[Machine] My father bought a slave and he was owned by al-Ahnaf, so he freed him. I later met him when he was old and he used to say that most of the night prayers of al-Ahnaf were supplications. He used to place the lantern near him and put his finger on it and say, "Tell me, O al-Ahnaf, what led you to do what you did on such and such day?" meaning this and that.  

اشْتَرَى أَبِي غُلَامًا وَكَانَ لِلْأَحْنَفِ فَأَعْتَقَهُ فَأَدْرَكْتُهُ شَيْخًا وَكَانَ يُحَدِّثُ أَنَّ عَامَّةَ صَلَاةِ الْأَحْنَفِ بِاللَّيْلِ الدُّعَاءُ وَكَانَ يَضَعُ الْمِصْبَاحَ قَرِيبًا مِنْهُ فَيَضَعُ إِصْبَعَهُ عَلَيْهِ فَيَقُولُ حُسَّ يَا أَحْنَفُ مَا حَمَلَكَ عَلَى مَا صَنَعْتَ [191] يَوْمَ كَذَا وَكَذَا يَعْنِي كَذَا وَكَذَا