّى تُشَافِهَنِي بِهِ مُشَافَهَةً قُلْتُ لَوْ عَلِمْتُ أَنَّكَ لَا تَأْتِيهَا مَا أَنْبَأْتُكَ بِحَدِيثِهَا  

Is there not for you a model pattern in me? And when they narrated this to him (Sa'd b. Hisham), he returned to his wife, though he had divorced her and made (people) witness to his reconciliation. He then came to Ibn 'Abbas and asked him about the Witr of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Ibn 'Abbas said: Should I not lead you to one who knows best amongst the people of the world about the Witr of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ? He said: Who is it? He (Ibn 'Abbas) said: It is 'A'isha. So go to her and ask her (about Witr) and then come to me and inform me about her answer that she would give you. So I came to Hakim b. Aflah and requested him to take me to her. He said: I would not go to her, for I forbade her to speak anything (about the conflict) between the two groupS, but she refused (to accept my advice) and went (to participate in that corflict). I (requested) him (Hakim) with an oath to lead me to her. So we went to 'A'isha and we begged permission to meet her. She granted us permission and we went in. She said: Are you Hakim? (She recognised him.) He replied: Yes. She said: Who is there with you? He said: He is Sa'd b. Hisham. She said: Which Hisham? He said: He is Hisham b. 'Amir. She blessed him ('Amir) with mercy from Allah and spoke good of him (Qatada said that he died as a martyr in Uhud). I said: Mother of the Faithful, tell me about the character of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. She said: Don't you read the Qur'an? I said: Yes. Upon this she said: The character of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was the Qur'an. He said: I felt inclined to get up and not ask anything (further) till death. But then I changed my mind and said: Inform me about the observance (of the night prayer) of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. She said: Did you not recite:" O thou wrapped up"? He said: Yes. She said: Allah, the Exalted and the Glorious, made the observance of the night prayer at the beginning of this Surah obligatory. So the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him and his Companions around him observed this (night prayer) for one year. Allah held back the concluding portion of this Surah for twelve months in the Heaven till (at the end of this period) Allah revealed the concluding verses of this Surah which lightened (the burden of this prayer), and the night prayer became a supererogatory prayer after being an obligatory one. I said: Mother of the Faithful, inform me about the Witr of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. She said: I used to prepare tooth stick for him and water for his ablution, and Allah would rouse him to the extent He wished during the night. He would use the tooth stick, and perform ablution, and would offer nine rak'ahs, and would not sit but in the eighth one and would remember Allah, and praise Him and supplicate Him, then he would get up without uttering the salutation and pray the ninth rak'ah. He would then sit, remember, praise Him and supplicate Him and then utter a salutation loud enough for us to hear. He would then pray two rak'ahs sitting after uttering the salutation, and that made eleven rak'ahs. O my son, but when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ grew old and put on flesh, he observed Witr of seven, doing in the two rak'ahs as he had done formerly, and that made nine. O my son, and when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ observed prayer, he liked to keep on observing it, and when sleep or pain overpowered him and made it impossible (for him) to observe prayer in the night, he prayed twelve rak'ahs daring the day. I am not aware of Allah's Prophet ﷺ having recited the whole Qur'an during one single night, or praying through the night till morning, or fasting a complete month, except Ramadan. He (the narrator) said: I then went to Ibn 'Abbas and narrated to him the hadith (transmitted from her), and he said: She says the truth If I went to her and got into her presence, I would have listened to it orally from her. He said: If I were to know that you do not go to her. I would not have transmitted this hadith to you narrated by her. (Using translation from Muslim 746a)   

أَدُلُّكَ عَلَى أَعْلَمِ أَهْلِ الْأَرْضِ بِوِتْرِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ؟ قَالَ قُلْتُ مَنْ؟ قَالَ عَائِشَةُ ؓ فَأْتِهَا فَسَلْهَا ثُمَّ أَعْلِمْنِي مَا تَرُدُّ عَلَيْكَ قَالَ فَانْطَلَقْتُ إِلَيْهَا فَأَتَيْتُ عَلَى حَكِيمِ بْنِ أَفْلَحَ فَاسْتَصْحَبْتُهُ فَانْطَلَقْنَا إِلَى عَائِشَةَ فَاسْتَأْذَنَّا فَدَخَلْنَا فَقَالَتْ مَنْ هَذَا؟ قَالَ حَكِيمُ بْنُ أَفْلَحَ فَقَالَتْ مَنْ هَذَا مَعَكَ؟ قُلْتُ سَعْدُ بْنُ هِشَامٍ قَالَتْ وَمَنْ هِشَامٌ؟ قُلْتُ ابْنُ عَامِرٍ قَالَتْ نِعْمَ الْمَرْءُ كَانَ عَامِرٌ أُصِيبَ يَوْمَ أُحُدٍ قُلْتُ يَا أُمَّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَنْبِئِينِي عَنْ خُلُقِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَقَالَتْ أَلَسْتَ تَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ؟ قَالَ قُلْتُ بَلَى قَالَتْ فَإِنَّ خُلُقَ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ كَانَ الْقُرْآنَ قَالَ فَهَمَمْتُ أَنْ أَقُومَ فَبَدَا لِي فَقُلْتُ أَنْبِئِينِي عَنْ قِيَامِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ يَا أُمَّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ قَالَتْ أَلَسْتَ تَقْرَأُ يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُزَّمِّلُ؟ قَالَ قُلْتُ بَلَى قَالَتْ فَإِنَّ اللهَ تَعَالَى افْتَرَضَ الْقِيَامَ فِي أَوَّلِ هَذِهِ السُّورَةِ فَقَامَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ وَأَصْحَابُهُ حَوْلًا حَتَّى انْتَفَخَتْ أَقْدَامُهُمْ وَأَمْسَكَ اللهُ خَاتِمَتَهَا اثْنَيْ عَشَرَ شَهْرًا فِي السَّمَاءِ ثُمَّ أَنْزَلَ اللهُ التَّخْفِيفَ فِي آخِرِ هَذِهِ السُّورَةِ فَصَارَ قِيَامُ اللَّيْلِ تَطَوُّعًا بَعْدَ فَرِيضَةٍ قَالَ فَهَمَمْتُ أَنْ أَقُومَ فَبَدَا لِي وِتْرُ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَقُلْتُ يَا أُمَّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَنْبِئِينِي عَنْ وِتْرِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَقَالَتْ كُنَّا نُعِدُّ لِرَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ سِوَاكَهُ وَطَهُورَهُ فَيَبْعَثُهُ اللهُ مَا شَاءَ أَنْ يَبْعَثَهُ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ فَيَتَسَوَّكُ وَيَتَوَضَّأُ ثُمَّ يُصَلِّي تِسْعَ رَكَعَاتٍ لَا يَجْلِسُ فِيهِنَّ إِلَّا عِنْدَ الثَّامِنَةِ فَيَدْعُو رَبَّهُ وَيُصَلِّي عَلَى نَبِيِّهِ ثُمَّ يَنْهَضُ وَلَا يُسَلِّمُ ثُمَّ يُصَلِّي التَّاسِعَةَ فَيَقْعُدُ ثُمَّ يَحْمَدُ رَبَّهُ وَيُصَلِّي عَلَى نَبِيِّهِ وَيَدَعُو ثُمَّ يُسَلِّمُ تَسْلِيمَةً يُسْمِعُنَا ثُمَّ يُصَلِّي رَكْعَتَيْنِ بَعْدَمَا يُسَلِّمُ وَهُوَ قَاعِدٌ فَتِلْكَ إِحْدَى عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً يَا بُنِيَّ فَلَمَّا أَسَنَّ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ وَأَخَذَ اللَّحْمَ أَوْتَرَ بِسَبْعٍ وَصَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ بَعْدَمَا يُسَلِّمُ يَا بُنِيَّ وَكَانَ نَبِيُّ اللهِ ﷺ إِذَا صَلَّى صَلَاةً أَحَبَّ أَنْ يُدَاوِمَ عَلَيْهَا وَكَانَ نَبِيُّ اللهِ ﷺ إِذَا غَلَبَهُ قِيَامُ اللَّيْلِ صَلَّى مِنَ النَّهَارِ ثِنْتَيْ عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً وَلَا أَعْلَمُ نَبِيَّ اللهِ ﷺ قَرَأَ الْقُرْآنَ كُلَّهُ فِي لَيْلَةٍ وَلَا قَامَ لَيْلَةً حَتَّى الصَّبَّاحِ وَلَا صَامَ شَهْرًا قَطُّ كَامِلًا غَيْرَ رَمَضَانَ فَأَتَيْتُ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ فَأَخْبَرْتُهُ بِحَدِيثِهَا فَقَالَ صَدَقْتَ وَكَانَ أَوَّلَ أَمْرِ سَعْدٍ قَالَ ابْنُ بِشْرٍ يَعْنِي أَوَّلُ أَمْرِهِ أَنَّهُ طَلَّقَ امْرَأَةً ثُمَّ ارْتَحَلَ إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ يَبِيعُ عَقَارًا لَهُ بِهَا وَيَجْعَلُهُ فِي السِّلَاحِ وَالْكُرَاعِ ثُمَّ يُجَاهِدُ الرُّومَ حَتَّى يَمُوتَ فَبَلَغَ رَهْطًا مِنْ قَوْمِهِ فَأَخْبَرُوهُ أَنَّ رَهْطًا مِنْهُمْ سِتَّةً أَرَادُوا وَذَلِكَ فِي حَيَاةِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَنَهَاهُمْ عَنْ ذَلِكَ لَفْظُ حَدِيثِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ عَفَّانَ وَرَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ فِي الصَّحِيحِ عَنْ أَبِي بَكْرِ بْنِ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ  

Is there not for you a model pattern in me? And when they narrated this to him (Sa'd b. Hisham), he returned to his wife, though he had divorced her and made (people) witness to his reconciliation. He then came to Ibn 'Abbas and asked him about the Witr of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Ibn 'Abbas said: Should I not lead you to one who knows best amongst the people of the world about the Witr of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ? He said: Who is it? He (Ibn 'Abbas) said: It is 'A'isha. So go to her and ask her (about Witr) and then come to me and inform me about her answer that she would give you. So I came to Hakim b. Aflah and requested him to take me to her. He said: I would not go to her, for I forbade her to speak anything (about the conflict) between the two groupS, but she refused (to accept my advice) and went (to participate in that corflict). I (requested) him (Hakim) with an oath to lead me to her. So we went to 'A'isha and we begged permission to meet her. She granted us permission and we went in. She said: Are you Hakim? (She recognised him.) He replied: Yes. She said: Who is there with you? He said: He is Sa'd b. Hisham. She said: Which Hisham? He said: He is Hisham b. 'Amir. She blessed him ('Amir) with mercy from Allah and spoke good of him (Qatada said that he died as a martyr in Uhud). I said: Mother of the Faithful, tell me about the character of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. She said: Don't you read the Qur'an? I said: Yes. Upon this she said: The character of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was the Qur'an. He said: I felt inclined to get up and not ask anything (further) till death. But then I changed my mind and said: Inform me about the observance (of the night prayer) of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. She said: Did you not recite:" O thou wrapped up"? He said: Yes. She said: Allah, the Exalted and the Glorious, made the observance of the night prayer at the beginning of this Surah obligatory. So the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him and his Companions around him observed this (night prayer) for one year. Allah held back the concluding portion of this Surah for twelve months in the Heaven till (at the end of this period) Allah revealed the concluding verses of this Surah which lightened (the burden of this prayer), and the night prayer became a supererogatory prayer after being an obligatory one. I said: Mother of the Faithful, inform me about the Witr of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. She said: I used to prepare tooth stick for him and water for his ablution, and Allah would rouse him to the extent He wished during the night. He would use the tooth stick, and perform ablution, and would offer nine rak'ahs, and would not sit but in the eighth one and would remember Allah, and praise Him and supplicate Him, then he would get up without uttering the salutation and pray the ninth rak'ah. He would then sit, remember, praise Him and supplicate Him and then utter a salutation loud enough for us to hear. He would then pray two rak'ahs sitting after uttering the salutation, and that made eleven rak'ahs. O my son, but when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ grew old and put on flesh, he observed Witr of seven, doing in the two rak'ahs as he had done formerly, and that made nine. O my son, and when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ observed prayer, he liked to keep on observing it, and when sleep or pain overpowered him and made it impossible (for him) to observe prayer in the night, he prayed twelve rak'ahs daring the day. I am not aware of Allah's Prophet ﷺ having recited the whole Qur'an during one single night, or praying through the night till morning, or fasting a complete month, except Ramadan. He (the narrator) said: I then went to Ibn 'Abbas and narrated to him the hadith (transmitted from her), and he said: She says the truth If I went to her and got into her presence, I would have listened to it orally from her. He said: If I were to know that you do not go to her. I would not have transmitted this hadith to you narrated by her. (Using translation from Muslim 746a)   

أَنَّهُ طَلَّقَ امْرَأَتَهُ ثُمَّ ارْتَحَلَ إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ لِيَبِيعَ عَقَارًا لَهُ بِهَا وَيَجْعَلَهُ فِي السِّلَاحِ وَالْكُرَاعِ ثُمَّ يُجَاهِدُ الرُّومَ حَتَّى يَمُوتَ فَلَقِيَ رَهْطًا مِنْ قَوْمِهِ فَحَدَّثُوهُ أَنَّ رَهْطًا مِنْ قَوْمِهِ سِتَّةً أَرَادُوا ذَلِكَ عَلَى عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ أَلَيْسَ فِيكُمْ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ؟ فَنَهَاهُمْ عَنْ ذَلِكَ وَأَشْهَدَهُمْ عَلَى رَجْعَتِهَا ثُمَّ رَجَعَ إِلَيْنَا فَأَخْبَرَنَا أَنَّهُ أَتَى ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ فَسَأَلَهُ عَنِ الْوِتْرِ فَقَالَ أَلَا أُنَبِّئُكَ بِأَعْلَمِ أَهْلِ الْأَرْضِ بِوِتْرِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ؟ قَالَ نَعَمْ قَالَ إِيتِ عَائِشَةَ فَسَلْهَا ثُمَّ ارْجِعْ إِلَيَّ فَأَخْبِرْنِي بِرَدِّهَا عَلَيْكَ قَالَ فَأَتَيْتُ حَكِيمَ بْنَ أَفْلَحَ فَاسْتَلْحَقْتُهُ إِلَيْهَا فَقَالَ مَا أَنَا بِقَارِبِهَا إِنِّي نَهَيْتُهَا أَنْ تَقُولَ فِي هَاتَيْنِ الْبَيْعَتَيْنِ شَيْئًا فَأَبَتْ فِيهِمَا إِلَّا مُضِيًّا فَأَقْسَمْتُ فَجَاءَ مَعِي فَدَخَلْنَا عَلَيْهَا فَقَالَتْ حَكِيمٌ؟ وَعَرَفَتْهُ قَالَ نَعَمْ أَوْ بَلَى قَالَتْ مَنْ هَذَا مَعَكَ؟ قَالَ سَعْدُ بْنُ هِشَامٍ قَالَتْ ابْنُ عَامِرٍ؟ فَتَرَحَّمَتْ عَلَيْهِ وَقَالَتْ نِعْمَ الْمَرْءُ كَانَ عَامِرٌ فَقُلْتُ يَا أُمَّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَنْبِئِينِي عَنْ خُلُقِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَتْ أَلَسْتَ تَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ؟ قُلْتُ بَلَى قَالَتْ فَإِنَّ خُلُقَ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ كَانَ فِي الْقُرْآنِ فَهَمَمْتُ أَنْ أَقُومَ فَبَدَا لِي قِيَامُ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَقَالَتْ أَلَسْتَ تَقْرَأُ هَذِهِ السُّورَةَ يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُزَّمِّلُ؟ قُلْتُ بَلَى قَالَتْ فَإِنَّ اللهَ ﷻ افْتَرَضَ قِيَامَ اللَّيْلِ فِي أَوَّلِ هَذِهِ السُّورَةِ فَقَامَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ وَأَصْحَابُهُ حَوْلًا حَتَّى انْتَفَخَتْ أَقْدَامُهُمْ وَأَمْسَكَ اللهُ خَاتِمَتَهَا فِي السَّمَاءِ اثْنَيْ عَشَرَ شَهْرًا ثُمَّ أَنْزَلَ اللهُ ﷻ التَّخْفِيفَ فِي آخِرِ هَذِهِ السُّورَةِ فَصَارَ قِيَامُ اللَّيْلِ تَطَوُّعًا مِنْ بَعْدِ فَرِيضَةٍ فَهَمَمْتُ أَنْ أَقُومَ ثُمَّ بَدَا لِي وِتْرُ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ قُلْتُ يَا أُمَّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَنْبِئِينِي عَنْ وِتْرِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَتْ كُنَّا نَعُدُّ لَهُ سِوَاكَهُ وَطَهُورَهُ فَيَبْعَثُهُ اللهُ بِمَا شَاءَ أَنْ يَبْعَثَهُ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ فَيَتَسَوَّكُ ثُمَّ يَتَوَضَّأُ ثُمَّ يُصَلِّي ثَمَانِ رَكَعَاتٍ لَا يَجْلِسُ فِيهِنَّ إِلَّا عِنْدَ الثَّامِنَةِ فَيَجْلِسُ وَيُذْكُرُ رَبَّهُ ﷻ وَيَدْعُو وَيَسْتَغْفِرُ ثُمَّ يَنْهَضُ وَلَا يُسَلِّمُ ثُمَّ يُصَلِّي التَّاسِعَةَ فَيَقْعُدُ فَيَحْمَدُ رَبَّهُ وَيَذْكُرُهُ وَيَدْعُو ثُمَّ يُسَلِّمُ تَسْلِيمًا يُسْمِعُنَا ثُمَّ يُصَلِّي رَكْعَتَيْنِ وَهُوَ جَالِسٌ بَعْدَمَا يُسَلِّمُ فَتِلْكَ إِحْدَى عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً يَا بُنَيَّ فَلَمَّا أَسَنَّ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ وَأَخَذَ اللَّحْمَ أَوْتَرَ بِسَبْعٍ ثُمَّ صَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ وَهُوَ جَالِسٌ بَعْدَمَا يُسَلِّمُ فَتِلْكَ تِسْعٌ يَا بُنَيَّ وَكَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ إِذَا صَلَّى صَلَاةً أَحَبَّ أَنْ يَدُومَ عَلَيْهَا وَكَانَ إِذَا شَغَلَهُ عَنْ قِيَامِ اللَّيْلِ نَوْمٌ أَوْ وَجَعٌ أَوْ مَرَضٌ صَلَّى مِنَ النَّهَارِ ثِنْتَيْ عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً وَلَا أَعْلَمُ نَبِيَّ اللهِ ﷺ قَرَأَ الْقُرْآنَ كُلَّهُ فِي لَيْلَةٍ وَلَا قَامَ لَيْلَةً حَتَّى أَصْبَحَ وَمَا صَامَ شَهْرًا كَامِلًا غَيْرَ رَمَضَانَ فَأَتَيْتُ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ فَحَدَّثْتُهُ بِحَدِيثِهَا فَقَالَ صَدَقَتْ أَمَا لَوْ كُنْتُ أَدْخُلُ عَلَيْهَا لَأَتَيْتُهَا حَتَّى تُشَافِهَنِي مُشَافَهَةً  

"عَنْ سلمانَ. كُنْتُ مِنْ أَبْنَاءِ أَسَاوِرَةِ فَارِسَ وَكُتِبَ (* *) لِى كِتابٌ وَمَعِى غُلَامانِ، وَكانَا إِذا رجعا مِنْ عِنْدَ مُعَلِّمِيْهِما أَتيا نَفْسًا (* * *) فَدَخَلا عَلَيْهِ، فَدَخَلْتُ مَعَهُما، فَقَالَ: أَلَمْ أَنَهَكُما أَنْ تأتِيانِى بِأَحدٍ؟ ! فَجَعَلْتُ أخْتَلِفُ إِلَيْهِ حَتَّى كُنْتُ أَحبَّ إِلَيْهِ مِنْهُما. فَقالَ لِى: إِذَا سَأَلَكَ أَهْلُكَ مَنْ حَبَسَكَ فَقُلْ: مُعَلِّمِى، وإِذَا سَأَلَكَ مُعَلِّمُكَ مَنْ

حَبَسَكَ فَقُلْ: أَهْلى، ثُمَّ إِنَّهُ أَرادَ أَنْ يَتَحَوَّلَ، فَقُلْتُ لَهُ: أَنَا أَتَحَوَّلُ مَعَكَ، فَتَحَوَّلْتُ مَعَهُ، فَنَزَلْتُ قَرْيَةً، فَكانَت امْرأَةٌ تَأتِيه، فَلَمَّا حَضَرَ، قَالَ لى: يَا سَلْمانُ! احْفُرْ عِنْدَ رَأسِى، فَحَفَرْتُ عِنْدَ رَأْسِهِ، فَاسْتَخْرَجْتُ جَرَّةً مِنْ دراهَم، فَقَالَ لِى: صُبَّها عَلَى صَدْرى، فَصَبْبتُهَا عَلَى صَدْرِهِ، فَكَانَ يَقُولُ: وَيْلٌ لَاقْتَنَائِى، ثُمَّ إِنَّهُ مَاتَ، فَقُلْتُ للرُّهْبَانِ، مَنْ لِى بِرَجُل عَالِمٍ أَتَّبِعُهُ، فَدَلُّونِى عَلَى رَجُلٍ فَأَتَيْتُهُ، فَقُلْتُ: ما جَاءنِى إِلا طَلَبُ العِلْمِ، قَالَ: فَإِنِّى واللهِ ما أَعْلَمُ اليَوْمَ رَجُلًا أَعْلَم مِنْ رَجُلٍ خَرَجَ بِأَرْضِى يَتِما (تهامة) (*) وَإِنْ تَنْطَلِقْ الآنَ تُوافِقْه وَفيه ثَلَاثُ آياتٍ، يَأكُلُ الْهَدِيَّةَ وَلَا يَأكُلُ الصَّدَقَةَ، وَعنْدَ غُضْروفِ كَتِفِهِ اليُمْنَى خَاتَمُ النُّبوَة مِثْل بَيْضَةِ الْحَمَامَة لَوْنُها لَوْنُ جِلْدِهِ، فَانْطَلَقْتُ حَتَّى مَرَرْتُ بِقَوْمٍ مِنَ الأَعرابِ، فاسْتَعْبَدُونِى، فباعُونى حَتَّى اشْتَرَتْنى امْرأَةٌ منَ الْمَدِينَة، فسَمِعْتُهُمْ يَذْكُرون النَّبِىَّ ﷺ فَقُلْتُ لَها: هَبى لى يَوْمًا، قالَتْ: نعمَ، فَاحْتَطَبْتُ حَطَبًا، فَبعْتُهُ، فَأَتَيْتُ النَّبِىَّ ﷺ وَكَانَ يَسيرًا فَوَضَعْتُهُ بَيْنَ يَدَيْه، فَقالَ: ما هَذَا؟ قُلْتُ: صَدَقَةٌ، فَقالَ لأصْحابه. كُلُوا وَلَمْ يَأكُلْ، قُلْتُ: هَذَا مِنْ عَلَامَتِهِ، ثُمَّ مَكَثْتُ ما شَاءَ الله أَنْ أَمْكُثَ، ثُمَّ قُلْتُ لِمَوْلَاتِى: هِبِى لى يَوْمًا، قَالَتْ: نَعَمْ، فانطلقت واحْتَطَبْتُ حَطبًا فَبِعْتُهُ بِأكْثَرَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ، وَصَنَعْتُ طَعَامًا، فَأَتَيْتُ بِهِ النَّبِىَّ ﷺ وَهُوَ جالِسٌ بَيْنَ أَصْحابِهِ فَوَضَعْتُهُ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ، فَقالَ: مَا هَذَا؟ قُلْتُ: هَدِيَّةٌ، فَوَضَعَ يَدَهُ فَقالَ لأَصْحَابِهِ: خُذوا بسْمِ اللهِ، وَقُمْتُ خَلْفَهُ فَوَضَعَ رِدَاءَهُ، فَإِذَا خَاتَمُ النُّبَوَّة، فَقُلْتُ: إِنَّكَ رَسُولُ اللهِ. قَالَ: وَمَا ذَاكَ؟ فَحَدَّثْتُهُ عَن الرَّجُلِ، ثُمَّ قُلْتُ: أَيَدْخُلُ الْجَنَّةَ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ؟ ! فَإِنَّهُ حَدَّثَنِى أَنَّكَ نَبِىٌّ، قالَ: لَن يَدْخُلَ الجَنَّةَ إِلَّا نَفْسٌ مُسلِمَةٌ".