Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
abudawud:1373al-Qaʿnabī > Mālik b. Anas > Ibn Shihāb > ʿUrwah b. al-Zubayr

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.  

أبو داود:١٣٧٣حَدَّثَنَا الْقَعْنَبِيُّ عَنْ مَالِكِ بْنِ أَنَسٍ عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ عَنْ عُرْوَةَ بْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ

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  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Bukhārī, Muslim, Nasāʾī, Mālik, Aḥmad, Ibn Ḥibbān, Nasāʾī's Kubrá, Bayhaqī
bukhari:1129ʿAbdullāh b. Yūsuf > Mālik > Ibn Shihāb > ʿUrwah b. al-Zubayr > ʿĀʾishah

One night Messenger of Allah ﷺ offered the prayer in the Mosque and the people followed him. The next night he also offered the prayer and too many people gathered. On the third and the fourth nights more people gathered, but Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not come out to them. In the morning he said, "I saw what you were doing and nothing but the fear that it (i.e. the prayer) might be enjoined on you, stopped me from coming to you." And that happened in the month of Ramadan.  

البخاري:١١٢٩حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ يُوسُفَ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا مَالِكٌ عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ عَنْ عُرْوَةَ بْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ

عَنْ عَائِشَةَ أُمِّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ؓ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ صَلَّى ذَاتَ لَيْلَةٍ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ فَصَلَّى بِصَلاَتِهِ نَاسٌ ثُمَّ صَلَّى مِنَ الْقَابِلَةِ فَكَثُرَ النَّاسُ ثُمَّ اجْتَمَعُوا مِنَ اللَّيْلَةِ الثَّالِثَةِ أَوِ الرَّابِعَةِ فَلَمْ يَخْرُجْ إِلَيْهِمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَلَمَّا أَصْبَحَ قَالَ قَدْ رَأَيْتُ الَّذِي صَنَعْتُمْ وَلَمْ يَمْنَعْنِي مِنَ الْخُرُوجِ إِلَيْكُمْ إِلاَّ أَنِّي خَشِيتُ أَنْ تُفْرَضَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَذَلِكَ فِي رَمَضَانَ  

muslim:761aYaḥyá b. Yaḥyá > Mālik > Ibn Shihāb > ʿUrwah > ʿĀʾishah

I saw what you were doing, but I desisted to come to you (and lead the prayer) for I feared that this prayer might become obligatory for you. (He the narrator) said: It was the month of Ramadan.  

مسلم:٧٦١aحَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى قَالَ قَرَأْتُ عَلَى مَالِكٍ عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ عَنْ عُرْوَةَ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ صَلَّى فِي الْمَسْجِدِ ذَاتَ لَيْلَةٍ فَصَلَّى بِصَلاَتِهِ نَاسٌ ثُمَّ صَلَّى مِنَ الْقَابِلَةِ فَكَثُرَ النَّاسُ ثُمَّ اجْتَمَعُوا مِنَ اللَّيْلَةِ الثَّالِثَةِ أَوِ الرَّابِعَةِ فَلَمْ يَخْرُجْ إِلَيْهِمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَلَمَّا أَصْبَحَ قَالَ قَدْ رَأَيْتُ الَّذِي صَنَعْتُمْ فَلَمْ يَمْنَعْنِي مِنَ الْخُرُوجِ إِلَيْكُمْ إِلاَّ أَنِّي خَشِيتُ أَنْ تُفْرَضَ عَلَيْكُمْ قَالَ وَذَلِكَ فِي رَمَضَانَ  

nasai:1604Qutaybah > Mālik > Ibn Shihāb > ʿUrwah > ʿĀʾishah

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ prayed in the masjid one night, and some people followed his prayer. Then he prayed the following night and more people came. Then they gathered on the third or fourth night and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not come out to them. When morning came he said: "I saw what you did, and nothing prevented me from coming out to you but the fact that I feared that this would be made obligatory for you," and that was in Ramadan.  

النسائي:١٦٠٤أَخْبَرَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ عَنْ مَالِكٍ عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ عَنْ عُرْوَةَ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ صَلَّى فِي الْمَسْجِدِ ذَاتَ لَيْلَةٍ وَصَلَّى بِصَلاَتِهِ نَاسٌ ثُمَّ صَلَّى مِنَ الْقَابِلَةِ وَكَثُرَ النَّاسُ ثُمَّ اجْتَمَعُوا مِنَ اللَّيْلَةِ الثَّالِثَةِ أَوِ الرَّابِعَةِ 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  

malik:6-1Yaḥyá > Mālik > Ibn Shihāb > ʿUrwah b. al-Zubayr

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Urwa ibn az- Zubayr from A'isha, the wife of the Prophet ﷺ that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ prayed in the mosque one night and people prayed behind him. Then he prayed the next night and there were more people. Then they gathered on the third or fourth night and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not come out to them. In the morning, he said, "I saw what you were doing and the only thing that prevented me from coming out to you was that I feared that it would become obligatory (fard) for you." This happened in Ramadan.  

مالك:٦-١حَدَّثَنِي يَحْيَى عَنْ مَالِكٍ عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ عَنْ عُرْوَةَ بْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ

عَنْ عَائِشَةَ زَوْجِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ صَلَّى فِي الْمَسْجِدِ ذَاتَ لَيْلَةٍ فَصَلَّى بِصَلاَتِهِ نَاسٌ ثُمَّ صَلَّى اللَّيْلَةَ الْقَابِلَةَ فَكَثُرَ النَّاسُ ثُمَّ اجْتَمَعُوا مِنَ اللَّيْلَةِ الثَّالِثَةِ أَوِ الرَّابِعَةِ فَلَمْ يَخْرُجْ إِلَيْهِمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَلَمَّا أَصْبَحَ قَالَ قَدْ رَأَيْتُ الَّذِي صَنَعْتُمْ وَلَمْ يَمْنَعْنِي مِنَ الْخُرُوجِ إِلَيْكُمْ إِلاَّ أَنِّي خَشِيتُ أَنْ تُفْرَضَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَذَلِكَ فِي رَمَضَانَ  

ahmad:25446Qaraʾt > ʿAbd al-Raḥman Mālik > Ibn Shihāb > ʿUrwah b. al-Zubayr

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. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 1373)  

أحمد:٢٥٤٤٦قَالَ قَرَأْتُ عَلَى عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ مَالِكٌ عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ عَنْ عُرْوَةَ بْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ

عَنْ عَائِشَةَ زَوْجِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ صَلَّى فِي الْمَسْجِدِ فَصَلَّى بِصَلَاتِهِ نَاسٌ ثُمَّ صَلَّى مِنَ الْقَابِلَةِ فَكَثُرَ النَّاسُ ثُمَّ اجْتَمَعُوا مِنَ اللَّيْلَةِ الثَّالِثَةِ أَوِ الرَّابِعَةِ فَلَمْ يَخْرُجْ إِلَيْهِمْ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ فَلَمَّا أَصْبَحَ قَالَ قَدْ رَأَيْتُ الَّذِي صَنَعْتُمْ فَلَمْ يَمْنَعْنِي مِنَ الْخُرُوجِ إِلَيْكُمْ إِلَّا أَنِّي خَشِيتُ أَنْ تُفْرَضَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَذَلِكَ فِي رَمَضَانَ  

ibnhibban:2542ʿUmar b. Saʿīd b. Sinān > Aḥmad b. Abū Bakr > Mālik > Ibn Shihāb > ʿUrwah > ʿĀʾishah

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ prayed in the masjid one night, and some people followed his prayer. Then he prayed the following night and more people came. Then they gathered on the third or fourth night and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not come out to them. When morning came he said: "I saw what you did, and nothing prevented me from coming out to you but the fact that I feared that this would be made obligatory for you," and that was in Ramadan. (Using translation from Nasāʾī 1604)  

ابن حبّان:٢٥٤٢أَخْبَرَنَا عُمَرُ بْنُ سَعِيدِ بْنِ سِنَانٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ أَبِي بَكْرٍ عَنْ مَالِكٍ عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ عَنْ عُرْوَةَ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ صَلَّى فِي الْمَسْجِدِ ذَاتَ لَيْلَةٍ فَصَلَّى بِصَلَاتِهِ نَاسٌ ثُمَّ صَلَّى مِنَ الْقَابِلَةِ فَكَثُرَ النَّاسُ ثُمَّ اجْتَمَعُوا مِنَ اللَّيْلَةِ الثَّالِثَةِ أَوِ الرَّابِعَةِ فَلَمْ يَخْرُجْ لَهُمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَلَمَّا أَصْبَحَ قَالَ «قَدْ رَأَيْتُ الَّذِي صَنَعْتُمْ فَلَمْ يَمْنَعْنِي مِنَ الْخُرُوجِ إِلَيْكُمْ إِلَّا أَنِّي خَشِيتُ أَنْ تُفْرَضَ عَلَيْكُمْ» وَذَلِكَ فِي رَمَضَانَ  

nasai-kubra:1299Qutaybah b. Saʿīd > Mālik > Ibn Shihāb > ʿUrwah > ʿĀʾishah

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. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 1373)  

الكبرى للنسائي:١٢٩٩أَخْبَرَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ مَالِكٍ عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ عَنْ عُرْوَةَ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ صَلَّى فِي الْمَسْجِدِ ذَاتَ لَيْلَةٍ فَصَلَّى بِصَلَاتِهِ نَاسٌ ثُمَّ صَلَّى مِنَ الْقَابِلَةِ فَكَثُرَ النَّاسُ ثُمَّ اجْتَمَعُوا مِنَ اللَّيْلَةِ الثَّالِثَةِ أَوِ الرَّابِعَةِ فَلَمْ يَخْرُجْ إِلَيْهِمْ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ فَلَمَّا أَصْبَحَ قَالَ «قَدْ رَأَيْتُ الَّذِي صَنَعْتُمْ فَلَمْ يَمْنَعْنِي مِنَ الْخُرُوجِ إِلَيْكُمْ إِلَّا أَنِّي خَشِيتُ أَنْ يُفْرَضَ عَلَيْكُمْ» وَذَلِكَ فِي رَمَضَانَ  

bayhaqi:4601[Chain 1] Abū ʿAbdullāh al-Ḥāfiẓ > Abū al-ʿAbbās ʿAbdullāh b. al-Ḥusayn al-Qāḍī Bimarw > al-Ḥārith b. Abū Usāmah > Ismāʿīl b. Abū Ūways > Mālik [Chain 2] Muḥammad b. Ṣāliḥ b. Hānī > Muḥammad b. ʿAmr al-Ḥarashī > Yaḥyá b. Yaḥyá > Mālik > Ibn Shihāb > ʿUrwah > ʿĀʾishah

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. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 1373)   

البيهقي:٤٦٠١أنبأ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللهِ الْحَافِظُ أنبأ أَبُو الْعَبَّاسِ عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ الْقَاضِي بِمَرْوَ أنبأ الْحَارِثُ بْنُ أَبِي أُسَامَةَ ثنا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ أَبِي أُوَيْسٍ ثنا مَالِكٌ (ح) وَأنبأ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللهِ حَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ صَالِحِ بْنِ هَانِي ثنا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَمْرٍو الْحَرَشِيُّ ثنا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى قَالَ قَرَأْتُ عَلَى مَالِكٍ عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ عَنْ عُرْوَةَ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ ؓ أَنَّ

رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ صَلَّى فِي الْمَسْجِدِ ذَاتَ لَيْلَةٍ فَصَلَّى بِصَلَاتِهِ نَاسٌ ثُمَّ صَلَّى مِنَ الْقَابِلَةِ فَكَثُرَ النَّاسُ ثُمَّ اجْتَمَعُوا مِنَ اللَّيْلَةِ الثَّالِثَةِ أَوِ الرَّابِعَةِ فَلَمْ يَخْرُجْ إِلَيْهِمْ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ فَلَمَّا أَصْبَحَ قَالَ قَدْ رَأَيْتُ الَّذِي صَنَعْتُمْ فَلَمْ يَمْنَعُنِي مِنَ الْخُرُوجِ إِلَيْكُمْ إِلَّا أَنِّي خَشِيتُ أَنْ تُفْرَضَ عَلَيْكُمْ قَالَ وَذَلِكَ فِي رَمَضَانَ لَفْظُ حَدِيثِهِمَا سَوَاءٌ إِلَّا أَنَّ ابْنَ أَبِي أُوَيْسٍ قَالَ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ زَوْجِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ  

رَوَاهُ الْبُخَارِيُّ فِي الصَّحِيحِ عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ وَرَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ يَحْيَى