Description of the lengthy night prayer of the Prophet ﷺ

I prayed with the Prophet ﷺ one night. He began reciting Sūrat al-Baqarah, and I thought he would bow at the hundredth verse, but he continued. Then I thought he would recite it in one rakʿah, but he continued. Then I thought he would bow after finishing it; then he began Sūrat al-Nisāʾ and recited it, then began Āl ʿImrān and recited it. He recited in a measured, unhurried manner:

When he passed a verse containing glorification, he would glorify Allah; when he passed a verse containing a supplication, he would ask; and when he passed a verse seeking refuge, he would seek refuge.

Then he bowed and began saying, “Glory be to my Lord, the Magnificent,” and his bowing was about as long as his standing. Then he said, “Allah hears whoever praises Him,” then he stood for a long time, nearly as long as his bowing. Then he prostrated and said, “Glory be to my Lord, the Most High,” and his prostration was nearly as long as his standing.

صَلَّيْتُ مَعَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ ذَاتَ لَيْلَةٍ فَافْتَتَحَ الْبَقَرَةَ فَقُلْتُ يَرْكَعُ عِنْدَ الْمِائَةِ ثُمَّ مَضَى فَقُلْتُ يُصَلِّي بِهَا فِي رَكْعَةٍ فَمَضَى فَقُلْتُ يَرْكَعُ بِهَا ثُمَّ افْتَتَحَ النِّسَاءَ فَقَرَأَهَا ثُمَّ افْتَتَحَ آلَ عِمْرَانَ فَقَرَأَهَا يَقْرَأُ مُتَرَسِّلاً

إِذَا مَرَّ بِآيَةٍ فِيهَا تَسْبِيحٌ سَبَّحَ وَإِذَا مَرَّ بِسُؤَالٍ سَأَلَ وَإِذَا مَرَّ بِتَعَوُّذٍ تَعَوَّذَ

ثُمَّ رَكَعَ فَجَعَلَ يَقُولُ سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْعَظِيمِ فَكَانَ رُكُوعُهُ نَحْوًا مِنْ قِيَامِهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ: «سَمِعَ اللَّهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ» ثُمَّ قَامَ طَوِيلاً قَرِيبًا مِمَّا رَكَعَ ثُمَّ سَجَدَ فَقَالَ: «سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الأَعْلَى» فَكَانَ سُجُودُهُ قَرِيبًا مِنْ قِيَامِهِ

Hudhayfah saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ praying at night. He said: Allah is most great" three times, "Possessor of kingdom, grandeur, greatness and majesty." He then began (his prayer) and recited Surah al-Baqarah; then he bowed and he paused in bowing as long as he stood up; he said while bowing, "Glory be to my mighty Lord," "Glory be to my mighty Lord" ; then he raised his head, after bowing: then he stood up and he paused as long as he paused in bowing and said, "Praise be to my Lord" ; then he prostrated and paused in prostration as long as he paused in the standing position; he said while prostrating: "Glory be to my most high Lord"; then he raised his head after prostration, and sat as long as he prostrated, and said while sitting: "O my Lord forgive me." He offered four rak'ahs of prayer and recited in them Surah al-Baqarah, Aal Imran, an-Nisa, al-Ma'idah, or al-An'am. The narrator Shu'bah doubted.

أَنَّهُ رَأَى رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يُصَلِّي مِنَ اللَّيْلِ فَكَانَ يَقُولُ اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ ثَلاَثًا ذُو الْمَلَكُوتِ وَالْجَبَرُوتِ وَالْكِبْرِيَاءِ وَالْعَظَمَةِ ثُمَّ اسْتَفْتَحَ فَقَرَأَ الْبَقَرَةَ ثُمَّ رَكَعَ فَكَانَ رُكُوعُهُ نَحْوًا مِنْ قِيَامِهِ وَكَانَ يَقُولُ فِي رُكُوعِهِ سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْعَظِيمِ سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْعَظِيمِ ثُمَّ رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ مِنَ الرُّكُوعِ فَكَانَ قِيَامُهُ نَحْوًا مِنْ رُكُوعِهِ يَقُولُ لِرَبِّيَ الْحَمْدُ ثُمَّ سَجَدَ فَكَانَ سُجُودُهُ نَحْوًا مِنْ قِيَامِهِ فَكَانَ يَقُولُ فِي سُجُودِهِ سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الأَعْلَى ثُمَّ رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ مِنَ السُّجُودِ وَكَانَ يَقْعُدُ فِيمَا بَيْنَ السَّجْدَتَيْنِ نَحْوًا مِنْ سُجُودِهِ وَكَانَ يَقُولُ رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي فَصَلَّى أَرْبَعَ رَكَعَاتٍ فَقَرَأَ فِيهِنَّ الْبَقَرَةَ وَآلَ عِمْرَانَ وَالنِّسَاءَ وَالْمَائِدَةَ أَوِ الأَنْعَامَ شَكَّ شُعْبَةُ

He came to the Prophet ﷺ and stood by his side, and he said: "Allahu Akbar Dhul-malakut wal-jabarut wal-kibriya' wal 'azamah (Allah is Most Great, the One Who has all sovereignty, power, magnificence, and might.)" Then he recited Al-Baqarah, then he bowed, and his bowing lasted almost as long as his standing, and he said when bowing: 'Subahana Rabbial-'azim, Subhana Rabbial-'azim (Glory be to my Lord Almighty, Glory be to my Lord Almighty)." When he raised his head he said: "Li Rabbial-hamd, Li Rabbial-hamd (To my Lord be praise, to my Lord be praise)." And when he prostrated he said: "Subahana Rabbial-A'la, Subahna Rabbial-A'la (Glory be to my Lord Most High, glory be to my Lord Most High)." And between the two prostrations he would say: "Rabbighfirli, Rabbighfirli (Lord forgive me, Lord forgive me)."

أَنَّهُ انْتَهَى إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَقَامَ إِلَى جَنْبِهِ فَقَالَ اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ ذُو الْمَلَكُوتِ وَالْجَبَرُوتِ وَالْكِبْرِيَاءِ وَالْعَظَمَةِ ثُمَّ قَرَأَ بِالْبَقَرَةِ ثُمَّ رَكَعَ فَكَانَ رُكُوعُهُ نَحْوًا مِنْ قِيَامِهِ فَقَالَ فِي رُكُوعِهِ سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْعَظِيمِ سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْعَظِيمِ وَقَالَ حِينَ رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ لِرَبِّيَ الْحَمْدُ لِرَبِّيَ الْحَمْدُ وَكَانَ يَقُولُ فِي سُجُودِهِ سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الأَعْلَى سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الأَعْلَى وَكَانَ يَقُولُ بَيْنَ السَّجْدَتَيْنِ رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي

Hudhayfah saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ praying at night. He said: Allah is most great" three times, "Possessor of kingdom, grandeur, greatness and majesty." He then began (his prayer) and recited Surah al-Baqarah; then he bowed and he paused in bowing as long as he stood up; he said while bowing, "Glory be to my mighty Lord," "Glory be to my mighty Lord" ; then he raised his head, after bowing: then he stood up and he paused as long as he paused in bowing and said, "Praise be to my Lord" ; then he prostrated and paused in prostration as long as he paused in the standing position; he said while prostrating: "Glory be to my most high Lord"; then he raised his head after prostration, and sat as long as he prostrated, and said while sitting: "O my Lord forgive me." He offered four rak'ahs of prayer and recited in them Surah al-Baqarah, Aal Imran, an-Nisa, al-Ma'idah, or al-An'am. The narrator Shu'bah doubted. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 874)

أَنَّهُ صَلَّى مَعَ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ فَلَمَّا دَخَلَ فِي الصَّلَاةِ قَالَ اللهُ أَكْبَرُ ذُو الْمَلَكُوتِ وَالْجَبَرُوتِ وَالْكِبْرِيَاءِ وَالْعَظَمَةِ قَالَ ثُمَّ قَرَأَ الْبَقَرَةَ ثُمَّ رَكَعَ وَكَانَ رُكُوعُهُ نَحْوًا مِنْ قِيَامِهِ وَكَانَ يَقُولُ سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْعَظِيمِ سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْعَظِيمِ ثُمَّ رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ فَكَانَ قِيَامُهُ نَحْوًا مِنْ رُكُوعِهِ وَكَانَ يَقُولُ لِرَبِّيَ الْحَمْدُ لِرَبِّيَ الْحَمْدُ ثُمَّ سَجَدَ فَكَانَ سُجُودُهُ نَحْوًا مِنْ قِيَامِهِ وَكَانَ يَقُولُ سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْأَعْلَى سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْأَعْلَى ثُمَّ رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ فَكَانَ مَا بَيْنَ السَّجْدَتَيْنِ نَحْوًا مِنَ السُّجُودِ وَكَانَ يَقُولُ رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي قَالَ حَتَّى قَرَأَ الْبَقَرَةَوَآلَ عِمْرَانَ وَالنِّسَاءَ وَالْمَائِدَةَ وَالْأَنْعَامَ شُعْبَةُ الَّذِي يَشُكُّ فِي الْمَائِدَةِ وَالْأَنْعَامِ

[AI] "I prayed with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ on a night in Ramadan in a room made of palm leaves. He stood up, raised his voice saying, "Allah is the greatest, the possessor of might, dominion, magnificence, and grandeur." Then, he began the recitation with Surah Al-Baqarah, and I thought he would stop at one hundred verses, but he continued until he reached two hundred. Then, he began the recitation of Surah Al-Imran, and he recited it. After that, he began the recitation of Surah An-Nisa and recited it. He would not pass by a verse of admonition without pausing to seek refuge with Allah. Then, he performed a rukoo' (bowing) similar to his standing position, saying, "Subhan Rabbiyal Azeem," which he would repeat. Then, he raised his head and said, "Allah listens to the one who praises Him. O our Lord, all praise is due to You." He repeated this statement, similar to his rukoo'. Then, he prostrated as he did in his standing position, saying, "Subhan Rabbiyal A'la." He would say, between the two prostrations, "O Lord, forgive me." He did not pray more than four units of prayer, similar to the Tahajjud prayer, from the beginning of the night until the end of it, until Bilal came and called the Adhan for Fajr prayer."

صَلَّيْتُ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ لَيْلَةً مِنْ رَمَضَانَ فِي حُجْرَةٍ مِنْ جَرِيدِ النَّخْلِ قَالَ فَقَامَ فَكَبَّرَ فَقَالَ «اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ ذُو الْجَبَرُوتِ وَالْمَلَكُوتِ وَذُو الْكِبْرِيَاءِ وَالْعَظَمَةِ» «ثُمَّ افْتَتَحَ الْبَقَرَةَ فَقَرَأَ» فَقُلْتُ يَبْلُغُ رَأْسَ الْمِائَةِ ثُمَّ قُلْتُ يَبْلُغُ رَأْسَ الْمِائَتَيْنِ قَالَ ثُمَّ افْتَتَحَ آلَ عِمْرَانَ فَقَرَأَهَا ثُمَّ افْتَتَحَ النِّسَاءَ فَقَرَأَهَا لَا يَمُرُّ بِآيَةِ التَّخْوِيفِ إِلَّا وَقَفَ فَتَعَوَّذَ ثُمَّ رَكَعَ مِثْلَ مَا قَامَ يَقُولُ سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْعَظِيمِ يُرَدِّدُهُنَّ ثُمَّ رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ فَقَالَ «سَمِعَ اللَّهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّنَا لَكَ الْحَمْدُ» مِثْلَ مَا رَكَعَ ثُمَّ سَجَدَ مِثْلَ مَا قَامَ يَقُولُ «سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْأَعْلَى» وَيَقُولُ بَيْنَ السَّجْدَتَيْنِ «رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي» فَمَا صَلَّى إِلَّا أَرْبَعَ رَكَعَاتٍ مِنْ صَلَاةِ الْعَتَمَةِ مِنْ أَوَّلِ اللَّيْلِ إِلَى آخِرِهِ « حَتَّى جَاءَ بِلَالٌ فَآذَنَهُ بِصَلَاةِ الْغَدَاةِ»